Five earn induction to D2 track hall of fame

Five student-athletes who left indelible marks on Division II Track and Field were inducted into the USTFCCCA Division II Track and Field Athlete Hall of Fame May 21st at Cal Poly Pomona during the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Four of the five made their marks while competing at California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) institutions.

Between the five athletes, the accolades stand second to none.  Combined they have won 16 national championships and earned 44 All-American honors.  Nicole Duncan, formerly of Cal State Los Angeles, is the most decorated of the group as an 11-time national champion and 18-time All-American.  The four other athletes to be enshrined are Geoffrey Bradshaw (Cal State Stanislaus), Tabreshia Lawrence (Cal Poly Pomona), Tommy “Tiny” Lister (Cal State Los Angeles), and Elena Swan (University of South Dakota).

The Division II Track and Field Athlete Hall of Fame inductees are selected by the Division II Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame Committee.  Since 1996, a total of 61 student-athletes have been honored by the Division II Track and Field Athlete Hall of Fame.

The 2008 USTFCCCA Division II Track and Field Athlete Hall of Fame Inductees:

Geoffrey Bradshaw, Cal State Stanislaus

During his tenure as a Warrior, Bradshaw was a two-time All-American and an 11-time All-CCAA Conference performer.  He was the 1994 Division II National Champion in the decathlon, helping the Warriors to their best team finish at the national championships.  That same year, he set a new Division II decathlon record in the javelin, tossing the spear 198’11”.  Bradshaw still holds the school record in the javelin and is currently in the NCAA Division II top ten in the event.  Bradshaw is currently the head coach of Cal State Stanislaus.

Nicole Duncan, Cal State Los Angeles

For three years, Duncan starred at Cal State L.A. becoming only the fourth athlete, regardless of gender, to win the NCAA Championship in the 100-meters, 200-meters and the long jump in the same year (2002).  Her feat also tied her for the most individual titles by a women’s athlete in Division II.  Duncan left Cal State L.A. as the most decorated athlete in school history as she finished her career with 11 national titles (eight in Division II, three in NAIA) and 18 All-American awards (14 in Division II and four in NAIA).  In 2002 Duncan was named the NCAA Division II Collegiate Women of the Year and was presented with the prestigious Honda Award at the national convention in Dallas, Texas.

Tabreshia Lawrence, Cal Poly Pomona

A Rialto, California native, Lawrence was an eight-time All-American for Cal Poly Pomona.  She was the 1998 National Champion in the 400-meter hurdles, running 58.95s, which is still the school record in that event.  She was named the 1998 California Collegiate Athletic Association track and field tri-athlete of the year and 1997 CCAA track and field co-athlete of the year.

Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Cal State Los Angeles

Known more for his successes off the track than on, Cal State L.A.’s Tommy Lister has been a beacon of light for the Golden Eagles program well after he left his impression on the squad over 20 years ago.  In 1982 Lister won the NCAA National Championship in the shot put becoming the first student-athlete in the program’s history to record a throw over the sixty-foot barrier.  His record toss of 61’8″ stood for 15 years.  Lister improved his personal best in 1983 to 64’3″ with the Converse Track Club but gave up track and field to pursue a career in professional football.  When that didn’t pan out, Lister tried his hand in acting, a career change that has served him well.  Lister became well-known in the entertainment world starring in over 90 films over a 20-year span.  Lister was also once known as “Zeus”, a professional wrestler whose rival was in the ring Hulk Hogan.  Tommy Lister and his wife Felicia minister across the country, reaching out to trouble youth and sharing his story in churches and in schools.

Elena Swan, University of South Dakota

Swan was a 15-time All-American for South Dakota, winning the 1998 National Championships in both the long jump and triple jump.  That year she scored 22 of 43 points to help lead South Dakota to a runner-up finish at the 1998 indoor national championship.  She won 13 individual North Central Conference titles and holds four South Dakota school records.  She was named the 1997 Regional Athlete of the Year.  An educator for many years, Swan currently works as an Educational Consultant for San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

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