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2017-18 Year-End Review

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 2017-18 academic year brought another season of opportunities for CSU Bakersfield Athletics as the department represented its city and state on a national level once again. The Roadrunners continued to excel in the classroom, bring home championships in competition, and serve the community with hundreds of community service hours.
 
Big West Conference
CSU Bakersfield's President Emeritus Dr. Horace Mitchell developed a vision for the Roadrunner Athletics Department early in his tenure at the university. Dr. Mitchell dreamed big, planning for the future when he announced CSUB Athletics would be making the jump from NCAA Division II to Division I in 2006.
 
On November 27, 2017, the day finally arrived that Dr. Mitchell and director of athletics Ziggy Siegfried were able to announce CSUB had accepted an invitation to the Big West Conference. More than a decade after the mission began, the `Runners were finally able to begin the process of joining the league that provides the best fit for CSUB Athletics. Bakersfield will become a full member of the Big West on July 1, 2020.
 
Graduation Rates and APR Scores
The Roadrunners again enjoyed academic progress during the 2017-18 year. CSUB had three teams -- volleyball, beach volleyball, and wrestling -- ranked among the Top 10 percent in Academic Progress Rate in the nation for their respective sports. Bakersfield also had 13 of 15 teams earn a multi-year APR of 950 or higher with the remaining two teams above 940.
 
In the classroom, the `Runners posted a cumulative department GPA over 3.0 for the seventh-straight term. Of the 55 CSUB student-athletes that graduated this year, 84% were first-generation college students while the group posted a 3.18 cumulative GPA.
 
CSUB student-athletes also represented Bakersfield at the conference level with 91 `Runners earning Academic All-Conference honors. Nationally, Maja Green was one of 30 finalists for the women's soccer Senior CLASS Award, men's soccer's Jacob Alatorre was one of 16 men and women named to the Scholar Baller Academic Momentum team, and the women's swimming and diving program earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors for posting a cumulative team GPA above 3.0.
 
Athletic Accomplishments and Postseason Appearances
The 2017-18 academic year brought CSUB its sixth appearance in NCAA Division I Tournaments courtesy of the Roadrunner volleyball team. Bakersfield brought home another WAC Tournament title after an exciting run, making CSUB volleyball the first `Runner team to make it to the NCAA Tournament twice since the move to Division I.
 
CSUB's wrestling program qualified five men for the NCAA Championships for the third straight year. Three `Runners advanced to the second day of the tournament while a pair of student-athletes came up just short of All-American honors.
At the WAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, sophomore Curt Threlkeld earned another championship for CSUB as the middle distance specialist took home the gold medal in the 800-meter race.
 
The `Runner track and field team also saw the two fastest times in the 100-meter dash in the last 35 years thanks to Falon Wilson and Mariah LeSure. Hurdler Tristan Watson qualified for the NCAA West Regional after posting the fastest 110-meter hurdle time in 35 years for CSUB as well. On top of several other all-time Top 20 marks, Julianne Finch reset the CSUB pole vault record three times this season and distance runner Angel Valdez reset all four of CSUB's cross country records.
 
The CSUB women's basketball team made its first run to the WAC Tournament final, but came up just short of winning a title. Despite the loss, the Roadrunners earned their fifth postseason berth since moving to Division I as CSUB hosted Fresno State in the opening round of the WBI tournament.
 
The `Runner men's basketball program enjoyed a 24-year-old record being tied this season as redshirt senior Brent Wrapp closed out his time at CSUB with 520 career assists. The total tied CSUB's point guard with `Runner great Kenny Warren (1990-94). In addition, the team saw productivity in new faces as first-year players recorded more minutes than ever before. 
 
In the inaugural National Invitational Championship, the `Runner men's swimming and diving team placed 10th with several student-athletes qualifying for the meet. Sophomore standout Jayssie Haynes demolished the women's record book, resetting four school records this season.
 
CSUB women's golf continued to see record-setting performances from the team led by two seniors: Ariel Lee and Tori Peers. The pair graduated this spring as the two best golfers in school history by nearly all measurable standards.
 
On the pitch, redshirt junior Aminah Settles claimed CSUB's Division I career records for both points and goals scored by a `Runner woman.
 
Staff Accomplishments
Roadrunner Athletics Academic Advisor Rosemary Stribling was asked to present on the `Runner Ambassador Program at the national NASPA conference March 3 through 7 in Philadelphia. Shortly after the conference, Stribling was asked to write publications on the program. The research and program model can be found in "Student Affairs Today" and "College Athletics and the Law."
 
Stribling also presented RAP at NAFSA, a conference for the Association of International Educators Worldwide. Educators from several different countries were present in Philadelphia from May 27 to June 1. 
 
RAP has caught national attention as Stribling has been asked by the NCAA Office of Inclusion to present at the Inclusion Forum in 2019. The division is looking to create a template of the program that could be used at various NCAA institutions across the country.
 
Staff Regional & National Committees
CSUB Athletics staff continue to be ambassadors for the department from the top down. Through different interest committees, staff continue to find ways to represent Roadrunner Athletics on a regional and national level. 
 
Karen Langston – NCAA Wrestling Championships Committee (entering her second year of a four-year term) and the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) Executive Committee, a national fundraising leadership group.
 
Dena Freeman-Patton - NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC) Board Member and Minority Opportunities Athletics Association (MOAA) Board Member
 
Rosemary Stribling – NASPA Student-Athlete Knowledge Community Regional Representative
 
Facilities Improvements
CSU Bakersfield Athletics continues to focus on providing the best possible overall student-athlete experience. In order to enhance this area, a strong focus has been placed on facilities. There were four large facilities improvements made during the 2017-18 academic year totaling approximately $3.4 million. 
 
The latest addition to the CSUB Softball Complex is new 1,000 square foot sunken dugouts with storage that will greatly enhance the student-athletes experience.  In addition, a new irrigation system was installed to help maintain the turf more effectively and efficiently.  
 
The Icardo Center, home for four Roadrunner sports, saw the most enhancements this year. A new sound system and state of the art Daktronics Video Board was installed to provide a more unique game-day experience for men and women's basketball, volleyball and wrestling. 
 
The iconic blue court, unveiled in 2011, will be replaced this summer with the new Robbins Bio-Channel flooring system. The main court design will be updated but the color will remain blue.
 
Locker room renovations in the Icardo Center include, updated technology and air conditioning, modernization of restrooms, and creation of team-specific lounge rooms for men and women's basketball and volleyball.
 
Revenue Records
CSUB Athletics continued to raise revenues across multiple platforms in 2017-18 and is projected to generate nearly $3.0 million, the most since the 2006-07 academic year and a 70 percent increase over 2016-17.  
 
With corporate partners nearly doubling over the past few years, CSUB's corporate sponsorship revenue will approach $630,000 with an increase of nearly 25 percent since 2016-17.  
 
Ticket revenue continues to see dramatic growth with revenue up nearly 30 percent from last year and totaling about $378,000.  After a dramatic 74 percent increase in royalty revenue 2016-17, CSUB saw a 10 percent increase in 2017-18, with revenue approaching $30,000.
 
Service
CSUB Athletics continued to be active in the Bakersfield community during the 2017-18 academic year.  As a department, CSUB student-athletes worked 3,854 community service hours, volunteering with organizations like Rosewood Senior Living, Ronald McDonald House, Mercy Hospital, the Bakersfield Marathon, Kindness Matters and serving as celebrity readers at multiple elementary schools throughout the area.  
    
~GoRunners.com~ 
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