In 1966, the Cuesta Athletic Booster Club Board of Directors established the George Silveria Student/Athlete Career Award. This award honors and serves as a memorial for George Silveria. George was a graduate of the original San Luis Obispo District Junior College in 1948. He was the captain of the championship football team in 1947, an executive member of the student body, a dedicated student and extensively involved in the community. He was well respected by his teammates, coaches, teachers and peers. He truly exemplified the meaning of student/athlete. George served in World War II and died of Leukemia in 1961.
The award takes into consideration the student/athletes' career as an athlete, their involvement in the college and community, sportsmanship, citizenship, coachability and leadership on and off the field. In a sense, this award exemplifies type of athlete we strive to mold here at Cuesta.
This year's winner is Aquatics Star Chloe Porter. Porter competed in two full seasons of both water polo and swimming, plus one abbreviated season of water polo, while earning all-Western State Conference honors in three of her four full seasons. In addition, Porter also starred in the classroom as a four-time All-WSC Academic selection. She finished her Cuesta Career with a 3.62 GPA and shall transfer to Whittier to play Water Polo for the Poets in the 2024-25.
Porter joined Cuesta's Aquatics program at the tail end of the pandemic, when the water polo team was limited to only six games, but that was enough to establish herself as a Star. She scored 18 goals, swiped a dozen steals and dished out seven assists in her brief debut. By Spring of 2022 the pandemic was in the rearview mirror and the Cougars enjoyed a full swim season. The Cougars only finished 4th in the Western State Conference, but when Porter and company reached the 2022 CCCAA State Meet they rallied to bring home 3rd place overall. Porter earned her first all-Conference award in the 100-backstroke and claimed All-American honors as a member of the Cougars' relay teams. She also set and currently holds the #7 spot all-time at Cuesta with a time of 2:23.70 in the 200-backstroke.
The next year, in her first full season of water polo, Porter shined as one the of the State's best all-around players. She was named to the 2022 Western State Conference First Team and earned all-Southern California Honorable Mention. Porter made everyone around her better and was a major factor in the Cougars' success. She was second on the team with 61 goals, however she also led the team in assists and exclusions drawn. Her 54 assists (6th in State) and State-leading 76 exclusions drawn landed her in the #2 spot all time at Cuesta for both categories.
In the Spring, Porter started out hot and was the Cougars' Athlete of the Month for February after leading her swim team in their first two meets, which included the prestigious Mt SAC Invitational. However, the team suffered through an injury-plagued season and did not send any individuals or relays to the 2023 CCCAA State Championships.
Porter rounded out her Cuesta Career this Fall by leading women's water polo back to the playoffs. Porter was the Cougars' MVP and repeated as a member of the Western State Conference First Team, while moving up to the 2023 CCCAA All-State Second Team. She led the Cougars in nearly every meaningful category, including team-highs with 63 goals and 58 Fouls Drawn.
Chloe is the third member of her family to win the George Silveria Career Student-Athlete Award, following her Father Kelly Porter in 1988, when it was also Cuesta's Athlete of the Year Award, and her older Brother Layne Porter, who claimed the award in 2022. All three Porters earned the award based on their scholarship, leadership and athletic success in both water polo and swimming. All three Porters also hold high marks in Cuesta's Water Polo Record Books. Kelly Porter owns Cuesta's all-time career scoring record for men's water polo with 221 goals, Layne Porter is second all-time with 102 career assists, while Chloe Porter holds the women's career record with 140 Fouls Drawn. She also ranks 9th all time with 142 goals and 3rd all time with 88 assists.
Winners Gallery
George Silveria Career Student-Athlete
1966 Ray Sayler (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
1967 Mark Anderson (Cross Country, Track/Field)
1968 Jim Sunderland (Wrestling)
1969 Richard Abney (Football, Wrestling)
1970 Steve Mowrey (Golf)
1971 Larry Ramos (Football, Wrestling)
1972 George Palmer (Wrestling)
1973 Camillo Alarcio (Football, Wrestling)
1974 Paul Kinne (Football, Baseball)
1975 Rusty Kuntz (Football, Basketball, Baseball)
& Dave Rusco (Basketball, Baseball)
1976 Kevin Hunstad (Football, Wrestling)
1977 Randy Roeder (Football, Baseball)
Male Female
1978 Edmund Alarcio (FB, TF) Laura McCarthy (XC, TF)
1979 Shawn Kuhn (MBB, Golf) Celeste Martyn (XC, TF)
1980 Steve Mitchell (MBB, MTF) Catherine Belcher (XC, TF, SB)
1981 Gregg Fambrough (WP, SD) Joanne Cooper (Volleyball)
1982 Tom McKeown (XC, TF) Heidi Hausner (VB, SD)
1983 Matt Armbruster (XC, TF) Karen Canfield (Softball)
1984 Bill Lucia (WP, SD) Toni Venturini (Volleyball)
1985 Sean Chambers (MBB, TF) Kelly Buzza (XC, TF)
1986 Hank Peterson (WP, SD) Tracey Ross (XC, TF)
1987 Karl Blum (WP, SD) Cathy Jones (XC, TF)
1988 Todd Bates (WP, SD) Jennifer Bland (Swim/Dive)
& Kelly Porter (WP, SD)
1989 Brad Dodge (Tennis) Vanessa Hornbuckle (VB, WBB)
& Kathryn Krieger (XC, TF)
1990 Steve Long (WP, SD) Monica Castro (Tennis)
1991 Dean Jefferis (WP, SD) Melissa McCormick (Swim/Dive)
& Cee Cee Yancy (Basketball)
1992 Geoff Bradshaw (Track/Field) Alyssa Van Schmus (Track/Field)
1993 Kipp Ortenberger (XC, TF) Erin Breeze (VB, WBB)
1994 Kipp Ortenberger (XC, TF) Wendy Ward (VB, WBB)
1995 Mike Barrow (WP, SD) Courtney Peters (Tennis)
1996 Shannon Lamb (WP, SD) Carrie Musolff (VB, WBB, Tennis)
1997 Marco Hanlon (Baseball) Anicia Bonds (WBB, TF)
1998 Mark Merlo (WP, SD) Ashley Messer (VB, WBB)
1999 Chris Lund (WP, SD) Ashley Messer (VB, WBB)
2000 Sergio Reyes (XC, TF) Mary Benson (WP, SD)
2001 Patrick Furelos (WP, SD) Melinda Flores (XC, TF)
2002 Doug Leach (WP, SD) Courtney Christy (WP, SD)
2003 Katie Dacus (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2004 Christina Reyes (Cross Country, Track/Field)
2005 Bryan Etnrye (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2006 Chris Stehula (Cross Country, Track/Field, Swim/Dive)
2007 Becca Reyes (Cross Country, Track/Field)
2008 Ian Starkie (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2009 Tammy Barksdale (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2010 Kayla Cribbs (Volleyball, Basketball)
2011 Evan Norton (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2012 Alexandria Bernard (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2013 Erin Casey (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
& Matt Giancanelli (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2014 Riley Cooks (Volleyball, Track/Field)
2015 Rachel Gruetzmacher (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2016 Aly Voth (Cross Country, Track/Field)
2017 Sean McDermott (Cross Country, Track/Field)
2018 Austin Barton (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2019 Hannah Katches (Volleyball, Basketball, Track/Field)
2020 Gabriel Browning (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2021 Satoshi Shinkawa (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2022 Layne Porter (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2023 Stash Perry (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
2024 Chloe Porter (Water Polo, Swim/Dive)
