By Syleena Perez

Sports Editor

CSU Bakersfield softball concluded its 2016 Division I season on a high note by winning the Western Conference Tournament Championship and appearing in its first NCAA Regional.

These accomplishments led to a three-year contract extension to CSUB coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler that will run through the 2019 season. A bonus was included with the extension. The bonus was based on the WAC Championship and NCAA appearance along with the grade point averages and the graduation rates.

“Under the leadership of Coach Buck-Ziegler our softball program is on a great trajectory and on the rise in the areas we focus on in our department; academics, competitive success, student-athlete experience and engaging the Bakersfield community,” said Director of Athletics Kenneth Siegfried. “I look forward to seeing the program continue to grow under Coach Buck-Ziegler.”

Buck-Ziegler was hired in 2011 and has dedicated her time to develop her team both on and off the field. She showed her hard work when she was able to bring the Roadrunners to two back-to-back WAC championship appearances and was able to bring home a championship in 2016 when they had a 1-0 victory against New Mexico State.

“Upon my arrival to CSUB in 2011, my family and I knew it was going to take hard work, sacrifice and a total team effort to reestablish a championship culture within the softball program at a Division I level,” Buck-Ziegler said.  “The challenges did not intimate me, but instead fueled my passion and enabled me to envision the possibilities of what could be achieved. With the help and support of my family over the past five years, I have seen much of what I envisioned come to fruition.”