In 2002 the Cuesta Athletic Department established and named the Warren Hansen Scholar-Athlete Award in recognition of former Cuesta Athletic Director Warren Hansen's 36-year commitment to academic excellence. A Hansen Award winning student must maintain a 3.5 GPA and is also nominated on the basis of their citizenship and athletic performance. This year's winner of the Male Warren Hansen Scholar-Athlete Award is Star Grappler Sami Barakat
Cuesta Wrestling Coach Joe Dansby says, "Sami is the poster boy for the exemplary student-athlete. He works hard in the classroom as well as the wrestling room. He leads by example and not just talk." Coach Dansby, a former award-winning student-athlete at Cal Poly, knows what he has with Barakat, the recipient of the 2022-23 Warren Hansen Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Barakat distinguished himself by reaching the highest achievement in both academics and athletics. He set the tone in his first semester as he battled his way to the 2022 CCCAA State Wrestling Championships. Barakat took on every challenge, while competing at 157, however he was not afraid to take on bigger competition and even posted a 2-1 mark in the 174-division. He finished his freshman season as an all-SouthEast Conference Second Team selection, while taking 5th at the CCCAA Regional Finals and placing 8th at the CCCAA State Championships. He also earned academic honors, with a lone A- robbing him of a perfect record. Sami returned this Fall in top form and immediately started taking down the competition and climbing the rankings. He established himself as a title contender, after winning his division at the season-opening Sac City Tournament. Barakat ran his record to 13-2 but was felled by a season-ending knee injury at the Cougars' Meathead Mover Invitational, which knocked him out of competition. The injury was further complicated by an infection, which put an end to his promising season. Barakat focused the rest of his season on getting healthy, while achieving in his academics and helping his teammates in the wrestling room. He completed his academic career at Cuesta with a 3.719 grade-point average over 54.0 units as a Science Major, while twice earning all-WSC Academic Honors. Barakat, following Coach Dansby's example, has committed to Cal Poly to continue his collegiate career.
Sami shall represent Cuesta at the Conference and State level as Cuesta College's CCCAA Men's Scholar Award nominee. His nomination will move forward to the conference level in September.
Cuesta has earned more CCCAA Scholar-Athlete Awards than any other community college. Both of Cuesta's 2022 Hansen Scholar-Athletes of the Year, Poloist Jacob Sill and Spiker Christelle Mouret, were named to the 2021-22 CCCAA State Honor Roll (Top 15 in the State).
Male
2002 Savio Gomes (Water Polo)
2003 Jeremy Waldram (Wrestling)
2004 Kevin Bradley (Water Polo/Swim)
2005 Jared Hollows (Track)
2006 Jon Jordan (Track)
2007 Mark Stephen (Water Polo)
2008 Quinn Clair (Baseball)
2009 Miles Wallace (Wrestling)
2010 Demian Nelson (Diving)
2011 Nic Lalanne (Water Polo)
2012 Malte Kramer (Basketball)
2013 Spencer Silva (Water Polo)
2014 Geoff Merker (Wrestling)
2015 John Sinclair (Wrestling)
2016 Nick Rutckyj (Baseball)
2017 Modan Goldman (Wrestling)
2018 Chandler Mankins (Water Polo/Swim)
2019 Iker Cruz (Basketball)
2020 Melecio Gonzalez (X-Country/Track)
2021 Jacques Safra (Basketball)
2022 Jacob Sill (Water Polo/Swim)
2023 Sami Barakat (Wrestling)
