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 Three-time 3C2A State Champion Weston Greenelsh. Greenelsh has enjoyed a storied career at Cuesta College as one of eight dual-sport athletes to earn all-State honors in all four seasons of participation. Greenelsh came to Cuesta from nearby San Luis Obispo High School as part of the Cougars' most talented freshman classes. Over the past two years, Cuesta's 2024 freshman class has claimed 11 individual State Titles. Cuesta Athletics, beginning with Wrestler George Palmer in 1972, now boasts total to 73 Individual State titles. He also added two all-State nods to Cuesta Athletics' total haul of 27 all-State honors during 2025-26.
Greenelsh crept onto the scene as a freshman Harrier with potential, while establishing himself at the front of the Cougars' pack. He finished 38th at his first big invitational, but slowly moved into the lead pack and established himself as a contender by closing the regular season in 3rd at the SoCal Preview. He advanced out of the Western State Conference Finals in 5th place and all-WSC First Team Honors, before taking the Bronze in the 3C2A Regional Finals. He capped his his rookie season by earning his first career win at the 2024 3C2A State Championships. Greenelsh was the Cougars' first 3C2A Cross Country Champion in almost a decade.
In the Spring, Greenelsh, now established as a contender, joined Cuesta Men's Track & Field and led the field. He posted Cuesta All-Time Top 10 marks in every race from 800-to-5,000 meters, while earning Western State Conference Titles in the 800 and 1,500-meter runs and being honored as WSC Men's Track Athlete of the Year. A few weeks later, Greenelsh entered his second 3C2A Championship, while extending himself to compete in the 1,500 and 5,000-meter events. Greenelsh earned his second 3C2A Title in the 5,000-meters but had to settle for the Silver in the metric-mile. After earning a 3C2A Title in back-to-back seasons, Greenlesh joined classmate Grant Huston, the 3C2A State Swim & Dive Athlete of the Year as they shared Cuesta's 2025 Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award.
This past Fall, with a target on his back and the pressure of an anticipated encore, Greenelsh dove into the competition and defended his 3C2A Men's Cross-Country title. He also moved Cuesta's Harriers into title contention The Cuesta Pack boasted their best team marks in a decade, while finishing as Western State Conference Runners-Up and while also leading the guiding the Cougars to 12th place as a team. All five members of the Cougars' scoring team earned all-Western State Conference accolades, while Sophomore John-Paul Walsh provided Greenelsh a little company. Walsh joined him amongst the leaders, before joining him on the all-WSC First Team and claiming all-State 2nd Team.
Greenelsh capped his Cuesta Career with more accolades. He won a Western State Conference title in the 5,000-meters, before taking the Silver in the 1,500-meters and was named the WSC Track Athlete of the Year. He also earned a return trip to the 3C2A State Track & Field Championships in both events. He finished picked up the Silver in the 1,500-meters and took the Bronze in the 5,000-meters and was just seconds away from earning capping an historic career with a title in each season of competition. There are only eight Cuesta Athletes, on record that have earned all-State in four semesters of competition and Greenelsh is at the top of the list as a four-time conference MVP, three-time 3C2A State Champion and a three-time all-Academic Selection.
A team leader, an exceptional student, and an elite athlete and a team-leader, Weston Greenelsh exemplifies the best of Cuesta College Athletics and our choice for the 61st Anniversary of the George Silveria Memorial Award.
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, WT)
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)
2025 Elle Casselman (Cross Country, Track/Field)
2026 Weston Greenelsh (Cross Country, Track/Field)
