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 twentieth time. The 2021-22 Cuesta Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year is second-year Track and Field Star Gabriel Katches (Paso Robles HS).  

Thrower Gabriel Katches came in with high expectations and made the most of an abbreviated freshman campaign in 2021.  He set a school record and won a pair of conference titles and confirmed Cuesta's hopes for the former Paso Robles Star, who is also the sibling of Cuesta's 2019 George Silveria Career Student-Athlete Award Winner Hannah Katches.  This year, the younger brother clearly created his own legacy as the best of the best nationwide.  He began by defending his Western State Conference titles, in the Shot Put and Discus.  His points helped the team to 6th place in the WSC; however, he was the only member of the team to reach the Regional Finals and qualify for the 2022 CCCAA State Championships.  Katches began the 2022 CCCAA State Meet with a disappointing 9th place finish in the Shot Put on the first day of competition, but everyone was waiting to see what he would do in his signature event on the final day of the championships.  Katches exceeded the expectation of many with a throw of 193-9, the longest Discus mark at the JC/CC level in the nation this year and the second-longest in state meet history.  He won the competition by more than 20-feet, while breaking his own Cuesta Record by roughly five-feet and further separating himself from Austin Field's (2011) former Cuesta record of 153-2 by more than 40-feet.  Katches's title single-handedly landed the Cougars in the State's Top 20 (18th), which is the team's best finish since 2018 and only their 6th Top 20 finish since the turn of the millennium   Katches is the first member of the Cuesta Men's Track & Field team to win a CCCAA State Title since Luke Nickelson (Long Jump) in 2018 and the first thrower to win since the single division system was adopted in 1982.  

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)

2022         Gabriel Katches, Paso Robles, CA (Track & Field)