he California Community College Athletic Association announced its 2019-20 scholarship awards and, as usual, Cuesta College athletes and teams were well represented. Cuesta Athletics has won more scholar awards (59) than any other college in the CCCAA (below) and collected a state-leading five more scholar teams during the pandemic stunted 2019-20 school year, including four during the Spring. Cuesta has earned its reputation as one of the best academic community colleges in the State and the athletic department is shining example of the institution's success. Cuesta Athletics has produced, at least, one scholar-team in 16 of the past 17 years. Last year, men's water polo led the way as the lone team honored during the Fall, but was joined by both swim & dive teams and both track & field teams in the Spring.
Cuesta's Men's Water Polo was among the nine Fall Sport programs honored by the CCCAA as a scholar team. The 20-man team combined to post a 3.133 grade-point average (GPA) in the classroom and was equally impressive in pool. This is the second time in a row and a Cuesta College leading sixth-time that men's water polo has been honored for academics. The Poloists also enjoyed a fine season in the tank with a Western State Conference title and run to the 2019 CCCAA Regional Semi-Finals. The Cougars playoff run marked the program's 41st consecutive playoff berth, which came after claiming it's 28th conference title. Ten players earned all-conference honors in the pool, including five all-State selections, and seven of those ten also earned all-WSC Scholar-Team honors. All-State selection Zachary Tucker (Paso Robles HS) was one of four members of the team to post a perfect 4.0 during the season.
Cuesta Men's Swim & Dive boasted a roster loaded with many members of the water polo team, which helped the program earn its first CCCAA Scholar Team Award. The Cougars were in first place in the Western State Conference when the season was interrupted by the pandemic, but the team still performed like champions in the classroom with a 3.516 GPA. Six members of the 20-man team earned a perfect 4.0; including 2020 Cuesta College George Silveria Career Student-Athlete of the Year Satoshi Shinkawa (Kingsburg HS) and three-time Aquatic All American Gabe Browning (Los Alamitos HS), who was robbed of a fourth all-American season (2x water polo, 1x swimming) by the pandemic. Every member of the team posted, at least, a 3.0 in the classroom.
Cuesta Women's Swim & Dive moved to the top of the class with Cuesta College's best team grade-point average. The team posted an astounding 3.644 to claim the program's second scholar-team award. All 16 members of the team were over a 3.0 GPA and combined to average nearly 16 units per athlete. Freshman Jillian Gipson(Kingsburg HS), who earned Swimmer of the Meet at the 2020 Arena Ram Crush Invitational, helped lead Cuesta to a first place standing in the Western State Conference when the season was suspended and was one of two members of the team to earn a 4.0 GPA
Cuesta Men's Track & Field was accorded its second straight, and third overall, CCCAA Scholar Team Award. The 24-man team posted a combined 3.280 GPA for the semester and was in 2nd place in the Western State Conference on March 13. When the season ended, the Cougars were getting ready to challenge for the program's second conference title and had already posted eight new Cuesta Top 10 marks in their first four meets . Eight members of the team were named to the 2020 Cuesta College Spring Honor Roll, including 2020 Cuesta College Warren Hansen Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Melecio Gonzalez (McFarland HS).
Cuesta Women's Track & Field earned its fifth scholar-team award, and first since 2014, with a 3.561 GPA. 2019 State Qualifying Heptathlete Abby Richey (Atascadero HS) was one of five members of the team to post straight A's and her multi-event success lifted the Cougars into 2nd place in the conference. The women had already posted six new Cuesta Top 10 marks in their first four meets when the COVID-curtain came down on the season.
