As chair, Cherry directs the council, which recommends administrative policy and regulations to govern the division. He also sponsors legislative proposals for the NCAA Convention and reviews committee recommendations.

"It's been an honor to represent CSUSM Athletics and the CCAA on the Management Council for the past three years," Cherry said. “The topics we discuss span a wide range of issues affecting college athletics and the hundreds of thousands of current NCAA student-athletes. We can't lose sight of the student-athletes who are at the heart of all our deliberations, and it's from that lens that we seek to make decisions that benefit them and ensure a positive overall student-athlete experience going forward.”

Last fall, Cherry was also awarded the NCAA Division II Faculty Athletics Association Faculty of the Year Award for 2025. He has been a faculty athletics representative for CSUSM since 2004.

"The political and legal landscape is changing rapidly, and so too is higher education more broadly," Cherry said. “I know it's the intent of all the dedicated professionals at the NCAA national office to lead rather than to respond, even in the midst of a shifting landscape. And while I certainly don't have the answers, I have every confidence that the many people involved in decision-making, across the association, are trying their best to make sense of it all.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

While the Class of 2026 prepares to walk across the graduation stage in their caps and gowns, four Cougars athletics teams and one individual are gearing up to continue their stellar seasons with appearances in regional and national championship events.

Here’s a rundown of what’s on tap.

Softball Team to Host Regional

For the second time in school history, the CSUSM softball team (50-8) will host the NCAA Division II West Regional. They will be the top seed when they face No. 8 seed Hawaii Hilo on Thursday at noon.

Joining the Cougars and Vulcans at the same site will be two teams that CSUSM knows well as rivals from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA): No. 4 seed Cal State Dominguez Hills and No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay.

The Cougars enjoyed another historic regular season, earning the program's second CCAA championship with a 28-4 conference record.

When they held the No. 1 spot in the Division II national ranking for four weeks, it marked the first time any CSUSM team was ranked first in a national poll since the school completed the transition from NAIA to NCAA D-II in 2017-18.

The winner of the regional pod at CSUSM will advance to face the winner of the other NCAA West Regional – consisting of No. 2 seed Cal State East Bay, No. 3 Concordia University Irvine, No. 6 Biola and No. 7 Western Washington (34-20) – in the NCAA West Super Regional on May 21-22.

Baseball Team Picked for Regional

CSUSM’s baseball team (33-17) will make its second NCAA D-II West Regional appearance after being selected as the No. 4 seed by the NCAA selection committee.

The host of the regional is top-seeded Cal State Monterey Bay, a conference rival of the Cougars, who also will be joined by No. 5 seed Northwest Nazarene. CSUSM will begin the regional by facing Northwest Nazarene for the first time ever, on Thursday at noon in Seaside, with the loser of that game facing CSUMB at 3 p.m.

The winner of the regional pod will advance to face the winner of the other NCAA West Regional – consisting of No. 2 seed Point Loma Nazarene, No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 6 Cal State San Bernardino – in the NCAA West Super Regional on May 21-23.

Women’s Golf Makes Nationals

The CSUSM women’s golf team is in Florida as one of 18 teams to qualify for the NCAA D-II national championship.

The Cougars, ranked No. 7 in the country, are the top qualifier of the five teams to make the tournament from the West Region. The national championship started Tuesday and continues through Saturday at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

CSUSM earned its spot last week by winning the first NCAA D-II West Regional title in program history. The Cougars posted a three-round score of 55-over-par 907 to defeat No. 2 Dallas Baptist by seven strokes at Pueblo, Colo. Avery Foster led the team with a second-place finish among individuals, carding an 11-over 224.

Men’s Golf Makes History

The men’s golf program has secured a berth as a team in the NCAA D-II national championship for the first time in school history.   

The Cougars are one of 20 teams that advanced from the regionals, with the national tournament taking place May 18-22 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev.

CSUSM punched its ticket by finishing in a tie for fourth place at the NCAA D-II West/South Central Regional, posting a three-round score of 3-over-par 867 at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton. Liam Weaver led the Cougars by tying for second in the field individually with a score of 9-under 207.  

Jumper Qualifies for Track and Field Championships

Jordyn Brooks of the women's outdoor track and field team has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships.

Brooks will make her NCAA championships debut in the triple jump after recording the 22nd-best mark in Division II (12.20 meters) during the recent CCAA championships. Her mark ranked second in the conference and the West region.

Athletes qualified for the championships by reaching a provisional standard established for each event. For each individual event contested, the top 22 declared athletes were accepted into the competition.

The NCAA championships will be held in Emporia, Kan., and Brooks will compete on May 22.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

So when Kelsey Forrester told Hackson about the most challenging part of her job at UC Santa Barbara, Hackson took action.

Hackson and Forrester have been close friends since their days as teammates on the Cal State San Marcos women’s basketball team from 2018-22. Forrester, now an assistant coach and director of basketball operation for the UCSB women, told Hackson how the hardest part of her job is coordinating meals for players when the team is on road trips.

“Honestly, everything is perfect besides the meal part – and the meal part isn’t hard, it’s just the organizational part,” Forrester said. “And so Akayla is like, ‘OK, well let me fix this.’ ”

It turned out to be a life-changing solution for Hackson. In coming up with an alternative for Forrester, Hackson launched MealOps, a business that aims to modernize team meal logistics by helping athletic programs efficiently coordinate, organize and execute large group orders.

“I like to help and I like to build things,” Hackson said. “I told Kelsey I'd help her out and maybe build a product for her to keep it more organized and just help the workflow in general. Then I had a couple more friends come to me about similar issues. So I took a step back and I realized this could be something bigger.”

Hackson, who graduated from CSUSM in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in computer science, comes from a family of engineers. She has been interested in the discipline for as long as she can remember, and she always aspired to start her own company. After graduating from CSUSM, Hackson earned a master’s in machine learning and artificial intelligence from Stanford. She worked as a software engineer at G2 Software Systems, a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company, for three years before deciding last fall to focus completely on MealOps.

“It was scary,” she said. “It's hard when you have that cushion and job security, the constant income coming in to pretty much no income for a bit. I was just trying to believe in myself and believe in the product that I was building.”

MealOps is a one-stop shop to help teams with the logistics of feeding their athletes. It recently evolved into two connected products:

• CoachImHungry is a platform built for athletic programs to manage team meal logistics and ordering workflows.
• Phantom is an AI agent that connects with restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems like Toast or Square and enables restaurants to accept orders securely from AI agents.

Hackson said CoachImHungry now operates on top of Phantom’s restaurant ordering infrastructure.

Hackson’s college basketball experience and athletics connections have been big assets as she gets the business off the ground.

“College athletics is super interconnected,” Hackson said. “I've been able to go to friends and to show them prototypes and ask, ‘How does this look? How does the workflow look?’ ”

So far, MealOps is exploring deals with UC San Diego, the University of San Diego and UCSB, which is coached by Renee Jimenez, Hackson’s coach at CSUSM.

“It has the potential to be really special,” Forrester said. “When I talk to people who take care of the operational stuff, this is one of the hardest parts for all teams.

“When Akayla puts her mind to something, she's ready to go and she's fully in. And you can see how much progress she's made on this already in such a short a period of time.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2025.

Hunter Industries Gives Transformational $10M Donation for ISE Building

In September, CSUSM announced a transformational $10 million philanthropic investment from Hunter Industries, one of the largest gifts in university history. The donation is supporting the construction of CSUSM’s new Hunter Hall of Science and Engineering, a cornerstone of the university’s commitment to preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Perfect Chemistry: Campus Wedding 16 Years in the Making

If getting married at one’s place of employment seems unconventional, it shouldn’t to those who know biology professor Elinne Becket and chemistry professor Robert Iafe. The passion they have for their students is the same passion they have for the university, so it makes sense that the tied the knot on campus at the McMahan House on campus.

CSUSM Kicks Off Historic $200 Million Fundraising Campaign

Through the largest fundraising campaign in university history, CSUSM is aiming to raise $200 million to support student success and power the region’s future. The university officially launched its “Blueprint for the Future” campaign on Sept. 19. It’s an effort that combines philanthropy with grants and research funding. The campaign’s theme reflects both the physical growth on campus and the forward momentum building at CSUSM. 

Professor Elevates Samoan Language, Culture as Consultant for "Moana 2"

Professor Grant Muāgututiʻa never could have dreamed that linguistics would take him to the shores of Oʻahu as he rubbed elbows with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other stars of the Disney glitterati before the world premiere of the animated film “Moana 2” in 2024. Indeed, Muāgututiʻa was more than a little caught off guard when the filmmaking team behind the sequel to the wildly popular movie “Moana” from 2016 contacted him out of the blue two years ago.

Construction of New Wellness and Rec Center Underway

CSUSM held a Construction Kickoff on Nov. 12 to celebrate construction being underway for the Student Wellness and Recreation Center (SWRC), which is expected to open by summer 2027. CSUSM is partnering with Sea Breeze Properties – developers of North City, which includes CSUSM’s North Commons, The QUAD and the Extended Learning Building – on the SWRC, which will be the latest addition to campus life.

Faith, Resilience Help Athlete Through Life-Threatening Crisis

It all started with a headache. A seemingly normal ailment, but Malachi Wright doesn’t get headaches. And he definitely doesn’t get headaches that force him to leave work early or have him confined to the couch and throwing up for three straight days. That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more. Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. But Wright defied all odds. 

Alumna Finds Purpose in Advocacy for Native Children and Families

As Maya Goodblanket reflects on her time as a student, she vividly remembers the day she found the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at Cal State San Marcos. Little did she know that she was meeting mentors that day who would help her achieve the career she has today. Goodblanket, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, serves as an Indian Child Welfare Act court advocate for the Valley Center-based Indian Health Council, which provides health and wellness services for American Indian communities in north San Diego County. 

Ask the Expert: A Scientific Perspective on the L.A. Fires

When the hills above Los Angeles exploded in flames early last month, Matt Rahn snapped into action. Rahn, though, isn’t a firefighter who was called into duty to help battle what became one of the biggest and most destructive fires in California history. Rather, he’s a wildfire researcher at Cal State San Marcos who, in 2019, created a unique degree program called Wildfire Science and the Urban Interface. He’s also the executive director of the Wildfire Conservancy, a nonprofit research foundation dedicated to serving the state’s firefighters and protecting its communities.

Cougar Care Network Marks 10 Years as a Campus Hub for Connection

Built on listening first and guiding without judgment, the Cougar Care Network enters its second decade as a trusted stop for students seeking practical help, community and a path forward. The Cougar Care Network (CCN) launched in fall 2015 as part of Cal State San Marcos’ Early Support Initiative within the Student Outreach and Referral (SOAR) program. 

Chronic Illness a Journey of Strength, Self-Discovery ... and Salt

The first time Emmi van Zoest rode in an ambulance was in May 2024. She was in the middle of her 10:30 a.m. Communication 200 class when she realized her vision and hearing were failing. She couldn't keep her legs or arms straight and she couldn’t speak. The full memory is hazy, but she found herself sitting outside of Crash’s Market in the University Student Union with a handful of salt packets and on a Facetime call with her parents, who live in Tennessee. This experience didn’t come out of nowhere. She has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that she has lived with since her junior year of high school.  

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Cougars shot 33.3% (20-of-60) from the field and 33.3% (6-of-18) from beyond the arc, while holding APU to 25% from the field and 21.1% from 3-point range. The Cougars also won the rebounding battle 55-41, led by Kaity Haan's game-high 16.

Sophie Morales had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists for CSUSM, while teammate Sydney Hani added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cougars notched their second win on Saturday, beating visiting Point Loma Nazarene 62-50. CSUSM's next game is Nov. 28 against Northwest Nazarene in the PLNU Thanksgiving Classic.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“On top of training up to three hours a day, my major in algorithmic mathematics is very demanding and leaves little time to hold a job,” McGregor said. “I’m grateful for Brooks and Marion Reid’s support and hope to pay it forward someday, especially in math or athletics.”

McGregor's appreciation of the Reids comes from being the recipient of both the Reid Athletic Scholarship and the K. Brooks and Marion Reid Student Achievement Award in Discrete Mathematics. These scholarships are just two of the many ways that the Reids have contributed to Cal State San Marcos over the years.

Founding faculty members Brooks and Marion Reid have been champions of student success since CSUSM’s earliest days. Brooks, a mathematics professor emeritus, and Marion, the university’s founding dean of Kellogg Library and now dean emerita, have contributed to initiatives across campus, from academics and research to athletics. Brooks serves on the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSTEM) Advisory Council, staying connected to students like McGregor.

"It was exciting to be part of CSUSM from the very beginning,” the Reids said. “The library and mathematics have always been close to our hearts, and we’re proud of how the university has flourished over the years. We had fulfilling careers here, and giving back is a way to honor that legacy and help future generations thrive.”

In addition to scholarships and mathematics awards, the couple supports the annual Reid Lecture Series, which invites the campus and local community to experience the beauty of mathematics through continued support for programs like the Mathematical Association of America Institutional Membership, the Putnam Mathematics Competition and the San Marcos Informal Mathematics Colloquium.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like Brooks and Marion Reid, CSUSM students have the resources to thrive both academically and personally. Their gifts also contribute to the university’s $200 million “Blueprint for the Future” campaign.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The men's basketball team opens the regular season by hosting Concordia University on Nov. 14. The women's team also opens Nov. 14 with a home game against Azusa Pacific. Visit the athletics website for complete schedules for both teams.

Relive some of the event highlights in the Cougar Madness photo slideshow.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

That's when his mom, Ivonne Mancilla, knew this was something more.  

It was the summer of 2023. Wright – who had just completed his second year at Cal State San Marcos, where he plays for the men’s soccer team – was experiencing pain like he had never felt before. 

“He has a high pain tolerance,” Mancilla said. “I started noticing how much he was sleeping and how he was walking very fragile. I realized it wasn’t a normal headache.” 

On the third day of the headache, Mancilla took Wright to urgent care. Doctors treated it as a migraine, giving him some medication and sending him home. But the pain continued to be unbearable. Wright told his mom that he felt like he was dying.  

On day four, Wright went to the emergency room. It saved his life.  

Wright spent the next 40 days in the hospital, undergoing three brain surgeries with no idea what the future would bring. No certainty if he could return to school, let alone soccer, his passion from the time he was a young child. 

But Wright defied all odds. 

“I hope to get my story out to people so that they can see anything is possible,” Wright said. “I am trying to bring people inspiration and give glory to God. That was my thing in the hospital, having faith and staying faithful to God, knowing that I'll be OK and he's got me.” 

Wright was guided by his faith throughout his hospital stay. He and his mom prayed throughout the journey, and she kept a bible verse at the edge of her son’s bed that they read every day as he fought for his life. It’s Psalm 30:2: 

Lord my god, I called to you for help, and you healed me. 

Those prayers began virtually the moment Wright arrived at the emergency room. A CT scan showed that his brain was filling with fluid, and an MRI revealed a cyst in the third ventricle of his brain. 

When a neurosurgeon came to review Wright’s scans, she was horrified. No one had informed her of his highly critical state. He was dying. 

“They said his brain was like a balloon and that it could burst at any moment,” Mancilla said. “I had to sign a paper giving them permission to go in and drain his brain immediately because he could have brain damage or die.”  

There was not space available or time to get Wright into an operating room. Instead, ICU nurses rushed into his room to assist the neurosurgeon, who numbed and drilled a hole in Wright’s head to drain the fluid.  

Doctors initially wanted to place a permanent shunt in Wright’s brain. Mancilla was a fierce advocate for Wright throughout his hospital stay, earning the nickname “Bulldog” from nurses. She was resistant to the shunt, worried it would affect Wright's ability to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter. After she expressed her concerns, the lead neurosurgeon opted for a temporary shunt instead.  

Wright was in and out of consciousness for much of his time in the hospital, but a strong support system – including his mom, his aunt Vanessa, members of the family’s church, and coaches and teammates from CSUSM’s soccer team – played a crucial role in helping him through the process. 

The constant stream of visitors led Mancilla to discover the positive impact that Wright has had on so many people. His manager at Casero Taqueria, where he still works, reached out to Mancilla asking for permission to start a GoFundMe. The community raised $14,000, the exact amount needed to cover the family’s maximum out-of-pocket medical costs. 

“I didn't realize how many people Malachi has impacted,” Mancilla said. “Sometimes as a parent, you don't get to see all that until these types of things happen. Sometimes we focus a little too much on what they're doing wrong and not on all the other good things that they're doing that maybe they don't tell you about. 

“I told him, ‘This is all because of the seeds that you've planted out in the world, and this is how it's all coming back to you. So continue to be who you are.’ I am so proud of that. I was such a proud parent.” 

Wright endured three brain surgeries during his hospital stay. The first removed the majority of the cyst, the second cleared residuals of the cyst and the third addressed blood clots.  

It was a physically and mentally draining process. After the first surgery, Wright was temporarily paralyzed on his left side. He couldn’t sleep and was in constant agony. 

“It was the worst pain I felt in my life. It was excruciating,” Wright said. “It was really hard. I was confused, wondering where I was. It was a lot of scary stuff.” 

It wasn’t until Wright’s 35th day in the hospital that Mancilla felt like her son would be OK. His pain levels were reduced and he could walk again. But the biggest sign to Mancilla that Wright was doing better? He asked for his phone, which he hadn’t been able to use for most of his hospital stint. 

Though Wright’s pain was finally under control, other challenges remained once he left the hospital. He underwent cognitive, physical and speech therapy. Doctors expected the recovery process to take two years, but Mancilla knew her son had the fortitude for a quicker recovery. She could see that Wright was capable of more than he was initially allowed to do in the rehabilitation process, and her tireless advocacy paid off. 

Wright returned to CSUSM in the fall of 2023, just months after his hospital release. He eased back in by taking one class before increasing his load to three courses in spring 2024. He is grateful for the support he received throughout this time from coaches, teammates and athletic department staff, also noting the important role that CSUSM’s Disability Support Services played in helping him return to the classroom.  

 A little more than a year after his three surgeries, Wright was back as a full-time student and soccer player. Wright didn’t just settle into classes, he thrived in them. He received a 4.0 grade-point average, making him the highest academic performer on the soccer team.  

“Not only did he heal perfectly, he's a better version of himself,” Mancilla said. “He turned something that caused him so much pain into good. He continues to make good choices for himself. He uses that painful experience and turns it into good.” 

That includes his efforts on the soccer field. Returning to the sport he loves was an impressive milestone for Wright, especially because it was considered virtually impossible just months earlier.  

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the 2024 season came in a match against Biola University. As the first half was winding down, Wright scored his first goal since the health scare. Mancilla, who never misses a game, ran down to the field. Coaches welcomed and hugged Mancilla as she rejoiced over the milestone.  

“It was a great, raw moment of emotion, love and gratitude,” said Ron Pulvers, CSUSM’s men’s soccer coach. “An experience I will never forget. 

“Malachi is a tireless worker in all aspects of life. He lives our core value of unconditional gratitude at the highest levels and lives his life with unequalled faith.” 

Wright is back on the field this fall as he continues work toward a bachelor’s degree in human development. He is scheduled to graduate in fall 2026, with an ambition of becoming a firefighter. 

While his time spent in the hospital was scary, the support he received helped him overcome adversity and his faith helped him remain positive. He now uses his experience to encourage others and push himself to perform the best he can.  

“People meet Jesus at the end of the rope. And that was the end of my rope,” Wright said. “Going through this whole experience with my brain really changed my perspective on life and it changed my character as a man.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Paulson scored on an assist from her sister, Natalie Paulson.

The Cougars, who finished nonconference play with a 3-1-2 record, open the California Collegiate Athletic Association portion of their schedule on Friday at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Rasha Badrani, who won the women’s 400-meter race at the NCAA Division II national indoor track and field championships in March, and Madison Murr, who won the individual component of the NCAA Division II national women’s golf championship tournament earlier this month, are both being honored at the game.

Discounted tickets are on sale for CSUSM students, faculty and staff. The game is at 6:40 p.m. at Petco Park. The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive Fernando Tatis Jr. bobblehead.

Badrani won her title in a time of 52.92 seconds, a 0.28-second edge against her closest competitor, Peace Nwaelehia of West Texas A&M. 

Murr posted scores of 69, 64 and 69 for a three-round total of 14-under 202, beating Gracie Grant of Dallas Baptist University by three strokes.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

In recognition of his many extraordinary contributions, CSUSM bestowed Jackson with a Presidential Medal of Honor during spring commencement last week. This prestigious award celebrates individuals who exemplify the highest standards of leadership, service and unwavering commitment to the values of CSUSM. 

Jackson’s contributions to CSUSM exemplify his steadfast dedication to student success and community impact. Since joining the university’s Foundation Board in 2012, he has served in a variety of capacities, including director, chair and adviser. A passionate advocate for veterans, he was the inaugural chair of the President’s Military Advisory Council and established an endowed scholarship with his wife, Sue, to support veterans. His contributions extend to athletics, where he mentors student-athletes, fostering leadership and personal growth. 

“We are profoundly grateful for Gen. Jackson’s advocacy, mentorship and service,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “His unwavering dedication to our veterans, his mentorship of student-athletes and his enduring commitment to education and our community make him an extraordinary leader and role model. He has made an indelible mark on our university and embodies the very spirit of the CSUSM Presidential Medal of Honor.” 

With one in 10 CSUSM students identifying as military-affiliated – the highest per capita in the California State University system – Jackson’s many contributions exemplify this shared dedication to military-connected individuals and the broader community.   

A Legacy of Service 

With a distinguished career spanning more than 36 years in the United States Marine Corps, Jackson retired in 2012 after serving in pivotal roles, including commanding general of Marine Corps Installations-West and director of operations and logistics for U.S. Africa Command. As an infantry officer, he commanded at every rank, contributing to global operations in Iraq, the Horn of Africa and beyond, earning numerous decorations such as the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. 

After his military service, Jackson continued his leadership as director of California State Parks and Recreation, where he emphasized the importance of conserving natural resources. His commitment to education is reflected in his academic achievements, including a bachelor’s and master’s degree from San Jose State University and advanced studies at institutions such as the Army War College and Harvard Kennedy School. 

Mentor, Advocate and Friend to CSUSM 

Jackson’s distinguished military career, philanthropic leadership and commitment to education exemplify his shared vision with CSUSM: to empower individuals, uplift communities and lead with purpose. A champion of higher education, Jackson has long recognized its transformative power in building equitable communities and preparing future leaders to meet society’s evolving challenges. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos emerged as her choice in part because of the presence of Jaime Jacob, who in 2019 became the first national golf champion in Cougars history.

Six years later, Murr is now the second.

The senior joined Jacob in program annals by winning the individual component of the NCAA Division II national championship tournament in Boulder City, Nev., last Thursday.

“Jaime definitely influenced my decision to come here,” Murr said. “She had an amazing career, and watching her success was inspiring and made me want to follow her. To join Jaime as a national champion is really special.”

Murr posted scores of 69, 64 and 69 for a three-round total of 14-under 202, beating Gracie Grant of Dallas Baptist University by three strokes.

“I worked really hard during the tournament on my self-belief and remembering how great I am,” she said. “Reflecting on all my accomplishments and how hard I have worked throughout my career allowed me to believe I could win a national championship. I was able to play freely and trust that I could get it done.”

For her efforts, Murr was named the NCAA Division II PING Co-Player of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, a program first for CSUSM. She posted a scoring average of 71.1 with five victories and eight top-two finishes this season.  

Cougars golf coach Greg Hutton was especially proud of Murr’s performance after the disappointing way that her 2024 season ended. Leading the same national tournament after two rounds, she succumbed to an illness and struggled down the stretch, ultimately placing sixth.

“Maddy is relentless. She’s the hardest worker that I have ever coached and puts everything she has into every tournament she plays,” Hutton said. “I think Maddy has a tremendous belief in herself. I’m pretty sure she went into the national championship knowing and believing that she could win. Don’t get me wrong, she gets nervous just like every other girl out there, but she has this great ability to get locked in and focus on hitting one shot at a time.”

On the same day that Murr won the individual title, the Cougars secured the No. 2 seed in the eight-team match play round of the team championships. Their season ended Friday with a 4-1 loss to Central Missouri in the quarterfinals, but in the larger picture, they reached the NCAA national tournament for the third year in a row and fourth time overall.  

“I can’t say enough about this entire team. What an incredible group of young women,” Hutton said. “CSUSM women’s golf is a national power. I think we legitimately have one of the best programs in the country, and producing another national champion will help us continue to be a top D-II golf program.”

After leaving a rich legacy at CSUSM, Murr will continue her golf career. She plans to turn professional this fall when she attends the LPGA Qualifying Series.

“I am extremely proud and honored to be a national champion,” she said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end my college career.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Pugh, who died in 2020 at age 73, launched CSUSM’s baseball program in 2007 and quickly built it into a competitive force. Under his leadership, the Cougars achieved eight winning seasons in 10 years, earned 282 victories and made three NAIA tournament appearances. His 2015 team set a program record with 36 wins, securing CSUSM’s third Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) conference championship in five seasons. 

“Coach Pugh’s dedication to excellence, both on and off the field, has left an indelible mark on our university and the community,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “By naming this field in his honor, we ensure that his legacy continues to inspire future generations of Cougars.” 

Beyond wins and championships, Pugh helped develop talent that rose to the professional ranks. Three of his student-athletes were drafted by Major League Baseball teams, while four others signed as free agents – a testament to his ability to cultivate top-tier talent. 

Pugh also oversaw the construction of CSUSM’s baseball field, which opened in 2011. Marilyn and Dennis further supported the program with a philanthropic gift to upgrade the batting cages, create a modular training facility and establish an endowed fund to maintain the baseball facilities. Thanks to their generous support, combined with community members who recognized his profound impact, CSUSM is able to name the field in his honor. 

“It was a genuine honor to coach alongside Dennis for nine years,” said Art Warren, former assistant baseball coach at CSUSM. “He was an icon in San Diego as both a baseball and football coach and was well-known for how much he cared about his students.” 

Before his time at CSUSM, Pugh was already a legend in the San Diego baseball scene. As the head coach at Mission Bay High School from 1979 to 2006, he led the team to 10 San Diego Section finals appearances and secured eight section championships. Additionally, he coached football at Mission Bay for 13 seasons, accumulating 86 wins and two San Diego Section titles. Even after retiring from CSUSM in 2016, Pugh returned to Mission Bay High in 2017 and remained active in the program until his death. 

“I am forever grateful for the lasting impact that Coach Pugh left on my life,” said Brandon Bentson, a former student-athlete. “Having the field named after him is a tremendous honor and testament to his legacy at Cal State San Marcos.” 

The naming of the field serves as a fitting tribute to a man whose impact on the game and the lives of his players will be felt for generations. CSUSM invites the community, alumni and former players to attend the ceremony and celebrate Pugh’s enduring legacy. Visit the RSVP webpage to join this event.  

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos student-athlete Rasha Badrani won in a time of 52.92 seconds, a 0.28-second edge against her closest competitor, Peace Nwaelehia of West Texas A&M. 

Badrani said she has been running track since junior high school, but the championship was the culmination of years of hard work.  

“I just went out there telling myself that I was the strongest one out there and I know I can finish,” Badrani said.  

It’s this mindset that her coach said makes her a winner. 

“She has an intrinsic motivation that I’ve never seen before," said Anthony Heredia, assistant coach of sprints and hurdles. “Rasha is always one who will do the things no matter who is watching. She has an insanely strong will, and I think that’s what carries in her races. When she wants something, she is going to take it. And she’s not going to let anyone else dictate that.” 

Badrani, a 2022 graduate of San Pasqual High School in Escondido, is a junior at CSUSM majoring in business administration management.  

Badrani’s win is the first NCAA national championship for CSUSM's track and field program. She is also the second athlete from CSUSM to win an NCAA national title. The first was Jaime Jacob, who won the 2019 women's golf individual championship. 

Badrani said next she wants to win the same race in the outdoor championships at the end of May. 

Media Contact

Jerry McCormick, Director of Strategic Comms

jmccormick@csusm.edu

Quickly, the court she loved so much became a source of distress, and Blake found herself faced with her biggest opponent yet: depression. 

“I stopped caring about volleyball,” Blake said. “I even ended up not finishing club that year. I was just going through a lot mentally and couldn’t continue having that pressure on my shoulders.” 

Blake began skipping school to cope with her loss of motivation and overwhelming anxiety. She no longer had the desire to connect with her peers and spent most of her time isolated from loved ones. As Blake disappeared inside of herself, she found it increasingly difficult to face the outside world. 

“My house was walking distance from school, so my mom would drop me off and I would just walk back home once she was at work,” Blake said. “I didn’t want to be at school. I knew I would just go to the bathroom and cry.” 

Blake was raised in a single-parent household. Her father, who died in July 2023, was not in the picture due to addiction issues, so Blake grew up surrounded by her mom, older sister and younger brother. Having only each other to rely on, they became a team, always ready to support one another.   

As Blake’s streak of unexcused absences continued to grow, her mom learned of the situation from Blake’s high school counselor. Taken aback by her daughter acting so out of character, she knew it was time to intervene.   

“Jada’s freshman year was a struggle,” said Brianna Becker, Blake’s mom. “I would get that automated phone call every day at 4 p.m. saying your child missed class. There were even times I left work early and would find her at home. So, I started staying at home more and going into work late. Anything I could to make sure she went to school.   

“As a young single mom with no child support, it was just us most of the time. I feel like I grew up with them. I always want my kids to be open with me, and I feel like they can come to me about anything in the world. If there’s something I can’t do for them, we’ll figure it out together.” 

Blake’s first year of high school progressed, and with the help of her family, she started to throw herself back into school and social activities. As she regained a sense of motivation, she felt ready to resume her athletic pursuits as well. Her sophomore year, she kickstarted a long-standing reunion with the court and concluded the last three years of her high school sports career on a high, playing on varsity and being a candidate for league player of the year.   

Unfortunately, when it came time to explore colleges, her volleyball recruiting process was derailed by the pandemic. During such a time of uncertainty, it was practical for Blake to stay with family and attend community college in her hometown of Phoenix. There, she gained a strong foothold on her academics and started to feel confident in her schoolwork.  

“In high school, academics didn’t come naturally to me,” Blake said. “I always felt discouraged in that realm. I knew that I wanted to go to college, and while my sister had academic scholarships that were taking her there, I didn’t have that. I only had volleyball, and I had left it for a time.  

“You don’t realize when you’re super young that just one semester of making the wrong decisions and not prioritizing the right things can throw a lot of opportunities down the drain. My sophomore, junior and senior year were mainly just focused on fixing my freshman year.   

“But I’m actually very happy that I started with community college because it helped me with the transition from high school to university. Those two years in junior college taught me so much about how I could excel as a first-generation student athlete. In fact, that first semester after the pandemic was my first semester ever getting straight A’s.”  

When it came time for Blake to transfer to a four-year college, she was introduced to CSUSM’s head volleyball coach, Andrea Leonard. It felt like an instant connection between the two, and Blake knew she had found the school for her. As she made the plunge and moved to California last fall, she felt like she could finally breathe. She had earned her scholarship and could now play volleyball while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communication.  

Blake’s freshman year of high school was no longer a regretful memory, but a marker of her resilience and ability to overcome any challenge thrown her way. 

“I knew Jada was going to be an impactful player in our program,” Leonard said. “She really embodies all the core values that we look for, someone who is resilient, accountable and driven. She has this energy that bounces off the team and brings joy to everyone around her.” 

Blake lives with her great aunt, a local volleyball legend in the San Diego area, and her great aunt’s daughter, a fellow volleyball player. Although she was initially anxious about moving away from her family and falling back into old habits, Blake found a second home, dubbed “the volleyball house,” where she is excitedly taking on this new journey and staying on top of her volleyball and academic commitments. 

After her freshman year, Blake learned the importance of seeking outside help when needed. She now stays on top of her mental health by meeting with a therapist and talking with her family every day. They are her biggest supporters and regularly make the six-hour drive to San Marcos to watch her games. Knowing she can always count on her family to be by her side, Blake feels like she can overcome any barrier that stands in her path, mental or physical. 

“I just love watching her play,” Becker said. “I’m so proud of her and so happy that she’s in the position that she is in now. Seeing how far she has come and how things have turned around for her — it makes me emotional. At the end of the day, there’s going to be things in life that knock you down, but you have to pick yourself back up and fight for something that you are truly passionate about. And she did. And she has so much more to look forward to.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

After a five-year hiatus due to COVID, Cougar Madness returned to CSUSM on Oct. 10, with students filling the Sports Center seats focusing on the scene unfolding in front of them. 

The scene? Introductions to the players from all of CSUSM’s sports teams. Basketball was the final sport introduced to the crowd. With both the men’s and women’s teams running through a huddle of cheerleaders and fog, waving to the crowd as their introduction videos played on the scoreboards. 

“I’m excited for the energy of the students,” said Morod Shah, CSUSM’s athletics director. “What I really want to do is help promote student life, campus life and school spirit.”

The event was full of energy. After introductions, the student emcees led the audience in a series of basketball-related games. One game was called, “Musical Cougs,” an alternate version of musical chairs where volunteers from the crowd attempted to make a basket and return to their seats before the music was paused. A few more games were played to further hype up the crowd. 

The event also featured performances from CSUSM’s cheer and dance teams. 

A dunk contest among men’s basketball players wrapped up the event. A group of judges sat at half-court and held up the number they felt the dunk fell on a 10-point scale. 

The judges demonstrated school spirit by wearing T-shirts with the number 25 and the word family displayed in the middle.

“We just completed 25 years in athletics,” Shah said. “We are a Cougar family, and the Cougar family is about not only our student athletes but the student body in general, and you can tie that into the power of CSUSM, the power of us. It's all just one big family.”

CSUSM’s basketball season begins in November. The first men’s game is Nov. 8 at 12:30 p.m. against Biola at The Sports Center, while the first women's game is Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. against Point Loma as part of the PacWest/CCAA Conference Challenge at Azusa Pacific.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Ott immediately sent it to his mom, who is a huge fan of the show, and she quickly became his No. 1 supporter to try out. 

Ott later received news that he would travel to Los Angeles and begin filming for the 21^st season of the hit ABC series, a reality TV dating show where a single woman meets a group of 25 romantic interests in hopes of finding her future husband. 

The contestants were introduced in the first episode, which premiered July 8. Each participant made a grand entrance where they met this season's bachelorette, Jenn Tran, for the first time. 

“The limo entrance was crazy,” Ott said. “You can always have it in your head of how it’ll look, but until it smacks you in the face, you have no idea what that feeling is like. No one can prepare you for that.”

However, Ott felt prepared when it came to having an audience. His communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott’s first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like. 

“I think that after you can do that as a freshman, an 18-year-old in college, you're prepared for anything,” Ott said. “It helped me block out the negative and be myself.” 

Ott owes his experience at Cal State San Marcos to the late Dennis Pugh, the university’s first baseball coach, who recruited him for the team in 2014. 

“My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life,” said Ott, who graduated in 2019. “There’s nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends.”

Even though Ott’s time on the field ended, he never left his baseball roots. His mullet haircut and love for wearing hats is still part of his everyday life.  

“I don't know if it's the baseball player in me, but ever since I was a little kid, I have always worn a hat everywhere I go, other than when I'm working,” he said. “I probably have 60 to 70 hats in my closet. It's ridiculous.” 

Ott’s love for his mullet only grew once he flew to Melbourne, Australia, with the cast to film “The Bachelorette’s” third episode. 

“I kind of fit in a little bit because that's the big haircut in Australia,” Ott said.  

Once in Melbourne, Ott and three other contestants went on a group date in a high-speed race-car competition. The winner of the race had the chance to spend some time alone with Tran. 

“Despite the combination of trying to drive stick, which I don’t know how to, and being on the right side, I somehow won it,” Ott said. “That was such a crazy experience. Getting to ride in that car and win the race ended up with me having some extra time with Jenn.”

Ott wasn’t sure what would be shown once the episodes began airing, and watching it for the first time with his family and friends was a memorable experience. 

A scene of “Truth or Dare” was a rather hard watch for Ott. 

“I had to run around the mansion in my underwear,” Ott said. “When that happened, I had to look away.” 

While it was awkward for him to watch, Ott shared laughs among family and friends. 

Ott even made new friendships during filming. 

“I went there for romance and I left with bromance,” he said.  

Ott voluntarily left the show in episode five, saying his connection with Tran was not at the same level as the other participants. 

Ott returned to his job as an account executive with FAIRWAYiQ, a golf course operation technology company in San Diego. He plans to continue his sales career but would love to expand his social media presence. 

“If there is a little side quest in social media, if I get that opportunity, I would love to do that,” Ott said. “I think I would flourish in it.” 

Returning home from the show, he was shocked at the love he had received on social media. While he made connections on the show, he made even more through various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. 

Before the show, Ott had a small following on TikTok where he shared lifestyle videos showing his life in San Diego. Since being on the show, his TikTok account has grown to more than 100,000 followers. Being noticed in public was never an everyday occurrence until now. 

“I think that’s the craziest switch,” Ott said. “Sometimes when I go to the grocery store or the gym, someone will come up and be like, ‘Hey Austin!’ ”

Being on reality television has changed Ott’s life. 

“It was something I never envisioned for myself, never pictured,” Ott said. “I'm so thankful that I got the opportunity.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

It was “Risk and Resiliency in Childhood and Adolescence,” a requirement for his child and adolescent development major. Frank’s professor, Sharon Hamill, had one message above all others that she wanted students to take away from the class.

“I told them to always remember how important it is to have an adult who cares about you,” Hamill said. “It changes everything. Just an engagement with someone where you really hear them, you know them, and they feel valued, that in and of itself helps to make young people – and all of us actually – very much more resilient.”

It’s a lesson that stayed with Frank after graduating in 2019, and one he continued to keep top of mind as he earned his master’s in social work from CSUSM two years later. Today, he’s putting that advice to work in his role as a therapist at Casa de Amparo, a short-term residential therapeutic program for girls ages 12-18 who have been victims of child abuse and neglect.

“We learned in that class that the biggest predictor for kids building resiliency skills is having a trusted adult in their life, just a trusted adult that they can connect with,” said Frank, recalling Hamill’s course.

“We talked about this idea of buffers. If a kid is going down the wrong path, a buffer gets in the way and steers them to a different path. And that buffer is a trusted, caring adult. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be a buffer for these kids.’ That was a huge moment in my life when it came to why I want to do this work.”

Frank was an intern at Casa de Amparo, which is three miles north of campus, while pursuing his master’s. His positive demeanor, energy and rapport with both clients and staff led to his being hired full time after graduation. A member of CSUSM’s basketball team while a student, Frank saw a need among the girls at Casa de Amparo for a health program that would positively impact their physical and mental well-being.

The result was his creation last March of an incentive-based workout program. Children at Casa de Amparo are given a weekly allowance, and Frank worked with the organization’s administration to provide financial incentives for the biweekly workouts.

“We see so many of our kids who haven't had a healthy lifestyle modeled for them,” said Erin Gospodarec, Casa de Amparo’s chief operating officer. “Being able to see them focus on their physical health and how that is improving their overall mental health has just been dramatic.”

Frank’s program includes five exercises – regular pushups, modified pushups, planks, wall sits and running. He intentionally chose exercises that require no equipment and would allow the girls to easily do them outside of the formal biweekly workouts. He even created an additional incentive to help motivate the girls to continue doing the exercises on their own.

Girls receive $1 extra in their allowance for each exercise they complete, meaning they can earn an additional $5 if they complete all five exercises. They can earn up to $5 more by beating their previous record ($1 for each record broken).

If the girls see that they can set a goal and surpass it when it comes to pushups or wall sits, Frank said they’ll learn that they can apply that to other parts of their life, too.

“The reality is lots of these kids have been abused,” he said. “So they’ve had their physical bodies taken from them in some ways. And now, because of that experience, they no longer feel in control their physical bodies. Doing these types of exercises, doing this workout program, it teaches them to regain control of their physical bodies.”

And that, Hamill noted, is what sets Frank’s program apart.

“It's not just an exercise class,” she said. “It's really about learning how to say, ‘I can take control over my own body, my own behavior. And I've got this person here who cares about me and is going to support my efforts.’ In many cases, it might be the first time in their life that anybody's ever done that.”

The positive feedback Frank has received, both from participants and professionals, has him examining how he might expand the program. He is meeting with representatives from CSUSM’s Innovation Hub to learn more about ways in which he can grow it.

But the goal isn’t about building a business, it’s about having a lasting impact on at-risk children.

“I've been a teacher for 35 years, and I've never had a student that was so intuitive and so engaged – and I've had lots of really smart students,” Hamill said. “Alec is the kind of person who you meet, and he changes things for you. There's an expression that says ‘Be the person who makes other people believe in good people,’ and Alec is that person.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Sure, Brant prefers a good pair of headphones because it sounds better, but it’s not unusual for him to take phone calls or listen to music and have it play directly in his head. 

“The sound is basically going straight into my brain,” Brant said. “I think about it, and it trips me out. I get a mini existential crisis. It’s like, ‘How does this work?’ ” 

The technology may be complex, but it’s something that occurs through Brant’s cochlear implants, which were surgically embedded about eight years ago to help him hear. He’s used to telling the story. It’s something he often does when he meets a new group of people. It’s one of the first things he did when he moved into North Commons to begin his freshman year at Cal State San Marcos last August. And it’s something his teammates on the Cougars track and field team know. 

Brant was born with what he describes as mild to profound hearing loss. In his case, it was difficult to hear high frequency sounds. Some sounds, like “sh,” he couldn’t pick up at all. 

But Brant learned at a young age to decipher clues in his communications with others, and his lip-reading skills are excellent. He was so adept at it that, despite some speech issues, no one realized the extent of his hearing loss until he had a routine hearing test when he was 5. The results helped explain the speech challenges and the frustration he sometimes showed when he couldn’t convey what he wanted or people couldn’t understand him. 

“When you're younger, elementary school kids can be borderline evil,” Brant said. “I would get made fun of for the way I would speak or how I would say certain things, because I definitely have a unique voice.” 

Those difficulties led Brant to find one of his passions. Reading was among his escapes from the taunts of classmates (it remains a passion and is one of the reasons why he chose to major in literature and writing studies at CSUSM). 

Brant wore hearing aids for about five years, but when he was 10, his family explored cochlear implant surgery. He underwent two separate procedures, one for each ear, in which an electronic device was implanted in his head. The cochlear implant bypasses the damaged areas of the ear and delivers sound to the auditory nerve. Brant then wears external transmitters that are magnetized to attach to the side of his head. The external devices are covered by Brant’s hair, making it virtually imperceptible until he removes one to show somebody. 

The cochlear implants led to improved hearing and speech, but came with a trade-off – he’s now completely deaf if he’s not wearing the external unit. 

“It was worth it,” Brant said. “I have much clearer audio hearing everything.” 

Post-surgeries, Brant needed several weeks of recovery before “activation day,” the moment when his audiologist enabled him to hear through the cochlear implants. 

“It doesn't sound completely normal right away,” Brant said. “I just remember everyone sounding like Mickey Mouse for probably that first day. But it was still really cool to have that set up. I remember just smiling a whole bunch.” 

While the hearing aids Brant wore in his early elementary school days amplified the hearing that he had at the time, the cochlear implants were a vast improvement. 

And with improved hearing and speech came added self-assurance. The difficulties Brant endured in elementary and middle school gave way to increased confidence when it came to making friends and socializing in high school. That included competing in sports. 

In an era of sports specialization, Brant was a three-sport standout at San Diego High School on the baseball, basketball, and track and field teams. 

“As I got to high school, I started talking to more people,” Brant said. “I was still very nervous, but I started to gain a little more confidence. And then I was like, ‘Oh, I can make friends. I can do this.’ ” 

When the pandemic hit, Brant found himself focusing more on track and field. One of the reasons he chose CSUSM was for the opportunity to compete on the track and field team in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. And, already, he is making an impact. 

“The thing that stands out most about Ripley is his attitude and consistency,” said Torrey Olson, CSUSM’s head track and field coach. “He is always attentive, focused and positive in an era where these qualities are tough to come by.” 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The first is the basketball court, where she was one of the driving forces behind the ascension of the Cougars’ women’s program into one of the most successful in NCAA Division II over the last few seasons.

The second is the Black Student Center, which long has been her oasis away from athletics.

“I am extremely grateful for the Black Student Center,” Buckner said. “It has been life-changing for me, honestly.”

Buckner has been involved with the center, at least sparingly, almost from the day she stepped foot on campus as a 17-year-old freshman back in 2018. But her participation ramped up during the COVID-19 pandemic when the campus was virtual and seemingly everyone was seeking ways to feel more connected with the CSUSM community and less isolated at home.

Now, as her five years at CSUSM come to a close, Buckner stands at the heart of the Black Student Center – she doesn’t work there, but she might as well given how much time she spends in it and how vital she is to its operations.

Buckner is one of 260 Black undergraduate and graduate students who have been invited to attend the annual Sankofa recognition ceremony for Black graduates. The event, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, will take place on Thursday, May 11.

“Dynnah radiates greatness,” said Shanelle Watkins, assistant director of the Black Student Center. “She’s so pleasant, professional and eager to learn and assist. As a student-athlete, she’s very busy but still makes time to serve in multiple roles for the center.”

Watkins met Buckner soon after she was hired as coordinator of Black student success initiatives in 2021. Watkins became the staff adviser for a new center program called Circle of Sisters, a support network for Black women at CSUSM, and Buckner quickly agreed to sign on as the first student coordinator.

Circle of Sisters now includes more than 30 members, and the program that launched virtually because of the pandemic meets monthly in person for gatherings on such topics as navigating Black girl friendships, reproductive wellness and group yoga.

“We serve each other,” Buckner said of the Circle of Sisters. “We push each other academically, and we support each other emotionally. It’s pretty much a connection community and making sure we’re all in line.”

Buckner also is a member of the Black Student Union, and last semester she joined the Ujamaa Achievement Program, a Black Student Center group that’s dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, professional advancement and community engagement. An important component of the program is mentorship, and Buckner’s mentor is none other than Watkins.

Buckner describes Watkins as “one of the most inviting people I have ever met” and “like a light in the room.” Watkins, in turn, sees a lot of herself in Buckner as a fellow Black woman who graduated from CSUSM in 2013 with a degree in sociology (Buckner is a double major in sociology and psychology).

“Her courage and willingness to seek out mentorship and her personal morals, values and goals that she set for herself during her higher education journey and beyond remind me a lot of myself when I was in undergrad,” Watkins said.

Watkins says Buckner, as a fifth-year senior, has served as a kind of big sister to other women in the Black Student Center, but she’s a literal big sister to one of them. For the last two years, she has shared the center and the basketball court with Deannah Buckner, a member of the Circle of Sisters and a sophomore on the Cougars’ team.

“It’s the highlight of my college career to be able to be with my sister,” Dynnah Buckner said. “We definitely have gotten a lot closer, and to play with her at the collegiate level, that doesn’t happen often. That’s something that I will cherish forever.”

During her basketball career at CSUSM, Buckner started all 112 games in which she appeared across four seasons (her junior year was wiped out by the pandemic). She was named to the All-California Collegiate Athletic Association first team each of her last two years, and she was the Cougars’ leading scorer this past season as CSUSM went 25-6 and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s tournament for the first time.

In her last three seasons, she helped lead the Cougars to a cumulative record of 72-16 and their first three trips to the NCAA tournament.

After graduation next month, Buckner plans to return to her hometown of Rancho Cucamonga to work as a substitute teacher before she heads overseas to continue her basketball career, likely in France or Spain. When she hangs up her sneakers for good, she aspires to earn a master’s degree in business administration or leadership management and enter a business field.

“I was able to be a part of something great. I was able to be a part of making history,” she said of playing basketball at CSUSM. “It's been life-changing, not just the basketball aspect, but in terms of community and leadership and working under pressure – all the valuable skills that I can take into the real world when I work with other people. I will always be thankful for that experience.”

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Lombardi adeptly switches positions without skipping a beat, able to start at catcher in the opening game of a doubleheader before moving to shortstop for the finale. She was one of the team’s top hitters as a freshman during the abbreviated 2020 season, and picked right up as a key contributor in 2022 after the 2021 season was canceled due to the pandemic. And she has arm strength that led one of the university’s baseball coaches to wonder aloud during a scrimmage if Lombardi can pitch – and he didn’t mean for the softball team.

“Most females do not throw a ball overhand like she does,” Ewing said. “If you come to a softball game and you watch everyone play catch and then you watch Gianna pick up a ball and throw it, you don't even need any sports knowledge to know it’s a whole different level.”

For the record, Ewing made it clear to the baseball coaches that Lombardi wasn’t going anywhere. But Lombardi’s value to the team goes beyond her considerable athletic ability.

“You get in a room with her, and she just fills it in a positive way,” Ewing said. “She’s funny and charismatic. When new people come in and they're around our softball program and they see that she can be who she is, they know they can be who they are.”

Lombardi’s infectious personality and approach to life harken to her father, Phil. The pandemic has taken a toll in so many ways, but none more difficult for Lombardi than losing her father in May 2021 to complications from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Most people diagnosed with glioblastoma die of the disease within 12-18 months. Phil’s death came only seven months after his diagnosis.

But the lessons Lombardi learned from her father continue to resonate.

“He taught me to be proud of myself, but also to be humble,” Lombardi said. “But I think the biggest thing he ever taught me was he would always say, ‘Don’t fear failure.’ Especially in a game like softball, you fail more than you succeed when you’re hitting. I just always kept that with me.”

It was something Phil knew firsthand from his days as a major league baseball player. A third-round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 1981, Phil made his major league debut with them five years later and spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues (including one with the New York Mets) before nagging injuries led to an early retirement before the 1990 season.

Phil coached Lombardi’s older sisters, Lauren and Julia, in softball, and both went on to play for Long Beach State. Lombardi flirted for a short time with the idea of trying something different than her sisters, but quickly realized it was more fun playing softball and benefiting from the experience and knowledge of her father and sisters.

Lombardi never had a chance to see her father play professional baseball – she was born more than a decade after he retired – but knew about his career growing up, even if she didn’t always realize when he was pulling her leg.

“I didn’t really know much about the game when I was younger, and he would joke, ‘I used to play with Jackie Robinson.’ And I thought he was serious,” Lombardi said of her father’s reference to the iconic Hall of Famer who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 – four decades before Phil made his major league debut.

“But he didn’t bring up his career around other people. He was really humble about things.”

Playing catcher was a natural choice for Lombardi. After all, it was Phil’s primary position during his career. And while nepotism may be an issue on some youth softball teams, having her father as a coach didn’t come with any special favors for Lombardi. Phil even insisted on Lombardi calling him “Coach Phil” instead of dad when they were anywhere near the softball field to avoid any thoughts of favoritism.

Of course, with Lombardi’s work ethic and ability, it didn’t matter if it was her dad or a complete stranger coaching – she was going to be in the lineup. Lombardi thrived at West Ranch High School in Valencia and on travel ball teams. One of her frequent adversaries was Zoe Ballen, who played at Thousand Oaks High School about 40 miles away and was also a foe in travel ball. They are teammates at CSUSM now, but Ballen still remembers being in awe of Lombardi’s boundless energy and the difficulties she presented opponents.

“When I came to CSUSM, I was kind of nervous to get to know her,” said Ballen, a pitcher who frequently throws to Lombardi behind the plate. “But she just kind of exceeded my expectations of the kind of person that she is and the kind of player that she is.

“She's great at communicating with all of our pitchers and has a great relationship with everyone on the team. I don't think I've ever heard a negative thing come out of her mouth. She’s just an overall great person and player.”

Lombardi started all 19 games in 2020 before the pandemic brought a premature end to the season and completely wiped out the 2021 slate. But she gave a glimpse of what she’s capable of in those limited games, batting .356 and impressing Ewing and teammates with her softball acumen.

“Gianna is just someone who comes in and plays and there are no norms; she's rewriting the norms,” Ewing said. “If I asked Gianna to go play third base, she’d go play third base. If I told her go into left field, she'd go into left field. She will go do anything you ask her to do. She'd run through a brick wall for anybody.”

Ewing may have as many as three more seasons with Lombardi after this. The NCAA adjusted its rules on playing eligibility because of the pandemic. So while Lombardi has completed her third year at CSUSM as a biology student, she will still be a sophomore next season in her softball eligibility.

All of Ewing’s players faced an adjustment this year as they completed their first full season in three years, but Lombardi had the added weight of playing her first season without her dad.

Phil was a familiar face at games in 2020, sometimes observing from beyond the center field fence and other times sitting right behind home plate where he could offer encouragement (and occasionally critiques) during games. But Lombardi is persevering, just as her dad would want.

“We had our offseason games during the fall, and I was kind of crying on the way to my first game,” she said. “It was my first game without my dad being there. It was kind of sad, but I always do look on the positive side of it, and now it's like I’m playing for him more than playing without him.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

For both the men’s and women's basketball teams at Cal State San Marcos, not being able to play the game they love for nearly two years was heartbreaking.

The pandemic ended the hopeful NCAA Tournament run for the women’s team as they got the call to end the 2019-20 season while waiting at the airport. Expectations were high for the men’s team to compete for a California Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 2020-21, but the entire season was canceled.

But challenging times turn good leaders into great ones.

Thanks to dedicated and malleable coaching staffs, committed and grateful players, and an athletic department that lists having its teams back through thick and thin among its greatest assets, the Cougars are back this season.

And with a vengeance.

The men’s team is 14-2 headed into its game Thursday at Cal State East Bay and ranked sixth in the Division II NABC poll and ninth in the D2SIDA Men's Basketball Division II Media Poll.

The women’s team has won nine straight and sits at No. 25 in the D2SIDA national rankings with a 13-2 record.

“This is where we’ve been trying to get,” women’s head coach Renee Jimenez said. “And now this is the hard part, too. I’m a builder, but it’s really, really hard to stay at the top. I tell our kids every day, ‘It’s hard to be great.’ You have to grind it out. It’s fun to chase down people and beat them, but it’s harder when you’re being chased, that’s for sure. We’re getting everybody’s A game every night, which has made us a really good team, too.”

B.J. Foster was an assistant coach at CSUSM before being named the head coach in 2016. He points to the culture of the men’s program as the biggest bridge for today’s success, which included 13 straight wins to start this season.

“You're always hoping that your team can be special, but until you actually get them all together and blending talent and blending personalities, that's the work portion of it,” Foster said. “Last year we did a ton of Zoom calls. We had a lot of good discussions on what winning cultures look like and how players can take more ownership to develop that culture. We studied coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success and gave each of the guys an opportunity to speak. It was hearing it from them and what cultures they've been a part of that were successful and cultures that were not successful and why.

“We tried to build that in our guys to take some ownership and develop some leadership this year so that if we could emphasize all the details on the court, we could play together and play as one. It's really paid off.”

The women’s team opened this season with a convincing win at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Then came the CSUSM Hoops Classic, which started with a 71-50 win over Seattle Pacific. A 2-0 record to begin to the campaign was just what the doctor ordered after 20 months without a competitive game.

The second CSUSM Hoops Classic game against Western Washington was expected to be tough, and it was. The Cougars lost 78-73 as they couldn’t overcome a bad start.

“They were better than us that night,” Jimenez said.

The Cougars returned to their winning ways a week later with two straight victories before another hiccup, this time a 64-56 loss at the hands of Cal State East Bay.

While previous Cougars teams may have allowed discouragement to take over, this team is iron toughened by fire.

“Our team camaraderie, work ethic and unselfishness is what makes our team special,” said senior captain Akayla Hackson, who is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game. “We genuinely love and want each other to succeed. This is a concept that starts from the top and trickles down. Our coaches have been great leaders in setting the standard of what they want in a program. By doing this, not only will this team excel, but all the teams to come will also have what it takes. They have started a legacy here at Cal State San Marcos that I am honored to be a part of.”

Since the loss to Cal State East Bay on Dec. 4, the Cougars have won nine straight, including an 82-54 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay last Saturday.

They’re back at it on the road Thursday, and it’s a biggie.

The Cougars get another shot at Cal State East Bay, and there’s extra motivation for this one.

“It's been circled on our calendar since the day after, they can't stop talking about it,” said Jimenez, who began her coaching career at Stanford under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer. “I mean they've watched it like 90 million times, as have I. I don't even remember the date of the game. There's not a week that goes by that it's not referenced. Whether it's the coaches, whether it's the players. There's not a kid on our team right now that doesn't understand what Feb. 3 means to them. So that'll be a fun one.”

The men’s team, meanwhile, ran off 13 straight wins to open the season before they were tripped up.

The first loss was a 74-64 overtime contest at Cal State San Bernardino in which they hit zero field goals and one free throw in the extra period.

“We look at that game as a game that was our third overtime game in a row and on the road,” said Foster, the son of longtime Point Loma Nazarene University coach Ben Foster. “Our defense was really good in that game. We just missed a lot of easy shots like layups, and I don’t know if it was a little fatigue or what, but we looked at it as just a missed opportunity. We feel real strongly that we've played all the teams that are supposedly the best in the west region, and we feel really confident about ourselves and what we can do moving forward.”

Next came a strong 75-69 win against San Francisco State, before losing 71-69 to Cal State Monterey Bay on Jan. 29. Foster was not at the game after testing positive for COVID-19 during the week.

Foster isn’t worried for a second about his team’s ability to bounce back after two losses in the past three games.

“We're a tough team,” he said. “We've got all the ingredients of what tough teams have. And when things aren't necessarily going right, we still compete. When we get curveballs thrown at us, we don't make excuses, we just compete. That's the culture we were after. These guys like one another, they like coming to practice, they like competing, they like what we're doing. They've taken some ownership in it.”

The success of both teams didn’t come overnight, of course.

There were Zoom meetings, individual workouts and a lot of simply being patient for opportunities to return.

The current run came as part dedication to hard work and part motivation to get something back that was lost for more than a year and a half.

“But I feel like (the 2019-20) season hasn't ended yet,” said Jimenez, who was pregnant with twins when the world shut down in March 2020. “I feel like it's just an extended one. I never quite felt like we were starting over. That’s been really cool for me as a coach to see they didn't come back out of shape. They didn't forget the plays. They came back ready to go. It’s, ‘Let's win the conference. Let's get back to the regional and let's see what we're about.’ So that's what's been really cool with this group. It's been fun.”

Players involved in both programs have developed a significantly stronger appreciation for being with their teammates. For being led by their mentors. And for the game of basketball itself.

“Our team's appreciation has definitely grown after the COVID-19 quarantine,” said Hackson, who is majoring in computer science. “The season can end at any moment due to COVID-19, and it's scary. We talk about the possibility of the season ending often in practice and use it as fuel to compete at our maximum ability. We also acknowledge the damage COVID-19 could do to our season if we were to get COVID-19 ourselves. As seen all over the country, teams are having to forfeit games due to COVID mass spreading through their teams. Forfeiting games could ruin your record and could be the difference in making the NCAA tournament.

“For this reason, we have done an amazing job of keeping each other safe (not having to forfeit any games so far this season). We have all bought into this team and realize the sacrifices we must make to be great.”

Hackson isn’t the only player whose leadership and solid play have been counted on heavily. Junior guards Dynnah Buckner (14.5 points per game) and Kelsey Forrester (11.7 points per game) have contributed mightily, as has sophomore forward Jordan Vasquez, who is second in scoring (13.1 points per game) and leads the team in rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game).

On the men’s side, a relentless shutdown defense keeps the Cougars in every game. Guards Jayce McCain and Blake Seits set the tone on and off the court.

McCain, a psychology sophomore from Sacramento, averages 13.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 47%from the field.

“I think the most impressive thing is that we all get along so well,” said McCain, who was named to the CCAA All-Academic team as a redshirt freshman in 2019-20. “We have players coming from all different kinds of backgrounds, but we all fit together somehow. We can just sit in the locker room and have the time of our lives. We have promised each other that no matter what, we are going to buy into our winning culture. No matter the circumstance we are in, we all have the same goal.”

Seits, a redshirt senior from nearby Ramona who is majoring in business administration and marketing, is averaging a team-best 14.6 points per game along with 5.1 rebounds.

Impressive numbers for guards, particularly the rebounding numbers. But if you speak to Foster, he’s quick to tell you their value goes well beyond the box score.

“On the court, other guys have really stepped up their leadership as well, but they're two of our best players,” Foster said. “And when your best players care a lot, the people coming in, they have to care a little bit more. The details are just real important to them. And so it became important to everyone else. It's an infectious attitude. And it's really paid off. I mean, those two have been absolutely terrific.”

Jimenez, too, doesn’t hesitate when talking about how all her players have stepped up to become leaders on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom.

But perhaps what has impressed her even more is witnessing the increased respect her team has developed for the unique opportunity of being college athletes.

“They appreciate sweating in the gym,” Jimenez said. “They appreciate lifting weights. They appreciate being away from home. Everything about it. Because a lot of these kids have been playing since they were 7, 8, 9 years old. And they never had a break. And so to have this taken away I think was kind of a restart button for them. It also made them appreciate all those days where they used to come in the gym like, ‘Oh, I'm so tired. I don't want to practice. I don't want to do that.’ Because now, as coaches, we're constantly asking them to remember where we were 21 months ago. We don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. So let's come in every day and just appreciate each moment.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The first American woman and youngest American in space, Ride made her journey into history on June 18, 1983 as a crew member aboard the space shuttle Challenger STS-7.

About 25 years later, she inspired a fourth-grade girl from Escondido to pursue some science dreams of her own.

“I have always been interested in learning about physical science,” said Cal State San Marcos physics senior Daria Bonds. “I met Dr. Sally K. Ride at the San Diego Air and Space Museum when I was in fourth grade. Seeing her talk about being a physicist, an astronaut and steward of the environment was inspirational.”

That chance meeting, which came a few years before Ride died following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, started Bonds on a science path that has led her to becoming CSUSM’s current Society of Physics Students (SPS) president.

A graduate of Escondido High School, Bonds chose CSUSM for two reasons: the welcoming physics department and the supportive cross country and track coaches.

As if being a physics major and campus leader didn’t keep her busy enough, Bonds is a runner on the cross country team. While continuing to improve her personal bests each season, she earned CCAA All-Academic honors in 2019 and ’20 and captured the Big Blue Award three times – fall 2019, spring 2020 and again in fall 2020.

“I enjoy running and working out to maintain a mind and body balance,” said Bonds, who joined the cross country team at the same time as her brother David, who is a CSUSM junior majoring in software engineering. “I appreciate the leadership course that my coach Torrey Olson created to support student athletes developing leadership skills and positive team culture.” 

Gerardo Dominguez is an associate professor of physics at CSUSM. He has worked extensively with Bonds as she is one of just two undergraduate students working in his lab this year. He is not alone in his reaction to Bonds being a collegiate athlete while studying physics. The science/running combination literally runs in the family as her other younger brother is planning on studying STEM at CSUSM next year and running cross country as well.

Coincidentally, before Ride became a trailblazer in so many ways, she was a top juniors tennis player, even dropping out of college briefly to pursue a tennis career before returning to Stanford to earn two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree and a Ph.D.

“It is impressive for any student to maintain the GPA that Daria has achieved as a physics major,” Dominguez said. “To do so while being a Division II athlete is very impressive in my opinion. Daria does her homework, comes prepared to meetings and pays attention to the details of her work. She asks great questions, asks for help when she needs it and communicates well. She is mature and committed and a joy to work with.”

To prepare for her senior year and beyond, Bonds participated in a summer research program at Caltech.

Her research project concerned the study of outflows of material from the disks of galaxies, analyzing sophisticated computer simulations of galaxy evolution to determine the direction of those outflows within the composition and structure of the CGM halo regions.

“I had a wonderful time at CalTech (last) summer being surrounded by driven scientists and kind people,” said Bonds, who will also graduate with a minor in math. “I learned so much about my field of interest – astronomy and astrophysics. I made memories with other undergrad students exploring the L.A. area and memories with my lab group analyzing new data.”

In the spring, Bonds plans on bringing back Rocket Car Races with the SPS chapter. After the difficulties of being isolated during the pandemic, she is proud of the study and socialization opportunities she has helped create so far this school year.

She is also the president of the Women in Physics organization on campus. It’s easy to see her future is headed toward making a positive impact on the world.

Much like the hero she met in fourth grade.

“I want to be an advocate for science education and encourage other students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue studies in STEM,” Bonds said. “I’m looking forward to competing during the spring track season. I also plan to continue to run on my own time after I’ve graduated.”

For now, that means pursuing a Ph.D. program in astrophysics to do computational and theoretical astronomy research.

“I’m really happy for her to come out of being an undergrad and understanding what Ph.D. level research at a top R1 institution entails,” Dominguez said. “Beyond that, I think Daria will chart her course, do the homework and be successful. I’m excited to see how she develops as a scholar and I look forward to seeing her publish her first authored papers in a few years, maybe even sooner. Honestly, I find her inspirational.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

One of those victories was especially noteworthy. The Dec. 2 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills at The Sports Center was the 200th in the career of coach Renee Jimenez. 

If you haven't seen the Cougars in action yet and are playing catch-up on the team, here's the schedule for the rest of the season. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

The Cougars have won their first three games this season by an average of almost 13 points. The latest came Monday in an 80-72 victory over Montana State Billings at The Sports Center. Senior guard Blake Seits led CSUSM with 24 points in that game, matching his team-best scoring average for the season. 

If you haven't seen the Cougars in action yet and are playing catch-up on the team, the above video is a good primer to familiarize yourself with the players and get into the Cougar spirit. 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

The Cal State San Marcos sociology student and volleyball player was in her hometown of Portland at the time, having completed her sophomore year at CSUSM. Several times that summer, she ventured downtown to join in some of the largest and most visible protests in the nation, with thousands of people making their voices heard and sometimes encountering police who deployed tear gas and riot gear against them.

“I felt like I had to do something,” Ridgeway said. “I knew that there were people standing up for what's right down the street from my house. I was like, ‘I have to go out there; I have to take a stand, physically take a stand, for all the injustice that's happening.’ I think that experience really empowered me to speak up for what's right.”

Her feeling of empowerment was no summer dalliance. Over the ensuing weeks, she spoke multiple times with her coach, Andrea Leonard, and teammates about how to translate her newfound activist voice into action. When she returned to San Marcos that August, she seized on the momentum within the athletic department and pushed for progress toward increased diversity and inclusion.

As a result of her efforts over the past year, Ridgeway was selected this month as one of two winners of the President’s Student Champion Award for Inclusive Excellence and Diversity. She received the award, along with co-winner Ashley Gallardo, at CSUSM’s All Peoples Luncheon on Oct. 12.

“It's not ever something that I thought I would get any recognition for. That was never my aim,” Ridgeway said. “I think it's really special that the school has an award like this to recognize student effort to make this campus more equitable and enhance the student experience. I'm really grateful that it exists and that I was chosen.”

When Ridgeway came back from Portland in the summer of 2020, Leonard connected her with Jennifer Milo, director of athletics, who was receptive to hearing Ridgeway’s ideas about how to help effect change in the department. Milo appointed Ridgeway as one of several athletes on the newly formed Cougars Against Racial inEquality (CARE) Squad, designed to ensure an inclusive, safe and diverse atmosphere for student-athletes.

Ridgeway also was chosen to serve as the diversity and inclusion contact on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, through which she organized the athletic department’s statement of solidarity with the Black community after Floyd’s death. And she’s the only athlete from CSUSM, and one of only two in the 12-school California Collegiate Athletic Association, to be a member of the CCAA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Through her involvement with the latter group, Ridgeway developed a keen interest in diversity hiring practices that she brought back to the CARE Squad, working with the team to advocate for hiring committees with diversity as a major priority. With that focus in mind, the athletic department hired several assistant coaches last summer as competition was set to resume after a year lost to the pandemic, and Ridgeway is pleased with the outcome.

“I think Jen Milo took those points into consideration of really making sure that we don't just look locally, we look nationwide for people to come to a university that prides itself on diversity and protecting it,” she said. “It's making an impact where people are being intentional about that now – not just trying to show face, but really trying to take the time to look at how diversity can enhance an institution.”

Ridgeway imported other ideas to the CARE Squad, such as creating an open forum for student-athletes and department staff to discuss social justice and cultural diversity, and improving the collaboration between athletics and Student Life. To that end, she organized a wellness and equity resource fair that was held outside The Sports Center in late August. The fair featured student-athletes from every sports team mixing with representatives from all five Student Life Centers for Identity, Inclusion and Empowerment; Student Health and Counseling Services; and many other student organizations.  

Ridgeway was inspired to lay the groundwork for the event by her experience upon transferring to CSUSM in 2019 from Long Island University, which had moved to cut the volleyball program the previous year. She had been part of the Black Student Union at LIU and hoped to recreate that experience at her new school. But it proved to be harder than she expected. 

“I went in to the Black Student Center, and I was super intimidated,” Ridgeway said. “Not that I felt uncomfortable, but it was really hard for me to try to introduce myself and get myself acclimated in that space. My goal with the resource fair was to remove that intimidation factor, and I think it was really successful in making that connection between student-athletes and everything this campus has to offer.” 

Leonard, who nominated Ridgeway for the Student Champion Award, was struck by the drive that Ridgeway carried back from her summer of protest in Portland. 

“What impressed me was her commitment and her sense of urgency to act,” Leonard said. “She was involved and suggested things, created dialogue and established connections immediately without being guided. Kiora has the ability to bridge gaps, create understanding and provide unity in times of uncertainty.” 

Ridgeway credits that ability in part to her family and her hometown. The daughter of a Black father and a Filipino mother, she was exposed to a wealth of cultural diversity as a child. She attended a Catholic grade school and high school that drew from a wide range of races and ethnicities.  

“I got all ends of the spectrum growing up,” she said. “Coming here, I wanted to bring that along, experience as many different people as I could. Portland has definitely influenced me in that way.” 

Ridgeway had been aiming to complete her degree in May, but she’s enjoying her return to collegiate volleyball so much that she’s leaning toward playing one more season next fall and graduating that December. A Spanish minor, she afterward plans to pursue a Spanish immersion program in Central America. Her career ambition is to work as a community outreach coordinator for a sports team.  

“The work I’m doing now has helped me realize that I want to help people in the community,” Ridgeway said. “I would love to be a bridge between professional athletes and them working in the communities around them. I want to highlight marginalized people and help them get more opportunities while being around sports.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

As a law enforcement officer in Orange County, she takes those same lessons learned on the pitch and on campus to forge a career in serving her community.

“A lot of what college imparts on to you is perseverance,” said Patterson, who graduated from CSUSM with a bachelor’s in communication in 2010. “Juggling academics, athletics, work and a social life, that grit helps shape how you handle life’s adult challenges.”

Now residing in the Long Beach area, Patterson works as a Sheriff Special Officer with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. She is also currently enrolled at Arizona State University in the emergency management master’s program.

Patterson has known since a young age that she wanted to serve the public as a first responder. She credits that passion in part to what she describes as a burning desire to be the person others seek out in an emergency.

Patterson has adjusted many things in her professional life over the past year due to COVID-19. But one thing it hasn’t altered is her positive outlook.

“The pandemic has affected all of us in our personal lives and at work,” Patterson said. “There have been many challenges that we have faced in law enforcement during the pandemic. There were a lot of schedule changes, mandatory overtime and policy changes that had to reflect the pandemic guidelines.

“I have been humbled and personally impacted by the citizens of Orange County and their continued support of law enforcement. The ‘thank yous’ go a long way when faced with such challenging times.”

The arrival of the pandemic – as well as how we’ve worked to bounce back – has reminded Patterson of the events of 9/11 and its aftermath.

A high school senior during 9/11, she remembers feeling inspired by how the country came together during a time of great need.

“Many of my classmates went to war that year and the years that followed, and of course it goes without saying that several did not come home,” Patterson said. “In the early weeks of COVID we were all experiencing this despair together as Americans. That is how 9/11 felt, that we were all in the same pain together.”

That sense of community is nothing new to Patterson. Her time on the soccer team at CSUSM taught her how sacrificing one’s own accolades for the betterment of the team meant success could be valued higher than any individual accomplishment.

 “I competed in the first season, which I am immensely proud of,” Patterson said. “I have kept up with the program since and have been enormously proud of the women that continued our tradition of hard work and competition. We were pioneers of the program in 2006. Today the program has really shined.”

In addition to her time spent on the Cougars soccer team, Patterson said professor of communication Katherine Brown and lecturer Catherine Armas-Matsumoto were her greatest influences on campus because of their attentiveness and approachability. Brown is now the communication department chair and Armas-Matsumoto is the communication department internship coordinator.

Her time at CSUSM clearly shaped Patterson into the person she is today.

“College is a great place to challenge yourself and collect life skills that will help your future self,” she said.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Mangrum’s mother died when he was young, and he had a challenging upbringing in Oklahoma. He shared with his children, Trudy and Bill, that it wasn’t unusual for him to skip school to go fishing or hunting. When Bob returned after these absences, his teachers didn’t lecture him. Instead, they reinforced the importance of being in school and worked to get him back on track.

“From the way he told those stories, I knew he had a deep appreciation for how a teacher can touch the life of a student who's had it really hard,” Bill Mangrum said. “Teachers and leaders can make a difference in the lives of young people. They made a difference in his life, and that's what he believed the athletic department and the teachers could do at Cal State San Marcos – they could make a difference in the lives of young people. And in making a difference in the lives of young people, they can make a difference in the world.”

Bob Mangrum died on June 14 at the age of 87 having made a difference in the lives of countless youth across the region.

“The world lost just a complete human being,” said Steve Scott, who retired in 2018 after nearly two decades as CSUSM’s cross country and track and field coach. “He was a class act and incredibly generous – not just to Cal State San Marcos but elementary and high schools in the area. He was just a wonderful human.”

From CSUSM’s earliest days, Bob and his wife, Ruth, provided support to help the university grow and become a beacon of higher education in the region. They were introduced to the university through their friendship with Bill Stacy, the university’s founding president, and his wife, Sue. Their connection continued to deepen under the leadership of CSUSM’s second president, Alex Gonzalez.

The Mangrums’ support included not only helping to establish an athletics program at CSUSM but ensuring the department’s survival during difficult economic times.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that we certainly wouldn't have the athletic program we have today without Bob,” said Steve Nichols, a political science professor and the athletic director from 2004-09. “And we might not have any athletic program today had it not been for Bob, because he and Ruth were instrumental in sustaining us.”

CSUSM’s athletics department was founded in 1998 with golf, cross country, and track and field programs. The university was able to quickly build a home for track thanks to the generosity of the Mangrums.

Bob Mangrum also was responsible for bringing Scott, a legend in the track world, to the university. It was a hire that gave instant credibility to a fledgling athletics program.

Scott was scheduled to attend a groundbreaking for CSUSM’s track in the late 1990s, but missed the event because of a family emergency. To make up for missing it, Scott went to Mangrum’s house and they went for a run together. As they were chatting after the run, Mangrum asked if Scott knew anyone who might be interested in coaching the new CSUSM cross country and track teams. To Mangrum’s surprise, Scott said he would be interested. A month later, CSUSM had a two-time Olympian as a head coach.

“Bob was totally responsible for, really, my future, my happiness, my financial well-being,” Scott said. “I was just going nowhere where I was. God put Bob in my life for a reason, and I was able to influence hundreds and hundreds of kids and motivate them and give them direction and goals, and it was all because of Bob and Ruth.”

Mangrum’s generosity went beyond simply writing a check. When Scott wanted to host a cross country race on campus, he asked Mangrum, who owned a construction business, if Mangrum had a small Bobcat they could use to plow a trail. Scott was shocked when Mangrum showed up with a giant tractor, fill dirt and a crew to help create the course. When the program needed to move a discus ring, Mangrum took care of it. When the women’s cross country team won national titles from 2009-11, Mangrum purchased championship rings for the student-athletes.

The Mangrums also provided much-needed scholarship funds, and student-athletes who earn a 4.0 grade-point average are annually honored with the Mangrum Award for Academic Excellence.

“We didn't have much of an operating budget, didn't have much in scholarships, and every little bit that we got helped,” Scott said. “Winning the championships was all due to Bob and Ruth, because you can't get good athletes without scholarship money. That's key to a championship program. With the money they provided, I was able to get some very good student-athletes.”

Bill Mangrum said Trudy and he are proud that the track their parents made possible isn’t just for student-athletes but a place for the entire campus community.

“The Mangrum Track & Field is not for elites, the people with the fastest times,” Bill Mangrum said. “The Mangrum Track & Field is for everybody who believes they can do better, that they can improve. It is for everyone who wants to be better today than they were yesterday.”

Bob Mangrum was an outstanding athlete in his own right. He competed in races across the country, including iconic events like the Boston and New York City marathons.

Long before Nichols was recruited to serve as athletic director, Ernest and Leslie Zomalt, who worked at the university in the 1990s and later established an endowment to recognize contributions made by CSUSM staff and administrators, kept telling Nichols that he needed to meet Mangrum. An avid runner himself, Nichols finally met Mangrum for a run after months of putting off the Zomalts’ request.

“He’s got to be 25 years older than me,” Nichols said, “and he ran me into the ground. That was my first meeting with Bob.”

Their relationship expanded when Nichols later became the university’s AD, and he credits Mangrum for keeping the department afloat at a difficult time.

“Athletics was very much just dying on the vine, and without Bob and his support during that time, I don't think we would have survived,” Nichols said. “And these are the things that I can talk about. I probably only know a small fraction of what he actually did. He didn't like a lot of fanfare. He didn't do it for recognition. In addition to being one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever met, he was very humble.”

Mangrum remained a steadfast supporter of CSUSM throughout his life. From attending the annual president’s gala to the scholar-athlete luncheon, the Mangrums were frequent visitors to campus.

While the Mangrums’ philanthropy went well beyond athletics – among their numerous contributions was joining the de Jong family in making a reality what has become one of the most prominent landmarks on campus, the Academic Hall clock tower – Bob Mangrum continues to have a special place in the hearts of those in the department.

“Bob left an incredible imprint on CSUSM athletics,” said Jennifer Milo, athletic director since 2012. “We are so honored and fortunate to have known Bob and been the recipient of his love of running and our track and field programs. His legacy in CSUSM athletics will never be forgotten and will be celebrated and recognized always.”

Memoriams may be directed to the Mangrum Track & Field Fund, which is used for the maintenance of the facility, by visiting this link and selecting "Mangrum Track & Field Fund" or by contacting Associate Director of Philanthropy Nick Burchfield at nburchfield@csusm.edu.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Milo was in her third year as the top assistant for the softball team at San Diego State. She had been a standout player in the sport since she was a kid growing up in Orange County. At the University of San Diego, which recruited her out of high school, she had played every inning of every game over four seasons and had her jersey number retired.  

Of course, there was the small matter that Milo had lived in San Diego for more than a decade and didn’t know that CSUSM even existed. But it seemed like it would be a great opportunity to build a new program from scratch.  

On the day she interviewed for the job in the fall of 2005, Milo remembers seeing a little white sign with the name of the university at the corner of Twin Oaks Valley Road and Barham Drive, surrounded by “weeds and a bunch of land.” She remembers walking into an athletics suite that consisted of exactly five employees, including an athletic director who doubled as a faculty member. She remembers asking that AD, Steve Nichols, who would be treating players’ injuries or who would be keeping score during games, and being greeted with little more than a shrug.   

Milo left campus that day with two distinct impressions: CSUSM athletics represented a reservoir of untapped potential, and the university – even if it didn’t fully realize it then – had a need that went far beyond just a new softball coach.   

And she, as it turned out, was the right person at the right time to fill it.  

Today, Milo, 44, is in her ninth year as CSUSM’s director of athletics – the third one in the two decades that intercollegiate sports have existed at CSUSM. She’s the leader of a department that now numbers more than 40 in staff, including three athletic trainers who treat injuries and three sports information employees who keep score and stats among myriad duties. She oversaw a three-year transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II that was so smooth and well-orchestrated that it’s considered a template for other schools to follow. She facilitated the construction of multiple athletic facilities, including The Sports Center, a sparkling, $11.4 million arena that opened in 2016.  

Even all these years later, Milo is still amazed by the sharp but satisfying detour that her career has taken.   

“Growing up, being a student-athlete, being a coach, I never thought about becoming an AD. It never crossed my mind,” Milo said. “And I never would have had the opportunity to do what I’m doing now if I wasn’t here at that time in the department’s development.”  

Hired in October 2005, Milo spent most of her first year at CSUSM doing the heavy lifting required in starting up a program that wouldn’t play its first game for 17 months. However, because of the unique qualifications she brought to the job – a Division I student-athlete who proceeded to coach for seven years at the same level, but who also earned a master’s in counseling from USD and was an academic counselor for the men’s basketball team at SDSU – she increasingly found herself being pulled in other directions by colleagues who wanted to draw on her experience at a higher tier of athletics.

After the debut season of the softball team in 2007, Milo presented Nichols with a choice: Did he want her to be a coach or an administrator? Because she couldn’t be both. Nichols assigned her the new title of associate AD for development.

That title might as well have been “procurer of fields.” CSUSM had added its first team sports during that academic year – baseball and men’s and women’s soccer in addition to softball – but they all lacked a proper venue for games. The soccer teams at least played on campus, on the field in the middle of Mangrum Track, but baseball and softball were forced to hoof it to local high schools.

The university had gone about its program-building backward – teams before fields – and it was Milo’s responsibility to help remedy that. She threw herself into the unfamiliar job with vigor, and she delivered results: An on-campus softball field opened in time for the 2010 season, with a baseball field following a year later.

“Getting the baseball and softball fields built was a huge piece, and that was all done with private funds,” Milo said. “It was parents of softball players saying, ‘Hey, I know a plumber, I know of a fencing company.’ To be able to do what we did with private support and build amazing fields was really the start of my metamorphosis into thinking I wanted to do this for my career.”

Nichols, as a political science professor, was never intended to be a permanent AD, and when the time came in 2009 to replace him with someone more suited to the job, Milo tossed her hat in the ring. CSUSM instead hired Tom Seitz, who had been an AD at a pair of small Division I schools.

Three years later, when Seitz departed, Milo urged then-President Karen Haynes not to pass over her again. She appealed to the importance of stability at a time when CSUSM already had been denied twice by the NCAA in its attempt to move up to Division II.

“I was very honest with the president,” Milo said. “I told her, ‘I wanted this three years ago, I’m still in the same spot, take a chance.’ ”

Haynes took a chance, and in April 2012, Milo became part of the 4 percent of women athletic directors among more than 1,200 schools in the three divisions of the NCAA. In the last seven years, that figure has nearly quadrupled to about 15 percent. Female representation is especially robust in the California Collegiate Athletic Conference, which the Cougars joined in 2015, with women accounting for four of the 13 ADs (31 percent).

“Before Jen took the AD job, she was building toward it,” said Todd Snedden, whom Milo elevated to associate AD soon after she was promoted herself. “When she got the position in 2012, she hit the ground running. Everything has been strategic, it’s been planned, it’s been organized, and it’s been executed perfectly.”

Milo carried out her vision for the department to the smallest detail. Soon after being named to the post, she circulated around the athletic offices in the Clarke Field House, delivering laminated cards to every coach and staff member that laid out the values she holds dear.

Eventually, it was time to take her values and transform them into the department’s values. In 2014, as the pursuit of Division II membership was ramping up, Milo summoned the whole staff for a daylong retreat at a hotel in Carlsbad. There, they collectively came up with a system that they called TRACS, which stands for Trust, Respect, Attitude, Communication and Support (they swear that the acronym’s similarity to the tracks of a cougar is strictly coincidental). Two more values were tacked on later, so it’s now TRACS through Excellence and Integrity.

That value system guided Milo and her staff as they went through the arduous and time-intensive process of transitioning to the NCAA. Milo had to coordinate with multiple campus partners to devise things like a student-athlete handbook, a compliance manual, various policies and procedures. In many cases, CSUSM surpassed what was required by the NCAA and set the bar for other CCAA institutions.

In January 2019, Cougars women’s volleyball coach Andrea Leonard attended the annual NCAA convention in Orlando, Fla., where she talked to consulting firms that told her they now use CSUSM as a model for how to move up a level in athletic membership.

“That’s when you know you’ve done things right,” said Leonard, who was hired in 2011, the year before Milo became AD. “It was not easy. We had a lot of people who liked the way we did things before, when there wasn’t a lot of accountability or rules because you could get away with it in the NAIA. It’s completely different now. You feel proud to be part of something where there’s expectation. It’s a commitment to excellence.”

The commitment also extends to the classroom. Milo is fond of bragging that, as of the fall semester, 66 percent of CSUSM student-athletes carried at least a 3.0 grade-point average. And slowly but surely, it’s applying to athletic competition as well. The Cougars absorbed some knocks in joining the CCAA, the most competitive conference in Division II, but success has started to come. In 2017-18, their first year as a full-fledged league member, they finished fourth out of 13 schools in the Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner’s Cup, which measures aggregate results across eight sports. They followed that up by placing fifth last year, and this year the women's basketball team made the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time.

As much as Milo has accomplished during her tenure as AD, she likes to say that only half the work is done. Phase 1 involved the building of fields for baseball, softball and soccer; the construction of The Sports Center for basketball and volleyball; the transition to the NCAA.

But Phase 2 is no less important. Milo envisions the facilities for all sports ultimately having the same “fan amenity environment” that now only exists in The Sports Center – lights, seating, restrooms, concession stands. She also wants to bolster the athletic scholarship pool because “that’s how you recruit the best of the best.” The long-term plan includes building out the rest of the 25-acre plot of land near the front of campus with centers for aquatic sports and campus recreation, though the price tag for the entire next phase – about $100 million – means that reality could be slow to follow the dream.

Milo, however, is undaunted. Will she be around to watch it all come to fruition? The softball coach turned career athletic director doesn’t see why not.

“This is the perfect fit for me. I’m rooted here,” she said. “Is this my forever job? I hope so. I have no aspirations of going up to Division I. I do consider this home.”

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Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

“That has to show just how much she means to me,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez has more than a decade of experience as a head coach, so she is accustomed to players moving on once they’ve exhausted their eligibility. But seeing Eackles and fellow seniors Stephanie Custodio and Jon’Nae Vermillion finish their playing careers last month was more difficult than usual.

Not because CSUSM lost a game on the court, but because the COVID-19 pandemic led to a premature end to the season.

“I feel terrible for all of the players because of how hard they worked and what an incredible season they had, but especially sad for our seniors,” Jimenez said. “All the rest of us get to come back and try again, but the seniors are just done. I hope we get the opportunity to celebrate their success and all they have meant to our program.”

Eackles is back home in Sunnyvale, near San Jose, sheltering in place with her family while continuing her studies through virtual instruction. A biological sciences major, Eackles will graduate in the fall and plans to pursue a career as a veterinarian.

Eackles is keeping in touch with her teammates during this challenging time, and the abrupt end to the season remains a topic of discussion.

The Cougars were enjoying the best season in program history when the postseason was canceled. Their long list of accomplishments included the most wins in program history (25), longest winning streak (11 games) and first California Collegiate Athletic Association conference title. Their efforts led to another program first – a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Cougars flew to Hawaii on March 11 to prepare for their tournament debut. As they exited the plane, their phones started blowing up with social media updates, texts and news alerts. Rudy Gobert, a player for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, had tested positive for coronavirus. Then came news that the NBA was suspending play across the league.

“Coach talked to us and she said, ‘As of right now, only family members can come to the games, but we're still going to be playing,’ ” Eackles said. “So we kind of felt relief. She told us that right when we landed, so we thought, ‘OK, hopefully we can just get to Friday and we'll be able to play because we're already here.’ ”

By the next morning, everything had changed. Eackles and her teammates received a text from Jimenez alerting them to an unplanned team meeting. It was there that players learned that the tournament was being canceled and they had to return home.

“You could tell she was upset and our assistant coaches were upset,” Eackles said. “It was just really sad.”

It was a disheartening finish to a historic run.

Eackles recalled Jimenez’s words from the beginning of the season, when she told them they were good enough to win the conference. It didn’t take long for the players to buy in. During the season’s first month, on Nov. 21, the Cougars stunned UC San Diego, then ranked No. 6 in Division II. The victory was both their first against UCSD and their first against a ranked opponent as an NCAA member.

But the most memorable moment of Eackles’ basketball career came three months later in the regular-season finale, when CSUSM beat UCSD again, this time on the Cougars’ Senior Day, to clinch a share of the CCAA regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the CCAA Tournament.

“Chloe has had an incredible career here at CSUSM,” Jimenez said. “She came to us before we had won a single Division II game, and now she is part of a nationally competitive program. It hasn't always been easy during this building process for Chloe, but she has stayed the course, trusted the process and has always had a smile on her face. No matter the position or role she has been asked to play, she has always put the team before herself, and that is what her coaches and teammates will remember most about her.

“I hope our younger players have learned a lot from her and will play as hard as Chloe does and always remember to put the team first. She is leaving one special legacy.”

While the Cougars didn’t get to fully reap the rewards of winning the conference and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Eackles is excited for what their success means for the future of the program.

“It's going to set the bar and it's going to make people want to come play here,” she said. “And it's going to be a really good program from here on out.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

As a result, two donors are ensuring that CSUSM students are big winners off the court.

CSUSM rolled to a 65-51 victory over Sonoma State in the quarterfinals of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament at The Sports Center. The Cougars, seeded No. 1 in the eight-team tournament, advance to the semifinals at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena where they will face fifth-seeded Cal State East Bay at 8 p.m. on Friday.

Carleen Kreider and Dick Lansing, two longtime university supporters, are purchasing tickets for the first 100 CSUSM students for Friday’s game. CSUSM students just need to show their student ID at the RIMAC Arena ticket office to receive admission.

Kreider is a director on CSUSM’s Foundation Board, which consists of community leaders who guide, advise and support the university on strategic plans for growth. Lansing is an adviser for the College of Business Administration’s Senior Experience program and a member of the college’s advisory board.

It has been a historic season for the women’s basketball team. At 24-4, the Cougars have set a program record for victories in a season and Tuesday’s victory extended their winning streak to a program-best 10 games.

"I think we're playing our best basketball in March," Cougars coach Renee Jimenez said. "I'm really excited for this group moving forward. I think they can make a nice run down the stretch here."

The winner of Friday’s game between CSUSM and Cal State East Bay will play the winner of the other semifinal (No. 6 Stanislaus State vs. No. 2 UCSD at 5:30 p.m. Friday) in the CCAA Tournament finals at 8 p.m. Saturday at RIMAC Arena. The winner of the tournament will earn the CCAA’s automatic bid into the eight-team NCAA Division II West Regional being played March 13-16.

The CCAA Tournament semifinals and finals can also be viewed for free on ESPN3.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Homecoming 2019 was a hit at Cal State San Marcos. Pops of blue could be spotted across campus as the university celebrated a full week of festivities. The campus community was greeted with colorful banners and signs and even an opportunity to show their love by honking to build spirit for the events to come.

Cougars showed up in strong numbers all week long, even though rain threatened many events. Students tie-dyed their own shirts, danced the night away at the Student Opener Competition, and enjoyed Cougar paw lattes at Crash’s Café. An exciting slate of alumni gatherings brought proud graduates together to keep the Cougar connection strong. Homecoming Saturday started early as a family reception, and CougarFest set the tone for the big games.

And the games lived up to the occasion as CSUSM’s basketball teams hosted San Francisco State. The women’s team led wire to wire in a 55-43 win that extended its perfect start to the season at 5-0. The men’s team fell 89-88 in a thrilling contest that saw 22 lead changes and resulted in the first triple-overtime game in program history. Both teams enjoyed support from Cougars fans of all ages who packed into The Sports Center to show their CSUSM pride.

View and download all homecoming photos.

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Dante Longo’s Glasgow score was four.

Longo received that assessment following a car accident on April 7, 2018, and it came with a warning to family members that he might never awaken from his coma. The list of injuries Longo sustained in the wreck was staggering: broken elbow, collapsed lung, torn ligaments, torn ureter, fractures of his femur, hip, neck and pelvis, and severe injuries to his liver and kidneys. He lost eight pints of blood. The injuries were so catastrophic that Longo was listed on the accident report as a “suspected fatality.”

“His elbow was never set because they didn’t think he was going to live,” said Kimberly Cochran, Longo’s mother.

But Longo has overcome long odds and dim prognoses throughout a remarkable recovery that not only has him back at Cal State San Marcos working toward his bachelor’s in communication but thriving as a member of the university’s men’s soccer team.

“They didn’t think I was going to play soccer again,” Longo said. “They said that was out of the question. They’re like, ‘It’s more a matter of whether he’s going to walk.’ ”

Catastrophic accident

It wasn’t like Longo to be late, but he was nowhere to be found as game time approached for a spring soccer match against Point Loma Nazarene on April 7, 2018.

“Dante is the kind of guy that would text you and say, ‘Coach, I’m going to be five minutes late,’ and then be five minutes early,” said Ron Pulvers, CSUSM’s men’s soccer coach. “He was always really good about letting you know if there was any issue.”

Players told Pulvers that Longo had gone home to Chula Vista the previous night to see his father, Charlie, who often cooks him a big pasta meal before a game. But repeated calls and texts to Longo went unanswered.

After the game, Pulvers sat with Todd Snedden, CSUSM’s associate director of athletics, as the women’s team prepared for its match. Pulvers told Snedden about Longo’s inexplicable absence, and they started reaching out to numerous people trying to determine Longo’s whereabouts. Eventually, someone told Pulvers they had seen a visibly upset Cochran in the parking lot before the game. Moments after learning that Cochran had left before the game started, Pulvers received an email from her telling him that Longo had been in a horrific car accident and transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

Longo and Charlie had been traveling north in the carpool lane on Interstate 15 en route to CSUSM for the game. They were near Carmel Mountain Road when Charlie’s car was cut off and struck attenuating barrels, which are used to reduce the damage from automobile accidents. However, the car spun after hitting the barrels and was struck on the passenger’s side (where Longo was sitting) by an oncoming SUV going an estimated 80 mph.

Longo has no memory of the accident and, despite the severity of his injuries and the long road to recovery, he has maintained his sense of humor.

“My dad only had a sprained thumb,” Longo said. “He drinks some crazy protein shakes or something.”

Longo wasn’t as fortunate. Doctors told his family that there was a strong possibility he would not come out of the coma. Longo’s sister, Brie, lives overseas and his brother, Chris, lived in Hawaii at the time, but both were by his side at the hospital within a day of learning about the accident. A family member remained bedside 24 hours a day.

On the morning of Friday, April 13, Brie, Charlie and Kimberly were resting in the intensive care unit lounge when they heard Chris yelling. After nearly a full week in a coma, Longo had woken up.

“Knowing Dante and who he is, I had no doubt about what his recovery was going to look like once he woke up,” Pulvers said. “He’s got an iron will. He’s one of the toughest characters I’ve ever been around. He’s incredibly determined and persistent.”

Support from family, friends

Determined and persistent aren’t the only adjectives people use when describing Dante. Affable, charismatic, gregarious -- pick any one of a dozen synonyms, and it has probably been used. Longo is happy to start a conversation with anybody, whether he has known them for five years or five minutes.

“He honestly has more friends than any person I’ve known in my entire life,” said Kevin McCarthy, an assistant coach for the men’s soccer team.

Those friendships translated into a steady stream of visitors during his time in the hospital and throughout his recuperation. NFL star Eric Weddle and Major League Soccer coach Peter Vermes were among those sending well-wishes via social media, and Cochran was astonished by the endless support her son received from the tight-knit soccer community.

“People filled the hospital,” she said. “I had coaches from when he was 8, 9 years old reach out. I didn’t even call them. They just knew.

“We’re so lucky that the people who love him spoke up. They came in and he felt it.”

While the encouragement and support from friends was critical, Longo still faced a long, often frustrating, recovery process that continues to this day.

Longo’s awakening from the coma was gradual. His memory of those first few weeks in the hospital is spotty, though he has seen photos and videos that family members took as he made incremental improvement.

Even after he woke up from the coma, blood clots and seizures remained a lingering concern. It wasn’t until nearly three weeks after Longo first awoke that Cochran could breathe easier and feel like her son wouldn’t die.

The myriad tubes coming out of his body were a constant source of frustration for Longo, who repeatedly tried to tear them out. He actually succeeded in pulling out a trach tube from his throat, to the horror of the speech therapist who witnessed it. Longo has no memory of doing it, and his family only learned later that such a maneuver can be potentially fatal.

Longo was wheelchair-bound for about two months before graduating to a walker. He continued to make progress over the ensuing months, from walking on his own to kicking a soccer ball to participating in strenuous workouts.

Today, 18 months removed from the accident, Longo looks like the picture of health. He has regained the nearly 40 pounds he lost after the accident and has participated in practices and games with the men’s soccer team after being cleared to play in August. His playing time has been sporadic as he continues to regain his mobility while learning to play with a metal plate in his hip, but he looks much like the person he was before the accident.

“He’s just remarkable,” Pulvers said. “He plays 100% and gives everything he’s got every time out.”

Ongoing recovery

Longo is still dealing with the effects of the traumatic brain injury he sustained, and Cochran said dealing with cognitive issues will be an ongoing process for him. There are memories from before and after the accident that Longo will never recover. Doctors recommended that he take a year off from school to allow additional recovery time, but Longo was eager to return to CSUSM and took a light load last fall to ease back into his studies. He credits CSUSM’s Disability Student Services for the department’s continued support in helping him transition back to school and helping him manage his memory retrieval issues in the classroom.

Longo knows he likely will face additional physical challenges in the coming years, particularly related to his hip. But simply being back on the field with his teammates has provided joy that many didn’t think he would ever experience again after the accident.

“I was told, ‘You’re not going to be able to play again,’ so I just want to use my body as long it’s able to play soccer,” he said. “I know as I get older, I’m going to have hip pain more so than other people and I’m going to have arthritis. But I love this game.

“I wasn’t playing a lot at the start of the season because I was still getting used to the plate in my hip, and I was really frustrated. But at the same time, I thought, ‘Dang, I shouldn’t even be here right now. I shouldn’t be able to walk on the field. Somebody should be pushing me out or something like that.’ That’s why I’m happy.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

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The music allays the concerns about her right shoulder. It’s easy to understand her unease. After undergoing surgery on the shoulder three times, Jon’Nae continues to play in pain. She knows another injury likely would mean a premature end to her basketball career. But beyond basketball, other thoughts about the potential impact of further damage creep into her mind. From mundane tasks – will she be able to put her hair in a bun? – to the melancholy – when she has children, will she be able to hold them?

Jon’Nae takes a moment to let those thoughts swirl before the music helps calm her. Though the scars from her surgeries are a constant reminder, she’s able to erase all thoughts of reinjuring the shoulder.

“If you’re on the court thinking, ‘What if I get hurt?’ you’re going to get hurt,” Jon’Nae said. “I just play how I need to play. At the end of the day, whatever happens, that’s supposed to happen.

“I’m a tough kid. I can get through whatever’s thrown at me.”

Injuries are part of basketball, but the likelihood might be greater for someone who plays like Jon’Nae. Her game isn’t about guile or finesse. It’s about being physical. Shy away from contact? Jon’Nae welcomes it. She even refers to her style of play as “bully ball.”

“She makes a difference,” said Renee Jimenez, CSUSM’s head women’s basketball coach. “You notice her when you walk into the gym.”

Jimenez first noticed when Jon’Nae was in high school. Jimenez was the head coach at Cal State San Bernardino when she recruited Jon’Nae out of Santiago High School in Corona in 2014. Jon’Nae committed to play for Jimenez right before undergoing her first shoulder surgery. She injured it in the first game of her senior season when an opponent pulled her arm back as she was jumping for a rebound. Jon’Nae thought it might be a dislocation and continued to play. It was only when the pain became too much to bear that she visited a doctor and learned it would require surgery.

Jon’Nae sat out her first season at Cal State San Bernardino as a redshirt, which allows college athletes to extend their eligibility an extra season by not competing in games. Jon’Nae was just 17 when she entered college, so redshirting had the dual benefit of providing additional time to heal while she adjusted to the rigors of higher education.

But the transition to college proved challenging, particularly when it came to taking direction from Jimenez.

“In high school, I did whatever I wanted to do,” Jon’Nae said. “So I felt like in college I was going to do what I wanted to do, too.”

Despite the rocky start to their relationship, there was always mutual respect, which made it that much more difficult for Jon’Nae when she learned after the season that Jimenez had accepted the head coach position at CSUSM. Jon’Nae’s first instinct was to follow Jimenez south, but the coach recommended a different path.

CSUSM was in the middle of transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II, which meant the university wasn’t eligible for postseason play. Jimenez thought Jon’Nae was too good to pass up an opportunity to play for the postseason somewhere else.

Jon’Nae decided to attend Mt. San Antonio College, not far from where she grew up in Corona.

“That was probably the best decision I could have made for myself,” she said. “I grew up.”

Jon’Nae helped Mt. SAC win the California Community College Athletic Association women's state championship in her first season, collecting a long list of accolades along the way, including being named the state championship most valuable player. And she did it all while playing the second half of the season with an injured right shoulder that would again require surgery.

Jon’Nae injured the shoulder when she was fouled while going up for a layup in a January 2016 game. She fell to the court and knew right away something was wrong. But she got up, shot her free throws and played in the team’s final 10 games before an MRI after the season showed that she had torn nearly every ligament and suffered 40% bone loss in the socket.

Two months after winning the state title, Jon’Nae underwent her second surgery. She had six screws inserted into her shoulder (on top of the six from the first surgery). Doctors took part of her bicep and a portion of bone from her back to rebuild the shoulder.

But when Jon’Nae was finally cleared to start running again, she knew something wasn’t right. A trip to the doctor confirmed her fear – she had torn the ligaments again and needed a third surgery. The diagnosis came with a warning that she might not be able to play basketball again.

“It was hard because I was always Jon’Nae the basketball player,” she said. “In my head I thought, ‘Well, it’s over. I’m going to get surgery and then I have to move on with my life.’

“I went through this stage of depression. It was really hard.”

To the surprise of everyone, including her doctor, Jon’Nae saw positive results almost immediately following the surgery. She missed the 2016-17 basketball season while she recovered, but returned to Mt. SAC the following season and exhibited the same dominance to which teammates and foes alike had become accustomed.

While Jon’Nae and Jimenez didn’t always see eye-to-eye at Cal State San Bernardino, they remained in touch in the ensuing years. When it came time for Jon’Nae to transfer to a four-year school, she wanted to play for Jimenez.

“We grew up a lot together,” Jimenez said. “I was young when I coached her at San Bernardino. I was still trying to figure it out. I think she would tell you I’m a lot more relaxed now than when I was first coaching her. And she’s a lot more mature now than she was when she was 17.

“But I think San Marcos has really helped her grow up a lot and really pay attention to her academics and understand the importance of graduating. Before, it was all basketball. Now she’s understanding how to be a leader.”

As she approaches graduation next May, Jon’Nae is still working to grow as a leader. At Mt. SAC, if she was unhappy with a teammate’s effort in a game or practice, she made it abundantly clear. And she was used to her Mt. SAC teammates doing the same. At CSUSM, she joined a young squad of players who weren’t accustomed to such blunt criticism.

Dynnah Buckner was on the receiving end of Jon’Nae’s candid critiques more than once as a freshman last season. Early in the season, Dynnah often stopped by Jimenez’s office to ask why Jon’Nae was constantly yelling at her on the court. While Jimenez typically agreed with the message Jon’Nae was delivering, she encouraged her to provide it in a more constructive manner. And she emphasized to Dynnah that Jon’Nae’s criticism came from a desire to help Dynnah improve.

“At the end of the day, it’s all love,” Jon’Nae said. “When I'm on the court and I say something to you, you can’t take it personally. I'm not going to think twice about what I'm saying and how I'm saying it to you, because what I'm saying to you is the truth. No matter how I say it, it’s the truth. So you need to take it. And then if you want to have a conversation later, then we can do that, too, after the game – after we win.”

A turning point came when Dynnah took Jon’Nae up on that willingness to have a conversation. She asked if they could meet to talk things through. The next day, Jon’Nae invited Dynnah to join her on a trip to Los Angeles to see one of Jon’Nae’s friends play basketball for Cal State L.A.

“That's when she really explained why she was on me the way she was,” Dynnah said.

Jon’Nae said she was critical because she knew how great Dynnah could be and how important Dynnah was to the team’s success. She wanted Dynnah to stop worrying about making mistakes and simply play the game to the best of her abilities. And, perhaps most importantly, Jon’Nae finished by telling Dynnah that she always has her back.

“Her intentions were never bad,” Dynnah said. “At first, I sort of took it that way because it was the first time somebody really just came at me in a blunt way saying, ‘You need to get this together. You need to pick it up.’ But it was all out of love and wanting me to do better.”

On the court, it all comes down to winning for Jon’Nae. It doesn’t matter if it’s cross-town rival UC San Diego or a pick-up game at 24-Hour Fitness. Jon’Nae expects to win.

And she has high expectations for the Cougars this season. The team finished 18-10 a year ago, winning its first California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament game before ending the season with a loss to UCSD in the semifinals.

Jon’Nae wants to help CSUSM take that next step and reach the NCAA tournament. She worked throughout the summer to strengthen the shoulder and anticipates shedding the brace she has worn since her time at Mt. SAC, giving her more mobility on the court. She knows the shoulder won’t be 100 percent, and Jimenez plans to limit Jon’Nae’s practice time as the season progresses to help her stay healthy.

But Jon’Nae is used to playing in pain. She no longer has full range of motion and has accepted that she likely never will. The scars on her shoulder may serve as a constant reminder of what she has been through, but they no longer carry a negative connotation.

“I used to look at my scars and I used to be disgusted,” she said. “But now I’m proud of it. Scars tell the story of survival.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The trip ended with an unexpected gift that is still being celebrated nearly a year later.

Before Fox left campus on that November day, he decided to make an additional gift as part of CSUSM Giving Day, held each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in support of students and university initiatives.

Much to the surprise and delight of the Department of Athletics, Fox made a $100,000 gift to provide scholarships for female student-athletes at CSUSM.

“I know how much women’s athletics are often overlooked,” Fox said.

Fox’s ties to CSUSM go back more than a decade – first as a student, then as a longtime employee.

Fox received in associate degree from San Diego City College, attended Coleman College and worked in the computer field for many years before deciding to return to school and attend CSUSM in spring 2006. As a student, Fox got a job right away working in CSUSM’s Instructional and Information Technology Services department. By the summer, it became a full-time opportunity.

Though Fox eventually decided to focus on work and didn’t receive a bachelor’s, he still feels a deep devotion to CSUSM more than five years after retiring from the university.

“I am so in love with the school,” Fox said. “And I’m so happy with all the growth and everything accomplished since I worked there and went to school there.”

In addition to his contributions to athletics, Fox established the Ralph and Holly Fox Endowed Scholarship for Teaching to be awarded to students who demonstrate financial need and whose career objective is to become a teacher. The scholarship honors the memory of his parents, who were both school teachers in Los Angeles.

“They were everything for me,” Fox said. “They gave me a great life.”

Life in retirement includes traveling and attending Cougars athletics events whenever possible.

“I am a full-on Cougar,” Fox said. “I bleed blue.”

In June, Fox participated in the annual Cougar Scramble Golf Tournament, which benefits the CSUSM Athletic Scholarship Fund, and he is looking forward to attending his first volleyball and basketball games this year.

“Fox has not only provided financial support for our female athletes, but has been a constant friend of our entire athletic department over the years," said Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo. "We are grateful for his dedication to CSUSM Athletics and are proud to have him as part of the Cougar family.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Why? To bring home the Cougars’ first NCAA Division II national championship.

“It was during one of our staff meetings,” Hutton said. “I definitely got some stares, but I dream big. I thought, ‘Why couldn’t I make it to nationals with the women’s program?’ I had gotten there with the men before. Why not with the women?”

Not only did the Cougars accomplish that goal this season, but junior Jaime Jacob became CSUSM’s first NCAA national champion by winning the individual title last week at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Jacob finished with a three-round total of even-par 219 to edge Gloria Choi of Southwest Oklahoma State.

CSUSM nearly won the team championship, too, finishing second after losing 4-1 to Florida Tech in the final on Saturday.

“I am so proud of this group of women,” Milo said. “Winning the runner-up trophy, individual champion and being second in the nation is a historical accomplishment for the program, department and entire university. We look forward to watching this team achieve even more next year.”

CSUSM was one of 16 teams in the country that advanced to the national championships. The teams played three rounds over three days, with the top eight moving into a medal round. While stroke play – the total number of strokes – was used to determine the order for the first three rounds, the final eight teams played match play, in which teams compete head to head based on seeding.

CSUSM, seeded second for match play, beat seventh-seeded Dallas Baptist 3-2 in the quarterfinals and defending national champion University of Indianapolis 3-2 in the semifinals.

The Cougars’ historic season came to an end the following day in the final against top-seeded Florida Tech.

“We had a pretty incredible year leading up to nationals,” assistant coach Jennifer Johnson said. “For it being their first time, I think they handled their nerves very well coming into the tournament. Once they realized just how big of a stage they were playing on, the nerves started to kick in, but they never gave up.”

The Cougars entered the season focused on being among the 16 teams that advance to the national championships after just missing the cut a year ago. The top four teams from each regional advance, and CSUSM finished sixth at the NCAA Division II West Regionals in 2018.

“I was proud that we were able to overcome our disappointing performance from the previous year,” Jacob said. “It felt amazing to be able to reinforce our national ranking by entering the tournament as the No. 3 team in the nation. Our hard work paid off, but we still want to achieve so much more.”

The Cougars won seven team championships and six individual championships during the season, both program records. As regionals approached, Hutton and Johnson focused on the top-four finish required to advance to nationals. The Cougars finished third to reach the NCAA Division II national championships for the first time.

“It was an absolute honor competing for CSUSM, my Cougar teammates and our coaches,” said sophomore Claire Hogle, who tied for 28^th in the individual tournament. “We all wish we could have done more, and I am no exception, but we pulled it together and showed that we're capable of making it to the finals. I know I speak for all of us when I say, next year the outcome will be different.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist
ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Jaime Jacob made CSUSM history on Thursday, winning the individual title in the Division II women’s golf championship in a duel that went down to the wire. Jacob shot a 2-over-par 75 in the final round at the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to finish with a three-round total of even-par 219.

The junior from Encinitas then had to wait to see whether the score she posted would be good enough. Gloria Choi of Southwest Oklahoma State held a three-shot lead with three holes to play but stumbled badly down the stretch, allowing Jacob to claim the title. Jacob was the only golfer in the tournament who finished at even par or better.

"I didn't think even was going to win it," Jacob said. "I thought that I had to be at least even for the day and 2-under overall."

The Cougars’ Breann Horn finished 21^st in the tournament at 14 over, and Claire Hogle tied for 28^th at 18 over.

In the team competition, CSUSM finished in second place at 51 over after shooting a 22-over 314 in the third round. The leader was Florida Tech at 47 over. The top eight teams advanced to medal play to compete for a team championship. The second-seeded Cougars will face No. 7 seed Dallas Baptist University on Friday morning, and if they win, they would advance to the semifinals later that day. The title match is on Saturday.

"My job's not over yet," Jacob said. "We still need to work for the team win."

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But on this particular cold and rainy day seven years ago, Jaime Jacob and her dad made their way down to Beacon’s Beach in Leucadia to hit some sand wedges near the shore. Jacob was a freshman at La Costa Canyon High School at the time, going between swimming and golfing in a family loaded with athletic talent.

This was something Jacob and her dad did fairly often, but this day would prove to be different when they were approached by a man who introduced himself and offered her a few tips on her swing.

He spoke as if he knew a lot about golf, so Jacob listened and put some of his advice to memory. When she got home, she looked his name up. Her jaw dropped when she realized she just spent time getting free advice from legendary swing coach Peter Beames, who worked extensively with Hall of Fame golfer Gary Player, among many others.

“I didn’t know who he was when we were talking to him,” said Jacob, a Cal State San Marcos junior. “He just seemed like another crazy Leucadian that liked to go to the beach on rainy days like my dad and I. I realized who he was that night, and having him tell me that I was on the right track meant so much. It was a small token of validation that I needed to be confident in moving forward with the game.”

It wasn’t the first and wasn’t the only step in getting Jacob to where she is today, but it was a crucial one. Where she is today is ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division II and the unquestioned leader of a Cougars squad that is on the cusp of potentially earning a berth in the Division II National Championships.

The Cougars are coming off their second consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Association team championship, a title they won by 21 strokes in the recent three-day, 54-hole event at Morgan Run Club & Resort. Jacob herself is coming off a second straight CCAA Golfer of the Year Award as she captured the individual title with a two-stroke win over teammate Claire Hogle.

The Cougars are breaking new ground as a golf team not only because Jacob is one of the country’s best, but also because she is a leader in every sense of the responsibility.

“Jaime is a great leader and is looked up to by everyone on the team,” said Cougars assistant coach Jennifer Johnson, a former touring pro. “I never have to worry about her making practice and her schoolwork a priority. Golf is an individual sport, but she cares so much about this team and sets such a good example with her attitude, work ethic and drive.”

Jacob takes the role of team leader seriously in a sport that rewards individual performances. While she continues to drive toward a career in professional golf – she’ll attempt to turn pro via qualifying school upon graduation – she attributes much of her success to the effort and closeness of her teammates and coaching staff.

In addition to Jacob’s Player of the Year honors, teammates Savannah Magallon, Hogle and Breann Horn were named All-CCAA first team. Seniors Bergen Benedict and Sarah Garcia each earned honorable mention honors while head coach Greg Hutton was named Coach of the Year.

“A good portion of my individual success comes from my team; their motivation pushes me to be better on and off the course,” Jacob said. “We are a very close team. We spend a lot of hours together at practice, so we don’t spend much time together physically outside of practice. But our group Snapchat keeps us tight when we're apart.”

Jacob comes from a family oozing with athletic talent. Her father and grandfather both played Division I college football, her uncle played seven years of minor league baseball and she has two cousins who played field hockey and tennis in the Pac-12.

Growing up, her parents imparted on her the importance of being active outside of the classroom. It certainly wasn’t at the expense of grades as the global business management major was a 4.0 student in high school and earned CoSIDA All-Academic third-team honors as a sophomore.

Her older sister was a competitive swimmer, but Jacob’s career in the pool didn’t last long.

“I was actually a terrible swimmer, and my sister was the one that was so successful in the pool,” said Jacob, who now owns nine individual tournament collegiate titles. “I hated being in her shadow, not to mention having to jump into a cold pool to look at a black line on the bottom of it for hours. I tried other sports but began to get discouraged with finding one that I really enjoyed.

“My parents made it clear that I had to choose something to do outside of school, so I chose golf after all else failed. Luckily it stuck.”

Luckily for the Cougar, too. She had several Division I offers, but none afforded the opportunity to golf in a climate where one is able to hit the links virtually 365 days a year. Her commitment three years ago and subsequent success has paid dividends for a program on the verge of making history.

“Jaime's play and performance the past two seasons has definitely helped put CSUSM on the map for Division II golf,” Johnson said. “Recruits see her winning and the scores that she shoots, and they want to come be a part of this team and San Marcos. Also, within our current team, Jaime and all of the ladies have pushed each other to be better. As a coach, having a super competitive team is an ideal situation. I can just see how bad they all want to win and how everyone wants the team to win.”

Jacob’s competitive spirit didn’t begin that rainy day at Beacon’s, but that fateful meeting with one of golf’s greatest swing coaches did drive her. Her parents developed in her a healthy respect for competition, and that seems to have served her future on a tee.

“As proud as a parent can be,” her father Joe Jacob said. “Both my girls work so hard off the course. We don’t feel we will ever have to worry about them in life. They can handle it. That is most important. Yes, we are proud of her golf success, as any parent would be, but we are more proud of the person she has become.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Forward Together, the University’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, was a bold ambition. Some wondered if CSUSM aimed too high when setting a goal of raising $50 million.

“We’re one of the youngest Cal State University campuses in the system, and to try and do a campaign at such a young age, well, some saw that as being risky,” said Jennifer Milo, CSUSM’s athletic director. “We don’t have the alumni base yet, but it still was very successful.”

The naysayers didn’t understand the drive of an unrelenting Milo and the steely leadership of CSUSM President Karen Hayes. They were two of the forces behind securing additional scholarship funds for student-athletes, which was a requirement for the Cougars to earn NCAA Division II status.

“Scholarship money is the lifeblood of any program,” said CSUSM women’s basketball coach Renee Jimenez. “They always say, ‘It's the Jimmys and Joes and not the Xs and Os.’ But if you don't have the resources to recruit really good kids and student-athletes, you are definitely at a disadvantage.”

That drawback was underscored when the Cougars departed the NAIA and moved up to the NCAA. Suddenly, CSUSM was competing against different, and better, opponents.

To raise its game meant raising money, and the Cougars’ administration and coaches rolled up their sleeves and did just that. But their work was only a winner because of the community support from people keen on what’s happening at the growing University.

With its eyes on competing for national championships, it’s a natural strategy to fill the coffers toward that aspiration.

“The best teams in the country are the teams with the best scholarships,” CSUSM men's basketball coach B.J. Foster said. “That’s just the way it goes.”

CSUSM coaches no longer need to worry about leaving a recruit’s home concerned about losing another prized student-athlete because of scholarship limitations.

Before the success of the Forward Together campaign, coaches often chased down a recruit only to face them as an opponent during the season.

“That is a very frustrating thing, there is no question about that,” Foster said. “Because of the great location of the school and with the great academic programs that we have here, we have that advantage to go ahead and rival those schools.

“But when you are talking about recruiting against private schools, and even some in our league that are able to offer housing, meals and everything, it's going to trump a beautiful school with great academics because they don’t have to pay for anything.”

Thanks to Forward Together, that’s no longer the case.

“It levels the playing field once that happens and it just gives us more options in recruiting where you can weather an injury or two, which is invariably going to happen,” Foster said.

Foster has held down the fort just fine with limited funds. He can point to having the California Collegiate Athletic Association player of the year in 2017-18 and others on the all-conference first and second teams. But any squad is only as good as its depth, and that was where Foster would see the biggest disadvantage because of limited scholarship funds for his players.

“We’ve had those really good players, but after those three or four guys a lot of the guys were walk-ons or competing on a partial scholarship. If you can put together five or six players the caliber of our best three last year, who knows, you might be competing on the national stage. But when you couldn't do that with your recruiting, that was a very frustrating thing.”

Angst has transitioned to eagerness as a bigger pot of scholarship money continues to transform an athletic program that is already full-steam ahead.

“We’ve made huge strides since 2009 in our department,” Milo said. “The growth in the last nine years has obviously been incredible with our transition to the NCAA. But we wanted to go after the best and brightest student-athletes, so we put our head down in going to work to grow our scholarship capacity.”

The program has been heaven sent for coaches, who can now recruit players who once seemed off-limits.

“I think you are going to see a big jump in performances this year, and in some ways it has nothing to do with what I do as a coach or what Jen does as an administrator,” Jimenez said. “It’s about getting the talent, which Forward Together allows us to do. It’s hard when you have to go into a living room and beg someone to come when you can’t give them what another school is offering them. That is embarrassing for the coaches.”

That’s no longer a concern for CSUSM coaches.

“We can say, ‘Hey, this is what we are going to give you. We can do it in a great location and you will get a fantastic education and a first-class basketball experience,’ ” Jimenez said. “It’s hard turning down good players, and now we feel like we can compete for those players by giving them an offer they can't say no to.”

That so many people said, “Yes” when approached by CSUSM to enhance Forward Together has been revealing.

“For the school to be so young and to see how quickly the community and the donors have grasped on to athletics and helped raise scholarship money is exciting,” Jimenez said. “They are the ones that have their hand prints all over our program.

“It takes everybody to try and win a national championship and everyone has to be involved, from the donors to the administrators to the coaches and the players.”

It’s an endeavor in which everyone is pulling in the same direction on the athletic rope. Those supplying the bang for the athletic buck can’t be overlooked.

“I think it shows that we have finally arrived,” Milo said. “Some of the donors might not even have an allegiance to CSUSM, but their involvement shows that people are ready to invest in our school. They can see the amazing education the students are getting and then believe in the vision presented by President Haynes.

“This might seem like an overnight success, but it has taken a lot of hard work to reach where we are today. Our athletic funding has gone from $150,000 to more than $800,000, but it has taken a lot of work. We’ve gone from people saying, ‘Who is Cal State University San Marcos?’ to us preserving and educating people on who we are and what we do. A lot of people didn’t know about us.”

The Cougars hurdled some of those obstacles with the resounding success of Forward Together.

“Everybody wants to be part of something special,” Foster said. “These additional funds will help build the school spirit and pride in the university. We're going to have something here that the alumni and the community can really sink their teeth into.”

Memories so deep he can never forget them.

“More than anything, I just miss their presence,” said Fuller, who lost his father at the age of 16 and his grandfather five years later, both to cancer. “It was hard for me because my father was my best friend and I no longer knew which direction was right for me.”

Fuller is a junior at Cal State San Marcos. At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, he is seemingly built out of granite. He fittingly plays power forward for the Cougars men’s basketball team and leads the squad in most statistical categories this season. His strength on the court and in the weight room is impressive. But his inner resolve is what makes his comeback story that much better.

Fuller’s positive energy off the court is obvious to anyone who crosses paths with him. But his optimistic outlook on life in the face of tragedy has made him an inspiration for so many people.

“My baby is my inspiration and motivation every day,” said his mom Olga. “He has endured so much, but he still has such a personality that attracts people. He has always been a leader, and he is ridiculously funny like his dad and loud like his dad. Khalil even has the same laugh as his dad.

“My father used to say, ‘What does not kill you makes you stronger.’ Khalil has become such a responsible young man. He has learned how to appreciate what matters, and he knows that tomorrow is not guaranteed.”

The 2018-19 season hasn’t produced a lot of wins for the Cougars, but Fuller has had an outstanding campaign while emerging as one of the team leaders on and off the court. He’s a skilled player with a work ethic to match.

“Khalil is a hard worker,” Cougars head coach B.J. Foster said. “He is a big, physical, back-to-the-basket player and has good moves over both shoulders, plus he rebounds very well. Khalil actually leads our team in most stat categories, one of them being rebounds. Khalil is very skilled in the key and is learning to extend his range and ability to play out at the top of the key area.”

The Moreno Valley product is averaging 14.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, both tops on the team. He’s also among the team leaders in assists, steals and blocked shots. He’s capable of putting up a double-double every night, evidenced by his 32-point, 12-rebound performance earlier this season against Azusa Pacific. He will be looking for a similar effort on Saturday when the Cougars host Stanislaus State at 3 p.m. as part of a homecoming basketball doubleheader (the CSUSM women host Stanislaus State at 1 p.m. Saturday).

“The season has been rough but while I am happy with the way I have been able to contribute, I’d like to contribute more so it can reflect on the team’s record and we can have more wins,” said Fuller, who is majoring in communication. “For the rest of this season, I would like to win the rest of our games so we can make it to the CCAA tourney. For my senior season, I’d like to make it to the NCAA tournament and be recognized nationally as one of the top players.”

After playing his high school ball at both West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida, and Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley, he spent three years at the University of North Texas, including a redshirt year.

Fuller arrived on campus at CSUSM in 2018 and has already left an indelible mark with his hard work on the court and constant smile walking through the athletic department. For Fuller, it was an easy decision to finish his career at CSUSM.

“I did consider other schools, but the coaches didn’t understand me the way Coach Foster did,” said Fuller, who is part Peruvian. “He understood that it wasn’t just about my mom and being closer to her during rough times, but rather about becoming a better man. Coach made it very easy for me by helping me with the things I needed.”

Fuller’s dad was his best friend. So watching his body succumb to cancer and the effects of chemotherapy left Fuller with a black hole-sized emptiness inside. That void was filled by his grandfather, who was too old for chemotherapy and died shortly after his diagnosis.

With the loss of two of the most important people in his life before the age of 22, Fuller has relied on not only his inner strength, but a strong support system of his mom, coaches and teammates.

“Although they have only known each other for a few months now, Khalil is pretty close with many of his teammates,” Foster said. “You’ll catch them hanging out off the court as well, which in turn helps Khalil and the team all together. Khalil is also very close with his mother and his brother Kyle Fuller (currently a pro in Brazil). They talk daily and his mother attends many of his home games and the local SoCal games.”

If leadership is an important trait in an athlete, perhaps Fuller’s greatest contribution to CSUSM is not how many times he puts the ball through the basket. Instead, what he has brought in less than a full year on campus is the portrait of a young man who is a shining example of grace under pressure. Of overcoming adversity by living life as an inspiration to others.

A comeback story that goes beyond wins and losses.

“I feel like I’m very strong because I’ve had to deal with all the tragedy that I have,” Fuller said. “My outlook on life is less about positivity and more about happiness, which comes off as positivity. After I lost my Dad, I was sad for years and I didn’t like the person I saw in the mirror so I had to change in order to keep living.”

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

From those humble beginnings, CSUSM athletics was launched in 1998, and the school is now celebrating the 20th anniversary of intercollegiate athletics.

So CSUSM is throwing a party, and why not? From unearthing items from a chicken ranch to earning NCAA Division II status, the Cougars have plenty to celebrate.

CSUSM opened its doors in 1990, but it wasn't until 1998 that the Cougars launched six sports: men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country and men's and women's track and field. Following those sports was the birth of baseball, softball and men's and women's soccer in 2006. The growth continued in 2010 with men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball, bringing the total number of programs bleeding Cougars blue to 13.

"When I first started, the general student population didn't even know we had sports,'' said Jennifer Milo, the university’s Director of Athletics. "Now I get asked about sports from students that aren't even student-athletes. They chose CSUSM because we had a full lineup of sports they could support. That shows the growth and impact that we have had and what intercollegiate athletics can mean to a university.''

But by no means was the Cougars' path to Division II status a smooth road. After first hatching the idea to become a NCAA Division II member in 2004, the Cougars didn’t get the go-ahead to enter the membership process until 10 years later. 

"It is a significant achievement to join the NCAA and a victory for our entire community," CSUSM President Karen Haynes said at the time.

Not until 2016 was CSUSM’s provisional membership approved, the final stage of a three-year process for status in NCAA Division II. The Cougars still couldn't compete in the playoffs. But it was another win for CSUSM as it checked off the boxes of benchmarks and requirements to join higher education's most prestigious athletic institution.

"The move to the NCAA provides the best possible experience for our student-athletes, while securing the long-term future of CSUSM athletics and aligning our university with the most recognized brand in college sports,'' Haynes said at a campus ceremony last fall.

CSUSM students have voiced their support by twice voting to expand athletics by increasing student fees to assist with funding the department.

"The support we have received from CSUSM students has been amazing,'' Milo said. "It's clear our students want a robust athletic department."

Everyone likes hanging with winners, and that was what the Cougars were in their first official year. They finished fourth in the standings for the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner's Cup, which tabulates the highest aggregate ranking in eight of the conference's 13 sports.

Among the highlights of the university’s inaugural year in Division II, women's cross country finished eighth in the national meet, the women's golf team won the school's first CCAA title, Natalie Rodriguez placed at nationals in both cross country and track and field (third and fifth, respectively). Volleyball coach Andrea Leonard and men's and women's golf coach Greg Hutton earned CCAA Coach of the Year honors. The Cougars had four additional CCAA top-five finishes in volleyball, men's cross country, men's basketball and women's soccer. And a conference-high 41 CSUSM student-athletes were named to the CCAA All-Academic team for the spring semester.

Before CSUSM athletics' recent success, however, came a lot of hard work to lay a strong and successful foundation. One individual, Ron Pulvers, was instrumental in helping launch the men's and women's soccer programs from scratch in 2006. At the time, the school had a soccer field on campus, which was a luxury compared to other sports. The baseball team, coached by Dennis Pugh, and the softball program, led by Milo, played mostly road games and called local high schools home.

"All that was here was the Mangrum Track and a soccer field,'' Pulvers said. "I remember going down there and pacing it off to see if we had enough room for a soccer field. We did, so that was the game-changer for me.''

Steve Nichols, who preceded Milo as athletic director; Steve Scott, the longtime coach of the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field programs; and the late Debbie Dale, a former assistant AD, were the guiding lights of the fledging athletic department in early 2000s. Nichols has returned to his role as a political science professor, while Scott retired in April after a 19-season run.

But the work that trio produced lapped other colleges with twice as many people. It was that grit and get-it-done attitude that was evident then and remains prevalent today.

"Our department has come a long way because the administration has worked really hard and held themselves to a high level of excellence,'' said Leonard, the women's volleyball coach since 2010. "They never took the short cut and did everything the right way with flying colors.''

That's no accident because of the TRACS program, the CSUSM athletics culture and value system. About four years ago, when the Cougars started the process of moving from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to the NCAA, Milo brought together the administration and coaches to introduce them to the TRACS acronym: Trust, Respect, Attitude, Communication and Support.

"She had this great vision, and everyone had to be on the same page to buy in, in order to succeed at a higher level,” Leonard said. “And we did.''

The bottom line was the type of student-athletes the coaches were told to recruit. At some schools, the “student” part of the equation is an afterthought -- not so at CSUSM. That was important to both Haynes and Milo in their quest to see academics and athletics be a source of pride to those associated with the university.

"We sought people that wanted strong academics and had high character,'' Leonard said. "We set our expectations high, and that was hard to do. We were trying to get the athletes that weren't swayed by the bright lights of a big city and D-I scholarships, but someone that wanted to be part of something special and build history."

That beats searching for a place to play, something Leonard and other Cougars coaches had to wrestle with in the program's early days. Women's volleyball set up shop at Escondido and Pacific Ridge high schools, and any other community gym with an open floor. Catching a Cougars basketball game often meant a trek to MiraCosta College.

That's all in the past now, since the grand opening in 2016 of the Cougars' new on-campus home, The Sports Center. It's primed for its third season of showcasing the best of what the Cougars have to offer.

"That was neat to travel around, but our games didn't really have a college feel,'' Leonard said. "People would see us come in and say, 'Who is this?’”

"Now those schools and their club teams are coming to our gym and watching us play. They get the feel now of college sports, and it's really transformative.''

It's unlikely that those spectators know they are in the shadow of a plowed-over chicken ranch. Instead, they love clucking for their Cougars and wondering where this motivated athletic program will ascend next. While things are going along swimmingly, Milo isn't resting.

"If someone wants to donate funds for an aquatic center, we could have aquatic teams,'' Milo said. "I'm not the type to sit back and rest after doing the hard work. Hopefully, with increased enrollment, all of our teams will have the proper resources to compete for national championships.''

Now the Cougars are charting their course for the following two decades.

"I think in the next 20 years, this place is going to continue to grow and prosper,'' Pulvers said. "The department of athletics is growing every day, and it's a credit to our administration, which is very forward-thinking.''

When pondering the impressive past, one does so with the knowledge that converting a chicken ranch into an athletic field was anything but a fowl idea.

"The university's dedication to the student-athlete experience hasn't changed since day one,'' Pulvers said. "And those student-athletes get to experience it in one of the most beautiful places in the world.''

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“He jumped in and ran with me,” Natalie Rodriguez said, “then he started going pretty fast. He still has it and he still loves to run.”

The only cross country and track and field coach in CSUSM’s history, Scott stepped down at the end of the spring season after nearly two decades at the helm of the Cougars.

“I feel honored to have had him as a coach,” Rodriguez said. “He doesn't act like he was a superstar back in the day.”

There was a time when Rodriguez didn’t know much about Scott’s résumé. But it wasn’t long before she learned about the Great Scott.

Learned that he was a two-time Olympian – and would have been a three-time Olympian had the United States not boycotted the 1980 Games. Learned that he held the American mile indoor mark (3 minutes, 47.69 seconds) for 26 years. Learned that he ran an unprecedented 136 sub-four-minute miles. Learned that he is a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame.

“When I researched him I was amazed at what he had accomplished,” Rodriguez said. “I’m so lucky to have had him as a coach and a mentor.”

Luck? The Cougars got a big dose of it when Scott agreed to come aboard.

Inauspicious beginning

The christening of CSUSM’s Mangrum Track and Soccer Field in 1999 was a big deal. Longtime Cougars supporter Bob Mangrum wanted his running hero, Scott, to preside over the opening ceremonies. Scott was all in, although he wasn’t sure where CSUSM was located.

“I thought it was across the 78 freeway from where San Marcos City Hall is,” Scott said with a laugh. “The only buildings on campus then I think were Craven Hall and the University Commons.”

There were few cellphones back in 1999 and when Scott's ride was late to the track’s ground breaking, Scott didn’t make it to the ceremony.

“When I said I would do it I had no idea what Cal State San Marcos was or where it was,” Scott said. “And when it became clear I couldn’t make it, I couldn’t call anyone because they were already out on the track.”

An embarrassed Scott finally reached someone at CSUSM with a mighty mea culpa. But Scott’s rare misstep turned into a stroke of good fortune for CSUSM.

Scott wanted to make things right so he went to Mangrum’s Valley Center home, where they enjoyed grub and a run. Mangrum revealed that the Cougars were starting a track and cross country program and, oh by the way, would Scott know of any coaching candidates?

Scott’s right arm shot up so fast it’s a wonder he didn't dislocate his shoulder.

“Yeah, me,” Scott said.

With his racing career in the rear-view mirror, the rat race wasn’t agreeing with Scott. He was selling sponsorships for the Carlsbad 5K, an event he co-founded, and hawking nutritional goods.

“I was miserable,” Scott said. “I needed something I could be passionate about, like I was with my running. So when he asked about finding a coach, it was the answer to my prayers.”

One of a kind

There were few runners like Scott. After graduating from Upland High School, about 90 miles north of CSUSM, he ran for UC Irvine before embarking on a running career that few equaled.

Scott set the American indoor and outdoor records in the mile and the indoor standard at 2,000 meters. Track and Field News had Scott ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in 10 different years.

There are scads more eye-popping marks and milestones. Scott even established the world record of playing a round of speed golf, scoring a 95 on 18 holes in under 30 minutes.

Some would like to hear more tales of Scott’s running dominance, but he isn’t one to boast.

“He’s a very humble man and he does not brag about what he did,” CSUSM runner Lisa Flora said. “We have to pry it out of him.”

Greatness as an athlete doesn’t always translate into being a top-flight coach. Often those who have performed at the highest level don’t have patience to teach someone not up to those standards.

Then there is Scott.

“At the beginning of the season he always reminded us that he is happy as long as we are happy,” Flora said. “And to make him happy, you don’t have to be fastest on the team. As long as you are doing your best and are a good teammate, he is happy. That was always his main objective.”

Lasting legacy

What will the next 20 years bring for the CSUSM cross country and track and field programs? Scott sees only positive visions.

The school successfully made the transition to NCAA Division II, and Scott said few universities offer what CSUSM does.

“It’s got tremendous potential,” he said. “I could see this school being a dominant force in all of the California Collegiate Athletic Association sports because of the size of the school and our location, close to the ocean. It pretty much has everything, and other schools pale in comparison. Plus, we can start tapping into our graduates and have them support their alma mater.”

Any time CSUSM Athletic Director Jennifer Milo needed a voice to spread the word on CSUSM, Scott was always available.

“He was the first one to say ‘yes’ if asked to go speak to a group or do an event or clinic with youngsters,” Milo said. “He always lent a hand. That’s what is special about Steve and who he is as a person.”

This being school, everyone gets a report card. When Scott’s evaluations landed on Milo’s desk, she knew the scores before opening the folder.

“The student-athletes all say how much Coach Scott cares about them,” Milo said. “To Steve, it’s not just about how fast they run or how many miles they run. It’s how they are as people and how they are developing in college and working toward that degree and getting that job once they graduate.”

After two decades, Scott is moving on to the next chapter of his life, but the Cougars are the better for his time at CSUSM.

“I hate to lose Steve’s leadership in our department, but he has built his legacy and is leaving here having accomplished everything and more than he could have hoped for,” Milo said. “His student-athletes are better people because they had Steve Scott in their life.”

“We used to throw him a pillow and put him up in the luggage rack when he was a kid with his brother,” said his father, Ben Foster. “There were times my wife pulled several of the players aside and told them to watch those two. She was worried I would be thinking of a game situation and forget they were there.”

As Father's Day approaches, it’s hard not to remember the good times B.J. had his with his father, a longtime Point Loma Nazarene University basketball coach. There were bus trips, getting ribbed by players and more importantly, getting a chance to hang with pops. After being exposed to the ups and downs of being a basketball coach through his dad, the ball didn’t fall far from the rim.

“I always did know that I was going to coach because I just loved the game from a young age,” said B.J., who recently finished his second season as the Cougars’ head coach and fifth with the school. “I used to go and travel with his teams when I was a little guy and get to sit on the bench when he was coaching. By just being around the game my entire life, it becomes a big part of your life.”

Basketball was never far from B.J.’s every waking moment. If he wasn’t thinking about it, he was playing it. If he wasn’t playing it, he was thinking about it. And when digging into supper each night, guess what the conversation d’jour was?

“In junior high, high school, really the whole time the topic of conversation over the dinner table was basketball,” Ben said. “Then he would go out and watch other games with me. It was just a big part of our life.”

The Point Loma contests were bigger than life for the young Foster. He father retired in 1992, after serving as the head coach for 17 years and an assistant for six.

“It was a lot of fun because when you were a kid the players didn’t look any different than if they were in the NBA or in a small college,” B.J. said. “They were all giants to me. But what I really remember was the intensity of the game and how passionate the people were that were playing.”

Maybe because it leaked down from their self-described “old-school coach.” The elder Foster was into it and so were his charges.

“You could see how passionate he was about it because he really cared a lot,” B.J. said. “His teams were always disciplined and really deliberate in going out there and playing really hard.”

B.J., who played at Point Loma before starting his coaching career, displayed an edge, too. Although as a tyke his big moment came at halftime when Ben and squad were in the locker room.

“I just wanted it to get to halftime so I could go out there and shoot,” B.J. said.

And if Ben delayed his son’s opportunity to shine, he often got a stink eye from his kid.

“Any time he called time out right before the half, it just would drive me crazy,” B.J. said.

What brings a smile then, and now, to both Fosters is talking about the coaching benefits that don’t reveal themselves on a bank statement. It’s those relationships that are nurtured over years -- and sometimes tough times -- that brings with them joy.

“Let me tell you, only in education and coaching does that happen,” Ben, 71, said. “In coaching, feedback doesn’t usually come until later in life. I have former players call me or come by all the time and that is very neat and very rewarding. That is what is so special is the idea that you really get to interact with young people and hopefully point them in the right direction.”

B.J. took note of his father’s moral compass and how his players’ compass always pointed in a similar direction.

“So many former players would come back at homecoming or come by the same house that they have lived in since I was little kid, right next to the campus, to see him,” B.J. said. “Players from 10, 15, 20 years ago, from different eras, they would want to bring their family back to meet him. Those players that came back to see him really made an impression on me on how a program should be run. He was trying to influence the players and make a difference in their life, and that always stood out.”

B.J. shares some strategic coaching philosophies with his father, but it was his bond with his players that was undefeated.

“Those are the things that stick out and that is how you want your players to feel,” B.J. said. “Like they have a home and a support system for their life, and that is what we are trying to do here. It’s in the realm of teaching, caring about your players and hoping you can set them up to have a great future.”

When thinking of the past, both Fosters mention how blessed they’ve been. To share not only a father-son relationship but one that includes basketball. Although with their roles reversed -- with Ben watching and B.J. coaching -- the games are just as nerve-wracking.

“It is a little harder than when he was playing,” Ben said. “He was a pretty good player, a smart player, and it felt like he had a better control of a game than now when he’s coaching. I do probably struggle with it a little bit more now because I know when you’re coaching, you’re pretty much helpless.”

Helping others, and their love of basketball, is a trait these men share.

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Public Affairs Specialist

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

“I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I did,” said Jackson, a Cal State San Marcos track and field coach. “When I got into the stadium, I walked around the corner toward the ring and we made eye contact. He gave me a nod.”

The reassuring bop of Ndoto Strong’s noggin was all Jackson needed.

“I never want to let my coach or my team down,” said Strong, a CSUSM junior.

What came next on Strong’s final throw didn’t surprise Jackson at the recent Aztec Invitational, which was spread over two San Diego college campuses.

“There is never a doubt he is going to do what he needs to do,” Jackson said, “because he puts in the work.”

The 6-foot-5, 284-pound Strong flexed his considerable muscles and heaved the shot put 16.75 meters to set a CSUSM standard. It also gave Strong his third NCAA provisional qualifying mark of the season as he continues to rewrite the Cougars’ record book for throws.

Strong already owns the school’s top discus mark at 47.57 meters.

“He’s also a beast in the weight room,” Jackson said. “If we kept a record book in there, he would have destroyed it.”

One glance at the menacing Strong brings with it two reactions: he’s big enough to block out the sun and built in a manner that causes college football coaches to salivate.

“I played football in high school but I tore up my ACL,” Strong said of a knee ligament. “So I didn’t want to play anymore.”

Instead he turned to track and field after growing up in rural Washington. It was on a farm where his family raised llamas that Strong learned the meaning of hard work and hard knocks.

While Strong was a standout in sports he struggled in the classroom. A learning disorder meant he had to read book passages “three or four times,” he said, before comprehending the subject.

“It’s hard, not easy,” said Strong, whose disarming smile is as welcoming as it is bright.

With his academic challenges, classmates often looked at Strong askew. And when they saw his special-needs sister, the blowback couldn’t be ignored.

What they didn’t know was a cherished lesson the wise Strong learned early.

“If you have a family member that has a disability, that can actually make you a better person,” Strong said. “It can make you more compassionate toward people. It can make you relate to people and their feelings.”

Strong, who like his sister was adopted, could hear and sense the ridicule behind his back and it never left him. Now he’s involved with San Diego Sibshop, a support group for siblings of those with disabilities.

“I didn’t have anyone to talk to and just kept it bottled up,” Strong said. “This group is a great idea to help these kids. I don't want them to lash out at people and cause more problems for the family. I can be their teacher.”

Strong, a psychology major, also tells of wrestling with academics, needing to assert twice the effort to produce similar results to other students. Instead of rolling around in pity, Strong rolled up his sleeves.

“That is what is most impressive about him,” Jackson said. “He has to put in so much extra time to maintain his athletic eligibility.

“He works with a mentor and has a definite regimen he follows when he does his homework and studies. There is a lot of work he does behind the scenes so he is able to be in athletics.”

Strong’s relationship with Jackson has a foundation. After Strong moved to California he enrolled at San Diego Mesa College. Eager to continue in sports, minus football, he went out for track and field where he met Jackson.

When Strong heaved the shot put for Jackson, it was clear he had potential. When putting air under a discus, it was clear Strong had no clue.

Enter Jackson’s plan for action: Strong competes in both throwing events, although he had thrown a Frisbee disc more than a discus.

“I taught him the discus from scratch, which at the college level is unheard of,” Jackson said. “It took a long time and he was coming off a pretty severe knee injury. It was difficult, to say the least. But he put in the work and it could end up being the better of his two events. He is really close to a big throw.”

Everyone is close to Strong. He’s a motivator for teammates. He serves as an inspiration to classmates. He contributes to the community by leading youngsters facing challenges similar to his.

“No one should be judged just because of the way they look or act,” Strong said. “I always tell them that I will be there for you no matter what.”

He’s a rock, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. Jackson left San Diego Mesa after Strong received his two-year diploma, but not before presenting Strong as a role model.

“He’s the first one here and the last one to leave, but more than anything else he cares about his teammates,” Jackson said. “He’s a special kid in so many aspects of his life in that he’s overcome a lot to get where he’s at. But you never hear him complain because he is just a positive guy.”

Jackson was certain he had seen the last of Strong after their parting at San Diego Mesa. CSUSM head coach Steve Scott asked Jackson to join the Cougars’ staff and Strong was bound for Western State College in Colorado.

Then word came that Strong was shy a class to transfer. In an academic mix-up not of his own doing, Strong’s admission to Western State was rescinded.

Jackson got wind of that and pounced in the name of CSUSM.

“When I heard he was available I didn’t hesitate contacting him because he is definitely one of my favorite athletes that I had ever coached,” Jackson said. “When he left San Diego Mesa I gave a speech about him because he lives and dies for his teammates.”

Strong shows his strength in many ways. His love and caring of those around him equals what he displays by tossing shot puts, discuses or hoisting weights others can’t budge.

“For me, it’s all about the team and doing my job,” Strong said.

In and out of the throwing ring, it’s a job well done.

Media Contact

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"And it looks good with the blue turf,'' CSUSM basketball player Ethan Alvano said. 

Cal State San Marcos’ newest fitness facility -- powered by Aire-brand equipment, weights and training ropes -- has blossomed behind the M. Gordon Clarke Field House. A converted shipping crate is serving CSUSM students and athletes with a one-stop, outdoor tarp-covered strength and conditioning area that comes with a cushioned surface and a killer view looking west.  

It has quickly become a place to see and be seen. 

"You know how there is a Muscle Beach up in Venice?'' Erik Blekeberg said. "This is our beach.'' 

Well, if it's a beach then Blekeberg is its lifeguard. Blekeberg, who is in his second year as the CSUSM Sports Performance coach, recalls what was used before the center’s arrival. 

"It was this small, little Home Depot storage shed that you would have for a couple lawn mowers in the backyard,'' Blekeberg said. 

CSUSM student-athletes wanting to be a cut above also toiled under an unrelenting sun. But a canopy now shelters them from the elements. 

"It's exciting because you have this space which has everything,'' Alvano said. 

Blekeberg said the ability to organize workouts and have them in a confined, but comfortable, setting is essential when overseeing 13 Cougars squads. 

"It makes for a better way to organize the teams and manage them more efficiently,'' Blekeberg said. “There is little transition time from the start of the workout to going to work on turf, or on speed, or on jumping. Everything is just more efficient and you get more work and you get better.'' 

Blekeberg, who also teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II at CSUSM, tailors workouts to the skill set of the athletes on the particular teams. It's his way of improving their play as he serves as a coach, albeit one who is concentrating on bodies and fitness and not techniques. 

"I can't teach somebody how to pitch or how to shoot a jump shot,'' Blekeberg said. “But if a coach comes to me and says, 'We're slow,' I can make them faster. If a coach says, 'My team doesn't jump well,' we can make them more powerful. 

"Then I get a kick out of seeing their improvement. It validates my work.'' 

Blekeberg didn't play sports while a student at nearby San Dieguito Academy. He liked video games and was "a nerd that wasn't necessarily the most gifted athlete.'' 

But he enjoyed the weight room, where he would work on building up different parts of his body. Now he does it for the Cougars' teams. 

"Let's say you want to get better at basketball,'' he said. “Well, if you can improve your jumping, then you can improve your basketball. That's how I look at it.'' 

Said Alvano: "It's awesome. And it's just another thing going on with San Marcos athletics. It's an exciting time right now.'' 

Flora has continued her rise among Cal State San Marcos runners during the 2017 women’s cross country season.

But Flora also has a bright future in law enforcement. Along with her recent running times, it makes for some interesting conversations.

"Everyone tells me I can chase down the bad guys,'' Flora said.

Not a bad line -- and good luck turning your legs over faster than Flora, a CSUSM junior who graduated from nearby Escondido High School. Among Flora’s accomplishments during the season have been personal bests in the 6K (20 minutes, 55.3 seconds) and 5K (17:38.2).

"She is an amazing person and an amazing leader,'' CSUSM coach Steve Scott said. “She’s someone who’s going to be a major contributor in our society.”

Flora helped the women’s cross country team finish second at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships on Oct. 21. Flora finished fifth overall to earn All-CCAA honors. Flora and the Cougars will be looking for similar results this weekend at the NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships in Oregon.

Dig into Flora's background and it hasn't all been early finishes and post-race smiles. Her path to forming a potent 1-2 punch with teammate Natalie Rodriguez wasn't one big downhill trek.

After high school, Flora remained a Cougar – from the Escondido High Cougars to the CSUSM Cougars – but her knee started to growl. Instead of hitting the college campus at full speed, Flora had to put on the brakes. The pain in her lower knee meant couch time instead of fast times when she started at CSUSM.

“It was from overuse,” she said. “I didn't run for a year.”

That didn't sit well with the active Flora.

"It was probably one of the hardest things I ever had to go though,'' she said. “It was kind of my mind-set that I knew myself as a runner. And I kind of lost myself for a little bit and it took some time to find my groove. I was at a new school, with different classes.”

No different than her classroom work, Flora crushed her rehabilitation. Working with CSUSM trainer Michelle Hamilton, they rebuilt Flora’s knee and kicked away any doubts. A new-and-improved Flora was fit physically and mentally.

Her distances gradually increased, and it was accompanied by gratitude. The memories of those long days of not being able to run were never far.

“When I race, that's one of the things that I think about,'' Flora said. “Or if I'm going through a hard workout or having a hard time, I always think about being injured and it gets me through.”

While Flora’s knee injury may have caused doubt for some coaches, Scott wasn’t one of them.

"She took an enormous time off, but I knew she was a great athlete,'' Scott said. “Her progression has just been amazing as she is exponentially better every season.

“She is exceeding my expectations. She is blowing me away.”

Flora is studying criminal justice and was recently named again to the California Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic list. She has participated in ride-alongs with the Escondido Police Department's Explorer program and she wants to become a detective.

“It’s not an easy job, it's a stressful one,'' Flora said. “But it's one where people thank you for the work that you do.”

Crash the Cougar surprised the crowd when the new mascot took to the court following the team introductions during the late-night pep rally that kicked off the basketball season.

“We are excited to embrace our new Crash and continue campus tradition, while also bringing in a new look and feel that aligns with our Cougar spirit logo and the NCAA brand,” said Athletics Director Jennifer Milo.

Crash was first brought to life by Associated Students, Inc. in 2004 with a student vote and has served CSUSM as the campus life mascot for 13 years. With the inaugural season as a full NCAA member, CSUSM officially moved Crash within Cougar Athletics. As part of that transition, students were consulted to create a design that embodies the athletics brand, unifies fan support and elevates the athleticism of the mascot.

“As important representatives of universities, mascots provide energy to athletic games as fierce but friendly competitors and champions for their teams,” said Ashley Eszlinger, CSUSM’s spirit programs coordinator.

Some fun facts about the new Crash mascot include:

• Crash is now spirit blue and resembles the Cougar Athletics logo
• Crash’s more proportionate body allows for tumbling maneuvers
• The suit was custom made for CSUSM by Alinco, a renowned design agency responsible for many NBA, NHL and NCAA DI schools’ mascots
• Crash remains gender non-conforming to represent all students

The public celebration, held at the start of the fall semester during CSUSM’s Weeks of Welcome, followed the official announcement that came from the NCAA earlier this summer, achieving what was a 10-year goal for the University.

Hundreds of Cougar fans joined Athletics for the festivities, with food, music and giveaways, as well as an official program inside the Sports Center. Performances from the spirit squads – CSUSM Dance and Cheer teams – entertained the crowd. The event concluded with a dramatic reveal of the new NCAA and CCAA conference logos, now proudly displayed on The Sports Center court.

“We have been living the NCAA DII platform for many years now,” Athletics Director Jennifer Milo said. “For years, our student-athletes have been successful in the classroom, on the playing field and in the community and our coaches have been leaders in their fields. We have built a strong foundation for success and today we finally receive the recognition of the NCAA and the CCAA Conference.”

Completing the transition means CSUSM teams are eligible for Division II postseason play beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. Schools aren’t eligible for the postseason during the transition process. For the 2016-17 academic year, 10 of CSUSM’s 13 teams would have made the postseason had the University been eligible.

The move to Division II also allowed CSUSM to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), which has been the nation’s most successful Division II conference since its establishment in December 1938. Twelve of the CCAA’s 13 members are in the California State University system; the only non-CSU school is UC San Diego.

“The move to the NCAA is providing the best possible experience for our student-athletes, while securing the long-term future of CSUSM athletics and aligning our university with the most recognized brand in college sports,” President Haynes said at the ceremony. “Thank you to all for helping us reach this point and for helping the University create history once again.”

Following the celebration, fans and student-athletes made their way down to the CSUSM soccer field, nicknamed The Cage, where men’s and women’s soccer both took home their first, official NCAA wins against fellow NCAA DII newcomer, Concordia University Irvine.

Back then, the athletics department was housed in three small rooms in Craven Hall. The department had two coaches for its six teams – men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s and women’s golf.

Times have certainly changed.

Today, CSUSM has 13 teams and more than 300 student-athletes. The University’s facilities have grown to include a track, baseball and softball fields and, most recently, the state-of-the-art Sports Center, home to men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.

The athletics department celebrated another important milestone on July 14 as CSUSM President Karen Haynes and Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo received confirmation from the NCAA that the University is now a full-fledged Division II member after successfully completing a three-year transition period.

“This move benefits our athletics program on multiple levels,” Haynes said. “During the transition to Division II, we have been establishing exciting rivalries with regional universities, our student-athletes have been able to spend more time in the classroom thanks to reduced travel time, and our University is better aligned athletically with schools of similar size and stature. This is another great day for the University and our athletics program.”

Completing the transition means CSUSM teams are eligible for Division II postseason play beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. Schools aren’t eligible for the postseason during the transition process. For the 2016-17 academic year, 10 of CSUSM’s 13 teams would have made the postseason had the University been eligible.

Though the transition period was technically three years, this was a move was more than 10 years in the making as CSUSM has long worked to position itself for a move from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to NCAA Division II.

As an NAIA member, CSUSM joined the Association of Independent Institutions in 2008-09, a nationwide conference comprised of independent squads from across the country. While CSUSM enjoyed great success competing at the NAIA level, it was never a natural fit for the University. While most NAIA schools are smaller, religious institutions, CSUSM is a larger public university enjoying continued enrollment growth every year. The move to NCAA Division II allows CSUSM to compete against institutions of similar size while creating natural regional rivalries.

The move to Division II also allowed CSUSM to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), which has been the nation’s most successful Division II conference since its establishment in December 1938. CCAA members have won 153 NCAA championships (102 men, 51 women), more than any other Division II conference.

Twelve of the CCAA’s 13 members are in the California State University system; the only non-CSU school is UC San Diego.

Division II emphasizes excellence in the classroom as well as in competition, which aligns with CSUSM’s mission to put the student first in “student-athlete.” In fact, 67 percent of CSUSM’s student-athletes had a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher last year, the best mark in department history.

"Our student-athletes are students, first and foremost," Milo said. "The NCAA Division II philosophy reinforces this. The move to Division II is directly in line with our department’s mission and values. We want our student-athletes to graduate and develop into well-rounded individuals who will be successful beyond their life on the playing field.”

The athletics department will host a public celebration for students, faculty, staff and the community at noon on Aug. 31 at The Sports Center to mark CSUSM’s milestone of completing the transition to NCAA membership.

Visit csusmcougars.com to learn more about Cougars athletics.

A Timeline of CSUSM’s Department of Athletics

1989: CSUSM founded
1998: Individual sports initiated (men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s track and field)
1998: Groundbreaking on Mangrum Track and Soccer Field
2003: Completion of M. Gordon Clarke Field House/University Student Union
2004: Dr. Karen S. Haynes named president of CSUSM
2006: Athletics adds baseball, softball and men’s and women’s soccer
2009: Senior Woman’s Administrator and Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance and Student Services appointed
2009: Student-Athlete Advisory Council created
2010: Softball field completed
2010: Student Fee Referendum passed to expand athletics department by adding men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, cheer, scholarships and support staff
2011: Baseball field completed
2012: Jennifer Milo appointed Director of Athletics
2014: Application submitted for NCAA membership on Feb. 1
2015: Successful completion of NCAA DII Candidacy Year 1
2016: Successful completion of NCAA DII Candidacy Year 2
2016: Grand opening of The Sports Center on Sept. 1
2017: Successful completion of NCAA DII Provisional Year