The long, varied, and outstanding history of Wildcats was on full display at the Chico State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018 ceremony on Sept. 22 at the Bell Memorial Union on campus.
Five different decades, six sports, and eight athletes made up the class of 2018.
Nick Bryant, David Burton, Leondra May Dodge, Art Hickey, Kristi Johnson, Mark C. Lord, John Oldemeyer, and Jami "JR" Roberts were all inducted, and another acclaimed Wildcat, Mark Reischling, received the Mac Martin Award.
The 1973–76 men's swimming teams—which claimed all four of the program's NCAA titles in the four-year stretch—were also celebrated during the ceremony. Hickey and Lord contributed to those squads that earned 20 of the program's 40 all-time NCAA champions.
The eight inductees spoke of the tremendous impact Chico State athletics had on their lives.
"Baseball was always my passion, and Chico State helped me to take that to the next level," said Bryant, who pitched for the baseball team from 2004–07. "The team experience and friendships that were built are unforgettable and will have a lasting impression on my life."
A track & field standout from 1996–97, Burton fondly remembers his days as a member of the Wildcat family.
"And that's what Chico track means to me—love and friendship as strong as family," he said. "It's about friendships that goes past the teen superficial layer and reaches down to your true self. It's discovering who you are with another hundred people who care deeply about each other … because we are all the same."
Lord, who won national titles individually in the breaststroke as part of the men's swimming team in 1975–76, called Chico State "some of his best times in" his young life.
Members of the class also emphasized how much their time as a Wildcat continues to shape their lives today.
"Chico State was the foundation for my life to come. I learned that teamwork is an invaluable skill both on the field and off," said Roberts, a soccer standout in 1995 before dominating in softball from 1996–99. "My time at Chico State was some of the most favorite of my life. Not a day goes by that I don't use the life lessons and teamwork learned while playing ball at Chico State."
Johnson, a track & field standout in 1999–2000, echoed the sentiment.
"The education I received from Chico State was invaluable," she said. "I now work with professionals from universities, big and small, from around the world and smile to myself when I think what a valuable education I received. I'm proud to say I'm a Chico grad (my license-plate holder proves it) and will carry the fond memories and lessons with me wherever I go."
The Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018
Nick Bryant – Baseball, 2004–07
Anyone spying the team's pitching records is familiar with the right-hander who helped lead the Wildcats to three West Region titles and NCAA Division II Championship Finals berths as part of four trips to the NCAA Tournament. A 2006 Second Team All-American when he led the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship game, Bryant is one of seven players in program history to be a two-time First Team All-West Region selection. He's also one of 12 with a pair of First Team All-Conference selections.
Bryant still holds the program record for most strikeouts in a postseason both for a career with 44 and a single season with 24 in 2006.
The Wildcats won at least 42 games in each of his four seasons, and he was a combined 21-6 that included going 17-3 in his final two years as he made 34 starts.
His 2006 season, when he was 8-2 with a 2.41 earned-run average (ERA), placed him high in multiple categories among Wildcats. His 18 starts are the second-highest total for a single year, as are his 98 strikeouts while his 119.2 innings have him fourth.
Chico State went 177-73-2 in Bryant's four seasons with his career totals ranking high as well. He's second among Wildcats in strikeouts (266), second in appearances (72) while ranking third in innings pitched (304) and starts (40). His .778 winning percentage (21-6) is sixth as is his win total.
After working in Sacramento for five years, Bryant returned to his hometown of Durham in 2014 when he married his wife, Mandy. They have a young son, Nolan.
David Burton — Men's Track & Field, 1992–93
Burton brought home the NCAA title for the decathlon in 1993, a year after taking sixth in the nation in his first year with the Wildcats. A transfer from Cal State Northridge, Burton finished third in the nation to earn All-America honors in 1991 before coming to Chico State.
He was the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) Male Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 1992 to go with being a three-time conference champion. He was the 110-meter hurdles champion in 1992 with what was a school-record 14.55 seconds—a record that stood until 2013 and still ranks fourth in program history.
Burton earned his national title by rallying to win. He was in fifth place after the first day but spurred by an NCAA decathlon championship-record throw in the javelin—measuring at 195 feet, 5 inches—rocketed him past the competition.
He totaled a score of 7,102 points for the title, which was third in school history at the time. This was after he posted the top qualifying score with 6,891 points.
Leondra May Dodge — Women's Soccer, 1987–90
Dodge left an indelible mark on the program, becoming one of five First Team All-Americans in the program's history while she garnered two All-West Region selections and was a four-time all-conference choice.
Her time in a Chico State uniform were some of the best for the program. Dodge ranks sixth in program history with 22 career goals, seventh in career points with 59 and 10th in career assists with 15.
Dodge made a lasting impression her senior season in 1990, helping the Wildcats to their most victories and the best winning percentage in the history of the program. Chico State went 16-4-1 and finished the season ranked eighth in the nation as Dodge earned First Team All-Northern California Athletic Conference, First Team All-Region and First Team All-America honors.
Dodge died in 2016 after a battle with cancer.
Art Hickey — Men's Swimming, 1975–78
A three-time NCAA Champion, Hickey helped Chico State claim two NCAA team titles while becoming a 12-time All-America over his stellar career.
Hickey accounted for 95 points over his four seasons at the NCAA Championships. That total is good for eighth in program history. His 12 All-America finishes included nine as an individual and three coming in relay events.
All those top finishes had Chico State finishing third or better at the NCAAs as Hickey accounted for at least 20 points in each of the four NCAA Championships. The Wildcats claimed four Far Western Conference Championships as well during Hickey's time.
In 1975, Hickey won the NCAA Division III title for the 1,650-yard freestyle. At 17 years old, his age made him the youngest NCAA individual event champion across any sport, a distinction that lasted for 41 years. He remains one of three 17-year-olds to be an NCAA individual champion.
In 1978, Hickey capped his collegiate career by swimming the anchor leg for the winning 400-yard free and 800-free relay teams. In the 800 relay, Hickey swam the final 25 yards without taking a breath. That squad was the last Chico relay team to establish an NCAA record.
He is tied for sixth in the number of individual NCAA medals with eight and his nine individual All-America awards ties Hickey for seventh among Wildcats. He's also eighth in NCAA points scored and tied for eighth in total All-America awards.
At the end of his collegiate days, Hickey ranked second in the 500 free, 1,000 free, and 1,650 free.
Kristi Johnson — Women's Track & Field, 1999–2000
Johnson ensured her name would remain in the program's records for a long time with her throw in the javelin topping out at 148 feet, 3 inches. Her throw still stands at No. 1 after 19 years.
Johnson, whose program-record throw helped her take eighth and earn All-American honors at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1999.
Johnson was a four-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) athlete, and her heptathlon score ranked among the program's top 10 until 2010.
In 1999, she was second in both the javelin and the heptathlon at the CCAA Championships. She posted provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships in both events.
The next year, Johnson took top-six finishes in the heptathlon (second), javelin (third), and long jump (sixth). She again posted provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships in the javelin and the heptathlon.
Mark C. Lord — Men's Swimming, 1975–76 
Lord led the accomplished Wildcats' program as a two-time NCAA champion in the breaststroke, lifting the program to new heights in that discipline.
He also helped the Wildcats win a pair of national team titles while finishing first in the 200-yard breaststroke in 1975 while breaking the NCAA record in the process. Then in 1976, he eclipsed that record while successfully defending his title.
He accounted for 57 points over his two seasons at the NCAA Championships, ranking 15th in program history and tied for third among two-year athletes.
When Chico State won its first two national championships in 1973-74, the team scored a combined 377 points in individual swimming events but only 12 of them came from breaststroke events. In 1975, the Wildcats racked up 84 breaststroke points much of them due to Lord's arrival.
He took third in the 100 breaststroke to go with his winning 200 time in 1975. At the 1976 championships, he finished second in the 100 breaststroke and joined the event winner in becoming the first D-II swimmers to break the minute barrier in the event. When he finished the 200 breaststroke, Lord had repeated as champion.
Four Chico State swimmers have repeated as champions in the same NCAA event, and he is one of three to do so while establishing an NCAA record each time. Lord is also one of six swimmers from Chico State to win multiple individual NCAA titles, and his average of 14.25 points scored per NCAA event topped all Wildcats.
John Oldemeyer — Men's Tennis 1961–64; Men's Soccer, 1964–65 
The Wildcats' top-ranked singles player his junior and senior seasons when he served as the team's captain, Oldemeyer starred as the 1964 Far Western Conference Tennis Singles Champion and led the team to its first conference title in the sport.
Oldemeyer lost just once as a senior, putting together an unbeaten stretch until the NCAA Regionals.
But he also was a driving force in getting soccer started at Chico State. As a student-athlete, Oldemeyer helped set the stage for future generations of Wildcats.
Keith Calkins, a Hall of Fame inductee himself from 1988, credited Oldemeyer as being at the forefront for bringing soccer to the school as a competitive team sport.
Once the team formed, Oldemeyer played wing, primarily on the left side, providing an early standout in the team's formative, first two seasons.
Jami "JR" Roberts — Softball, 1996-99; Women's Soccer, 1995 
Roberts was a two-sport standout as a Wildcat, starring for the soccer team in the fall of 1995 before moving on to excel in softball for four seasons starting in the spring of 1996.
She twice earned All-America honors while being named All-West Region three times and was a four-time all-conference selection in softball.
Roberts ranks in the softball program's career top 10 in 10 different categories, and at the time she concluded her collegiate career she held nine Wildcat records.
While in a Chico State uniform, she played every position except shortstop and catcher, and her career statistics include a .336 batting average, 39 doubles, 11 triples, and 16 home runs. She drove in 82 runs while amassing a .559 slugging percentage and had a .441 on-base percentage.
In her lone soccer season, the Wildcats finished 13-4-1 and ranked 11th in the nation. As a goalkeeper, Roberts was 8-2 with a 0.82 goals-against average and a 0.804 save percentage while posting six shutouts. Her GAA still ranks ninth all-time for a season but was third in 1995.
Mac Martin Award Recipient – Mark Reischling 
The former Chico State basketball standout made a lifetime of calls as an official. Then he helped instruct generations more.
Well known in basketball officiating, Reischling is the fourth winner of the Hall of Fame Committee's Mac Martin Award, reserved for a former Chico State student-athlete who has distinguished his/herself in their post-collegiate career by bringing honor to the University, community and their vocation, just as Mac Martin did.
Reischling starred for the Chico State men's basketball team while he attended from 1966-69, arriving after doing the same at the College of San Mateo with the community college in the Bay Area city he was raised.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Chico State and earned his credential while student-teaching at Oroville High School. Reischling then started his teaching and coaching at Gridley High School. He also began officiating basketball games at the prep level, and it wasn't long before he was doing games for community colleges.
A move to Petaluma in 1972 landed him a new teaching spot at the high school there, but he continued working his way up on the hardwood.
He eventually settled in as a nationally acclaimed college basketball official from 1976–2011. Reischling worked in several major conferences including the Big West, Big 12, Conference USA, Mountain West, Western Athletic, and West Coast Conference. He spent the majority of his time working in the Pacific-10 Conference. He was selected to officiate games at Universities throughout the nation, including Syracuse, North Carolina, and Notre Dame. He was also picked to work 23 NCAA Tournament contests, including the 2001 Final Four semifinal between Duke and Maryland, drawing praise for his work and professionalism.
While Reischling taught English, he emphasized helping students getting over the fear of speaking in class. He even took classes by bus to see stage performances in San Francisco. In addition to basketball, he also coached golf, softball, and tennis.
After retiring from teaching in 2005 after 35 years, Reischling continued officiating before hanging up his own whistle in 2011.
While he no longer works as a referee himself, Reischling sees that others do. He created Collegiate Officiating Service and serves as the supervisor. He assigns 100 officials for community college basketball games from Yuba City to Monterey for three conferences, one of a number of times over the course of his career he's been asked to mentor young officials. From 2003–2012, he served as the NBA officials' observer at Golden State, and he later became the director of game grading for the Pac-12 Conference, handling those duties from 2012–15.
Reischling sees it as an opportunity to give something back.
"I was helped so I'm basically returning the kindness that was given to me," he said, "to help as many people as I can to get a chance to move up."
Team Recognition – The 1973–76 NCAA Champion Men's Swimming Teams
Thanks in part to the contributions from Hickey and Lord, the Wildcats won all four of their NCAA titles during this four-year stretch with Head Coach Ernie Maglischo at the helm.
Twenty of the program's 40 all-time NCAA Champions were crowned as well.
The Wildcats claimed their first title in 1973, outscoring runner-up UC Irvine 262-212. Then in 1974, Chico State won with 285 points while second-place UC Davis had 227.
In 1975 and competing at the Division III level, Chico State won the title again, this time outscoring runner-up Johns Hopkins 465-209. That accounted for the most points by a championship team and the largest margin of victory in championships history at that time.
Back in D-II in 1976, the Wildcats won again as they outscored runner-up Cal State Northridge 428-283.
The Chico State Athletics Hall of Fame
Established in 1985, the Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame's mission is to recognize and honor the outstanding achievements of its former students and the meritorious efforts of coaches, staff, alumni, and friends on behalf of the University's athletic department.
Induction to the Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame is based on an individual's varsity athletic accomplishments at Chico State. Each must meet the following criteria: Completed at least two years with "unusual distinction" in one or more varsity intercollegiate programs, completed their collegiate athletic participation at Chico State, and completed their collegiate athletic eligibility at least 10 years prior to induction.
Honorary members of the Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame are individuals or teams that have contributed to the athletic department with distinction.
