SAN LUIS OBISPO (June 18, 2021) – In 2003 the Cuesta Athletic Department instituted its first true Athlete of the Year Award. The coaching staff was encouraged to nominate their best athlete and a committee was created to weigh performance athletic as the highest criteria. Today Cuesta announced its Outstanding Athletes of the Year for the nineteenth time. The 2020-21 Cuesta Outstanding Athlete of the Year is Freshman Aquatics Star Lucas Esenwein (Morro Bay HS).
Freshman Sprinter Lucas Esenwein enjoyed a busy Spring playing two sports over three months. Water Polo ended on April 17 and on April 24, Esenwein stepped out of a reserve role in water polo and into a starring role on the swim team by tying Two-time State Champion Jeff Dacus's 1999 50-freestyle record. It was an impressive debut, but Esenwein wasn't done and made the most out of the three-meet season. In the next meet, he shaved another five-hundredths of a second off his record and owns sole possession of the record at :20.81. The 50-freestyle is the sport's most prestigious event, but Esenwein was not done with the Cuesta's record book. The Cougars hosted the 2021 Western State Conference Swim Championship on May 22 and he led the Cougars to 1st place as a team, while winning all four of his individual events. He opened the day by cruising to a comfortable win in the 50-freestyle, before pushing his limits to touch-out 2020 Cuesta Silveria Student-Athlete Award Winner Gabriel Browning (Los Alamitos HS), by 24-hundredths of a second, in the 200-freestyle (1:43.58). In his next race, a rare non-freestyle performance, he earned his second Cuesta record of the year with a time of :56.24 in 100-Individual Medley. The victory also allowed him to eclipse another former Cuesta Silveria Student-Athlete of the Year by cutting a full second off Austin Barton's 2018 record. Esenwein's final individual victory during the WSC Finals came in the 100-freestyle, where his time of :45.64 was less than a half-second off All American Chris Reddick's 2014 school record and landed him 3rd all time at Cuesta. His performance over the abbreviated three-meet, four-week season included nine wins in ten individual starts, four Cuesta All Time Top 10 Marks, and two Cuesta records. Coach John Marsh says, "Coach John Marsh says, "Lucas has had an amazing freshman season. He broke a school record in the 50 freestyle this spring that has stood for nearly 20 years. He will only get better over the next year. Lucas has been a great addition to our aquatics program this year, both as a water polo player and a swimmer."
Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year
2003 David Lamar, Carpinteria, CA (Baseball)
2004 Kevin Bradley, Long Beach, CA (Water Polo, Swim)
2005 Mike Brown, Davis, CA (Baseball)
2006 Jeff Chaney, Arroyo Grande, CA (Water Polo)
2007 Michael Williams, Sutter Creek, CA (Wrestling)
2008 Quentin Cate, Cambria, CA (Baseball)
2009 Tom Schumacher, Dudelange, LUX (Basketball)
2010 Roger Guardia, Matadepera, ESP (Basketball)
2011 Eric Marsh, Arroyo Grande, CA (Water Polo)
2012 Malte Kramer, Freiburg, DEU (Basketball)
2013 Brady Moore, Santa Barbara, CA (Water Polo)
2014 Georan Meendering, Visalia, CA (Water Polo, Swim)
2015 Connor Fisher, Lake Isabella, CA (Cross Country, Track)
2016 Brendan Jenkins, Pleasanton, CA (Baseball)
2017 Sean McDermott, Kings Beach, CA (Cross Country, Track)
2018 Andrew Navigato, Riverside, CA (Baseball)
2019 Joshua Wilson-Murry, San Luis Obispo, CA (Basketball)
2020 Jack Felsted, Visalia, CA (Water Polo)
2021 Lucas Esenwein, Morro Bay, CA (Swimming)
