In just three years at Cal State Bakersfield, Loni Burton accomplished more than most athletes achieve in a lifetime. She is the most decorated female student-athlete in CSUB history, a 20-time All-American, and the winner of 12 individual national titles – a mark that made her one of only two women in NCAA history, across all divisions, to reach such heights. On Oct. 25, 2025, Burton will take her place among the legends of Roadrunner athletics as an inductee in the inaugural CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame.

A fair expectation would be that Burton’s path to greatness was linear and relatively predictable, but that script was thrown in the trash. Instead, Burton left her previous team in the middle of her sophomore year, burned out from the relentless demands of the sport and missing the joy she once felt in the water.

“I think what ended up happening with me is I put too much pressure on myself and I got burned out,” she reflected. “Every morning was a struggle, every practice was a struggle. Going back into it, my biggest goal was to be present in the moment and to enjoy myself and to make memories.”

Then came a phone call from CSUB Head Coach Pat Skehan, who saw something in Burton that even Burton herself wasn’t sure was still there. 

What followed was a career that redefined what was possible. Burton joined the `Runners and subsequently earned NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year in all three years swimming for CSUB (2003, 2004, 2005), qualified for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, and set school records in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle events that still stand two decades later. In 2006, just a year after her final collegiate race, Burton was named the NCAA Division II Most Outstanding Swimmer of the first 25 years of women’s championships. In 2011, she was recognized by the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America as one of the Top 100 female collegiate swimmers of the past century.

What made Burton’s performances even more remarkable was how she approached them – with joy, not pressure. Skehan remembers Burton’s first trip to the NCAA Championships: “At her first nationals, she came up to me and said, ‘Remember, a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer!’…She was not a dominant leader. She just wanted to be part of the family and she led from within.” 

Burton herself said it wasn’t the races she cherished most, but the moments in between: “The moments where I would be sitting with my teammates and we would laugh until we were crying, or the moments on the way to morning practice where we would sing at the top of our lungs at five in the morning. Those moments still stick out to me to this day.” 

Her most challenging races also became her proudest memories. “The 200 Free and 100 Butterfly combination was one that I always felt very proud of because it was a race that was back-to-back. There wasn’t a lot of time in between…that was always something that I was really proud of.” Coach Skehan pointed to the same kind of resilience: “Nobody has ever won the two events she won back-to-back, before or ever since.” 

For Skehan, Burton’s impact went beyond medals and titles, changing the narrative between the importance of men’s and women’s sports and inspiring those around her. 

Today, Burton is far removed from the competitive pool. She is a fifth-grade teacher in Northern California, married with two children who found their passions in dance and musical theater rather than swimming – and that’s just fine with her. But she still credits CSUB with shaping the trajectory of her life. “Some of the best times I had were at CSUB with those girls. They were all very special and they are friends that I still have today…I don’t think I would have the career I have, the family that I have, and the friends that I have. That’s not a future I would have liked, so I’m glad it went this way.”

When Burton learned she would be inducted into the Hall of Fame, she was stunned. “I was shocked. When I tried to tell people I was shocked, they laughed. I look at the other inductees and I just feel truly honored to be a part of this with this group of people. This is a really special group.”

From burnout to brilliance, from nearly walking away from the sport to becoming one of the most decorated athletes in NCAA history, Burton’s story is one of resilience, joy, and the power of second chances. As CSUB celebrates its inaugural Hall of Fame class, Loni Burton stands as proof that sometimes the greatest victories are born not just from talent, but from rediscovering the love of the game.

Those interested in celebrating the career and legacy of Burton on Oct. 25 can purchase tickets for the Induction Ceremony at the link below.

~GoRunners.com~