Hall of Fame
Tommy “Tiny” Lister made his mark at Cal State L.A. as one of the best throwers in the program’s history. Lister captured the NCAA Division II national championship in the shot put in 1982 and set a program record that year with a toss of 61-8 that stood until 1997.
He became nationally known a few years after leaving Cal State L.A. as “Zeus” both in the world of professional wrestling as well as in the movie, “No Holds Barred.”
He has also appeared in and produced movies with many of Hollywood’s top actors and directors, including Eddie Murphy, Ice Cube, Bruce Willis, Quentin Tarantino, Jean Claude-Van Damme and Martin Lawrence.
In 2008, Lister was inducted into the NCAA Track and Field Hall of Fame for his accomplishments at Cal State L.A.
Over the years, he has been very active in supporting Cal State Athletics, including serving as host of several celebrity basketball games in the Eagles Nest and, since 1994, hosting the annual Tiny Lister Classic at Jesse Owens Track.
