Cleveland, Ohio ?The Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) has announced the recipients of the inaugural DII ADA Lifetime Achievement Award ? Rudy Carvajal, athletics director at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) and Phil Roach, former athletics director at Rollins College. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by WeatherPORT and is given to athletics directors who have exemplified superior achievement during their career at the Division II level.
“We are excited that Rudy and Phil are the inaugural DII ADA Lifetime Achievement Award recipients,” stated DII ADA President Ed Matejkovic, director of athletics at West Chester University. “These gentlemen have been at the forefront of Division II initiatives over the years and the DII ADA looks forward to honoring them at the NACDA Convention in June.”
Athletics Director at CSUB since 1972, Carvajal has built a small university program into one of the best Division II programs in the nation, winning an unprecedented 30 NCAA national championships in five different sports. The Roadrunners are also the first and only member of the California State University system to capture the Directors' Cup.
“It's very humbling to win an award of this magnitude, especially one selected by your peers,” says Carvajal. “But this award really is a reflection on the wonderful coaches, staff and, most importantly, student?athletes who have represented so well and with such dedication and commitment over the years.”
The award is just one more feather in Carvajal's already crowded cap. In a resume filled with high honors, perhaps the highest was winning the prestigious Wang Family Excellence Award in 2005. He became the first, and to date, only athletic director ever to receive the honor.
The Kern County Board of Supervisors awarded him for exemplary public service and civic contributions in 2003. In 2000, he was inducted into the Bob Elias Hall Of Fame, recognizing the top achievers in athletics from Kern County.
A three?time president of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Carvajal has served on numerous NCAA committees during his service at CSUB. He enjoyed a three?year term on the NCAA Council and as well as serving on the NCAA Division II Steering Committee and the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee.
Carvajal stresses the importance of being a student-athlete, which is apparent by the fact that Roadrunner student-athletes historically have graduated at a rate higher than the general student body. Over the course of his leadership, CSUB student-athletes have been awarded numerous postgraduate scholarships and have been recognized on Academic All-America? teams. Carvajal has also served on the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee and on the John McLendon Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.
The foundation of Carvajal's success at CSUB relies on community support, which in turn allows the student-athletes to pay back to the university and community through a variety of community service projects. Currently, Carvajal is leading the Roadrunners into the third year of their reclassification to NCAA Division I status.
