The George Silveria Memorial Student/Athlete Career Award was established in 1966 by the Booster Club Board of Directors to honor and serve 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 very good student and, extensively involved in the community. He truly exemplified the meaning of student/athlete and was well respected by his teammates, coaches, teachers, and peers. George served in World War II and died of Leukemia in 1961.
The George Silveria Memorial Student/Athlete Career Award was established in 1966 and 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.
The George Silveria Memorial Student/Athlete Career had been given annually and from 1966 to 2002 as the only honor presented by Cuesta Athletics. Cuesta began giving a men's and a women's award in 1978 and did so until 2003, when Cuesta established the Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award, which allowed the George Silveria Award to stand on its own as a career honor. It was decided that the merits emphasized by the award were not restricted by gender and the athletic department returned to only one award per year. This is the 58th year of Cuesta College Athletics and the 58th year of the George Silveria Award.
The 2023 George Silveria Athletic Career Award winner is Aquatics Athlete Stash Perry (Oakdale HS).
Stash came to Cuesta during the pandemic year of 2020-21 with his twin brother Ethan Perry and immediately signed up for men's water polo. The Cougars played a five-game season that Spring, against mostly four-year programs, and he proved himself by recording a hat-trick against Cal Lutheran in the final game. Unfortunately, the way the pandemic sport schedule was designed did not allow him to join the swim team after water polo, so he prepared for his next season of water polo on the other side of Summer.
He played in 35 games that fall, including nine starts, and scored 44 more goals on 60% shooting. His efforts helped lead the Cougars to a conference title and the program's 42nd straight playoff berth. Of course, the Perry's are better known for their swimming prowess and, after two seasons of water polo, Stash finally got his chance in the Spring of 2022.
Stash joined both his siblings, Ethan and sister Jensen Perry, as they all earned All American honors for the Cougars, while leading both the men's and women's teams to 3rd place at the 2022 CCCAA State Championships. Stash starred for the Cougars and was also named the 2022 Western State Conference Co-Swimmer of the Year, after going undefeated at the conference championship. He also broke All American Casey Lyon's 1994 school record in the 500-freestyle (4:37.92) and also earned individual All-American honors in the 200 and 1,650 freestyles.
Stash entered his third and final year at Cuesta primed to go out on top. In the Fall, he used his 6-7 frame to become one of the best defenders in the State, while also keeping up his scoring with 32 goals. Coach John Marsh inserted him into the starting line-up full time and Stash helped lead the Cougars to not only another conference title and playoff berth, but also their first State Final Four appearance since 2007 and ninth in the program's history. Stash's outstanding play was acknowledged by the state's water polo coaches and he earned both all-Conference and all-State honors
Stash was filling up his trophy case, but he still had unfinished business in swimming. He easily repeated as the 2023 Western State Conference Swimmer of the Year and did not have to share the award after sweeping his events for the second straight year. Perry also repeated as a three-time All American, while setting two more Cuesta records in the 200-freestyle (1:40.66) and 1,650-freestyle (16:23.66).
Stash completes his Cuesta career after three seasons of water polo and two for swimming. He earned all-conference and all-State honors in water polo and led the Cougars to back-to-back conference titles and playoff berths, including a trip to the CCCAA State Final Four. In swimming, his was a two-time conference swimmer of the year and, between his individual events and relays, earned a dozen All American awards and a trio of all-academic team selections.
George Silveria Career Award
1966 Ray Salyer (FB, MBB, BB)
1967 Mark Anderson (MXC, MTF)
1968 Jim Sunderland (Wrest)
1969 Richard Abney (FB, Wrest)
1970 Steve Mowrey (Golf)
1971 Larry Ramos (FB, Wrest)
1972 George Palmer (Wrest)
1973 Camillo Alarcio (FB, Wrest)
1974 Paul Kinne (FB, BB)
1975 Rusty Kuntz (FB, MBB, BB)
& Dave Rusco (MBB, BB)
1976 Kevin Hunstad (FB, Wrest)
1977 Randy Roeder (FB, BB)
Male Female
1978 Edmund Alarcio (FB, MTF) Laura McCarthy (WXC, WTF)
1979 Shawn Kuhn (MBB, Golf) Celeste Martyn (WXC, WTF)
1980 Steve Mitchell (MBB, MTF) Catherine Belcher (WXC, WTF, SB)
1981 Gregg Fambrough (MWP, MSD) Joanne Cooper (VB)
1982 Tom McKeown (MXC, MTF) Heidi Hausner (VB, WSD)
1983 Matt Armbruster (MXC, MTF) Karen Canfield (SB)
1984 Bill Lucia (MWP, MSD) Toni Venturini (VB)
1985 Sean Chambers (MBB, MTF) Kelly Buzza (WXC, WTF)
1986 Hank Peterson (MWP, MSD) Tracey Ross (WXC, WTF)
1987 Karl Blum (MWP, MSD) Cathy Jones (WXC, WTF)
1988 Todd Bates (MWP, MSD) Jennifer Bland (WSD)
& Kelly Porter (MWP, MSD)
1989 Brad Dodge (MT) Vanessa Hornbuckle (VB, WBB)
& Kathryn Krieger (WXC, WTF)
1990 Steve Long (MWP, MSD) Monica Castro (WT)
1991 Dean Jefferis (MWP, MSD) Melissa McCormick (WSD)
& Cee Cee Yancy (WBB)
1992 Geoff Bradshaw (MTF) Alyssa Van Schmus (WTF)
1993 Kipp Ortenberger (MXC, MTF) Erin Breeze (VB, WBB)
1994 Kipp Ortenberger (MXC, MTF) Wendy Ward (VB, WBB)
1995 Mike Barrow (MWP, MSD) Courtney Peters (WT)
1996 Shannon Lamb (MWP, MSD) Carrie Musolff (VB, WBB, WT)
1997 Marco Hanlon (BB) Anicia Bonds (WBB, WTF)
1998 Mark Merlo (MWP, MSD) Ashley Messer (VB, WBB)
1999 Chris Lund (MWP, MSD) Ashley Messer (VB, WBB)
2000 Sergio Reyes (MXC, MTF) Mary Benson (WWP, WSD)
2001 Patrick Furelos (MWP, MSD) Melinda Flores (WXC, WTF)
2002 Doug Leach (MWP, MSD) Courtney Christy (WWP, WSD)
2003 Katie Dacus (WWP, WSD)
2004 Christina Reyes (WXC, WTF)
2005 Bryan Etnrye (MWP, MSD)
2006 Chris Stehula (MXC, MTF, MSD)
2007 Becca Reyes (WXC, WTF)
2008 Ian Starkie (MWP, MSD)
2009 Tammy Barksdale (WWP, WSD)
2010 Kayla Cribbs (VB, WBB)
2011 Evan Norton (MWP, MSD)
2012 Alexandria Bernard (WWP, WSD)
2013 Erin Casey (WWP, WSD)
& Matt Giancanelli (MWP, MSD)
2014 Riley Cooks (WVB, WTF)
2015 Rachel Gruetzmacher (WWP, WSD)
2016 Aly Voth (WXC, WTF)
2017 Sean McDermott (MXC, MTF)
2018 Austin Barton (MWP, MSD)
2019 Hannah Katches (VB, WBB, WTF)
2020 Gabriel Browning (MWP, MSD)
2021 Satoshi Shinkawa (MWP, MSD)
2022 Layne Porter (MWP, MSD)
2023 Stash Perry (MWP, MSD)
