CSUB Athletics reveals inaugural Hall of Fame class

Five honorees to be recognized during induction ceremony in October

By California State University, Bakersfield

July 7^th, 2025

Following February’s announcement of the creation of the California State University, Bakersfield Athletics Hall of Fame, dozens of Roadrunner student-athletes, coaches, administrators, supporters and teams were submitted for consideration for the inaugural class.

The Selection Committee painstakingly trimmed the list of heavy hitters and titans down to a select group of five inductees that will be recognized this fall as the first-ever `Runners enshrined in the CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame.

Comprised of undefeated NCAA champions, multi-time national Athlete of the Year honorees and pioneering leaders who built CSUB Athletics brick-by-brick — figuratively and literally — the inaugural class of inductees represents the best of the best of the `Runners.

Live on KBAK-CBS and FOX 58, Sports Director Greg Kerr announced one member of the inaugural class every night from June 30 through July 4. The five-member class includes student-athletes Stephen Neal (wrestling) and Loni (Burton) Vander Kooi (women’s swimming & diving), Head Coach Charles Craig (track and field), Director of Athletics Rudy Carvajal and the 1992-93 men’s basketball team.

CSUB Director of Athletics Kyle Conder expressed excitement for the inaugural inductees.

“The inaugural Hall of Fame class is a true reflection of the legacy, pride, and excellence that define CSUB Athletics.These honorees achieved greatness and helped shape the very identity of our department," he said. "From national championships, trailblazing administrative milestones and record-breaking performances, each inductee left a lasting mark on our university and the annals of intercollegiate athletics. We are honored to enshrine them as the foundation of our Hall of Fame and to celebrate the powerful legacy they’ve created for generations of `Runners to come.”

The Class of 2025 will be formally recognized at the Icardo Center as part of the inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, October 25. Tickets are on sale now here. For sponsorship opportunities and other inquiries, please contact Sarah Tuohy in CSUB Athletics Development at stuohy@csub.edu.

CSUB Athletics reveals inaugural Hall of Fame class

Loni (Burton) Vander Kooi, student-athlete

In spite of spending just three years in Bakersfield, Burton is the most decorated female student-athlete in the history of CSUB athletics. A sprint freestyler who was also fast in the 100 Butterfly, Burton was the NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Her times in 2004 qualified Burton for the United States Olympic Trials.

Throughout her storied career, Burton won 12 individual national titles, an unprecedented number in the Division II ranks while she became just the second-ever swimmer with that many championships won in a career across all of NCAA. 20 years removed from her time as a Roadrunner, Burton remains CSUB’s record holder in three events — 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free — and she still ranks No. 3 in the 100 Butterfly.

A 20-time All-American, Burton wrapped up her collegiate career in 2005. Just a year later, she was named NCAA Division II Most Outstanding Swimmer over the previous 25 years, an honor bestowed on Burton as part of the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary of Women’s Championships. In 2011, the College Swimming Coaches' Association of America listed Burton among the Top 100 female collegiate swimmers of the past century, as part of the CSCAA's 100th year celebration.

Rudy Carvajal, athletics director

Carvajal’s 38-year career at CSUB started in 1972 as the founding director of athletics. He was instrumental in building the Athletics Department from scratch into an NCAA Division II powerhouse as the Roadrunners won 30 Division II National Championships in five different sports while producing 215 National Champions and nearly 1,000 All-Americans. He also guided CSUB to the Division I ranks in 2007, guiding the `Runners into a new era of competitive success.

Under Carvajal’s leadership, CSUB Athletics won the Sears Director's Cup in 1998. The following year, he was named NCAA Division II Athletics Director of the Year. Carvajal was inducted into the Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and he was enshrined by the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors of America with an induction into its Hall of Fame in 2012.

Charles Craig, track and field coach

Craig chartered the CSUB track & field program and enjoyed a three-decade-long career that could fill a book with accolades. By his retirement in 2004, Craig had coached 18 NCAA National Champions and 195 All-Americans, earning NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2002.

Craig’s success was recognized beyond domestic competition, as his talents and coaching skills paved the way for his work with the United States National Team. He was the USA track & field assistant coach for the 1991 World Championships and the 1996 Olympic Games. Acknowledging his contributions to the sport, Craig was elected to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008.

Stephen Neal, student-athlete

Neal was a two-time NCAA Division I Champion and a four-time All-American whose professional accomplishments rival his remarkable collegiate resume. The heavyweight wrapped a bow on his decorated collegiate career by winning his second-straight national title and winning the 1999 Dan Hodge Trophy, college wrestling’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. His 156 career victories and 71 pins still top Bakersfield’s all-time records, but Neal’s wrestling career did not stop after his time in the CSUB blue and gold.

Following his graduation, Neal turned his attention to international competition and freestyle wrestling. In the summer of 1999, he won the Pan American Games before adding a world championships title to his resume that fall. Following the 2000 Olympic Trials, Neal retired from wrestling, but his days of competing were far from over.

Despite not playing a single down of football since his days as a prep star at San Diego High School, Neal set his eyes on a return to the gridiron. In 2001, he signed a deal with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent and eventually landed on the franchise’s 53-man roster in 2002. Neal worked his way to becoming an every-Sunday starter on the Patriots’ offensive line. Over the course of his 10-year NFL career, Neal helped New England to three Super Bowl rings — 2001, 2004 and 2005 — while protecting Tom Brady in 86 career games and 81 starts.

1992-93 men's basketball team

The 1992-93 CSUB men’s basketball team sparked a dynasty in Kern County with one of the most impressive seasons in NCAA history. The Roadrunners, led by Head Coach Pat Douglass, won the 1993 NCAA Division II National Championships with an unblemished 33-0 record.

If the first game that season was any indication, the writing was on the wall for a championship campaign. CSUB trounced Cal State Stanislaus 100-80 on the road, the first of two games the `Runners eclipsed the century mark on the way to an average of 81 points per game and 33-consecutive victories. Douglass’ squad won the first National Championship in the men’s basketball program’s history and what proved to be the first of three for CSUB in the 1990s.

The `Runners were led by All-Americans Tyrone Davis and Kenny Warren. All-Region honoree Roheen Oats, CCAA Tournament MVP Reggie Phillips, All-Conference honoree Erin Vines were other top contributors in Cal State Bakersfield’s stacked championship roster:

Backcourt: Kenny Davis, Kenny Warren, Justin Hutson, Tyrone Pollard, Alcus McCullough, Reggie Phillips and Tyrone Davis. Frontcourt: Erin Vines, Roheen Oats, Edmond Jackson, Eric Williams, Aaron Anderson and Jeff Kuehl. Coaches: Pat Douglass (HC), Henry Clark (AC) and Don Verlin (AC).