Courtesy: CSUB Athletics
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Heading into the second year of consideration for the Cal State Bakersfield Athletics Hall of Fame, the pool of nominated Roadrunner student-athletes, coaches, administrators, supporters, and teams continued to grow. The job of the Selection Committee became increasingly more difficult, but they whittled the list down to a select group of honorees who will be enshrined in the CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame late this year.
Comprised of highly-decorated NCAA and professional Champions, national Athlete of the Year honorees, and pioneering leaders who established the dominance of Cal State Bakersfield Athletics, the 2026 class of inductees continues to venerate the best of the best of the `Runners.
CSUB Acting Director of Athletics Sarah Tuohy had this to say about the class of 2026: “The CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame is a living testament to the greatness this university has produced, and this year’s class adds another remarkable chapter to that story. These honorees exemplify the pride, perseverance, and excellence that define `Runner Athletics, and their legacies will continue to inspire student-athletes for years to come. It is an honor to celebrate them and the enduring impact they have had on our program.”
Live on KBAK-CBS and FOX 58, Sports Director Greg Kerr will be announcing one member of the 2026 class every night, June 15-19. The first four members of the class are the 1975-76 Wrestling Team, Head Coaches Joe Seay (Wrestling) and Ernie Maglischo (Swim & Dive), and Track & field student-athlete April Burton.
The Class of 2026 will be formally recognized during the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, set for Saturday, September 26. Tickets for the induction ceremony will go on sale soon. For sponsorship opportunities and other inquiries, please contact the CSUB Athletics Department at [email protected].
One of the true “Great Ones” in our sport. I was fortunate to be selected in 1982 as a high school coach for a week long Coaches Academy at the Olympic Training Center @ Colorado Springs. What an experience and what a boost for my learning curve as a young coach. As great a coach as he was,,,,,Ernie was even a better person!
In terms of SHARING training information…there have been 4 LEGENDS that have truly influenced training information in the US!
1) Doc – Science of Swimming
2) Ernie – Swimming Faster Series
3) Jon Urbancek – Color System
4) Bill Sweetenham – Championship Swim Training
So glad I got to meet all of these coaches!!!
No list of “sharing information” and “legends that have truly influenced training” combined is complete without Sam Freas. There’s a reason virtually every top sprint coach has read his book(s) and more or less adheres to the theories.
I agree with your statement!
Legend!
A brilliant coach and really nice guy. Glad to see him being honored.
🫡 I hope they put up a memorial/educational piece towards his legacy at the new aquatics center in Bakersfield.
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The rest of the world are studying Maglischo and other relevant coaching science work done in the US pre 2000 and combining it with modern knowledge. American swim coaches are studying the latest IG influencer coach who never studied what made us great in the first place.
We are winning more medals because of socioeconomics and demographics.