By Five athletes and three staples of the Long Beach community were inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as part of a celebratory night at the Long Beach Marriot.
Every student who attends LBSU knows the name “Walter” as it is displayed outside the main entrance of the Walter Pyramid, a landmark that has stood for the university and the city of Long Beach for 30 years.
The name on the Pyramid is etched even further into Long Beach history as Mike Walter enters the LBSU Hall of Fame.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us and the university to get together and reconnect,” Walter said. “We all know each other; it’s great to get together with all the supporters and coaches and celebrate their achievements on and off the field.”
Walter and his wife, Alrine, came to Long Beach in 1993, when Walter started as Dean of the College of Business.
They have since been a staple in the institution’s growth, none bigger than their donation, which was instrumental in building one of the most unique and recognizable venues in college sports.
Mike Walter and his wife Arline Walter are known for their donations to LBSU Athletics, leading to the naming of the Walter Pyramid. Photo Credit: Justin Enriquez
Headlining the class of 2025 was former men’s volleyball star TJ DeFalco. His college career was among the best in the university’s history and collegiate volleyball history.
DeFalco was a two-time AVCA National Player of the Year and a four-time first-team All-American. He capped off his LBSU career with back-to-back national championship victories in 2018 and 2019.
Most recently, DeFalco was a member of the last two U.S. Olympic men’s volleyball teams, taking home a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Former Dirtbag Kyle Abbott was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the second time. The first was when the entire 1989 team, the team that coined the name “Dirtbags,” was enshrined.
Abbott was named a first-team All-American during his one season at LBSU, going 15-3 while striking out 140 batters and leading the Dirtbags to their first-ever College World Series appearance.
“It was a magical season; it was a season no one could have predicted,” Abbott said.
Abbott’s performance on the mound made him the ninth overall selection by the California Angels in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.
Long Beach State Athletics inducts Kyle Abbott into the Hall of Fame. Abbott played a key role in the turnaround that sent the Dirtbags to the College World Series for the first time.
Photo Credit: Justin Enriquez
Marilyn Bohl, a prominent member of the LBSU community, who may better be known for the “Bohl Diamond at Blair Field,” was celebrated for her contributions to the athletic department.
“I came here in 2001 and actually got introduced to the Dirtbags when Jered Weaver was pitching on Friday nights, and we were gonna win,” Bohl said. “Blair Field was the place to be.”
Her donations transformed the iconic baseball facility, which members of the Long Beach community flock to each spring, including herself, where she avidly keeps notes and scouting reports of all the players.
Prolific and clutch are just some ways to describe LBSU Hall of Fame inductee Ashley Gonzales, who led LBSU soccer during the 2010s.
As a four-time All-Region and All-Big West selection, Gonzales led The Beach to three NCAA tournament appearances and holds the program record for goals (36) and game-winning goals (15).
Shayna Kimbrough, a LBSU softball alum, defines what it means to be a two-way player.
Kimbrough displayed excellence on the field and at the plate during her tenure with The Beach, becoming one of two players in Big West history to win Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year.
The four-time All-Big West selection, who hit .353 in her time at LBSU, which is good for second-best in the university’s history, was a catalyst in success for The Beach with two Big West titles and two runner-up finishes in her tenure.
Caitlin Ledoux has a case for two separate hall-of-fame careers in two different sports, competing in beach and indoor volleyball.
Ledoux led The Beach to four NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big West titles inside the Pyramid.
As an inaugural beach volleyball team member in 2012, LBSU quickly rose to the top. The following season, they defeated a heavily favored Pepperdine team to win the national championship.
She and her teammates celebrated by jumping in the ocean, her favorite memory.
“In this day and age of the transfer portal and NIL, the community is even more critical, and so events like tonight are even more important to celebrate and remember the impact Beach Athletics and the Long Beach community have on one another,” Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran said.
