Ground Zero to a Swimming Powerhouse: The Incomparable Ernie Maglischo

“Rome wasn’t built in a day”, but Cal State Bakersfield’s rise to a national swimming powerhouse happened almost overnight. When Ernie Maglischo arrived in 1983 as the founding head coach of the Roadrunner men’s swimming program, he had to build the team, establish its standards, and convince swimmers that Bakersfield could become a destination for championship athletes. Ernie Maglischo posing by the pool at the John S. Hillman Aquatic Center. He did not need long to provide evidence. In its first season, CSUB finished second nationally. The next season, the `Runners won the first of eight consecutive NCAA Division II…