Academic and Scholastic Excellence Honored by Cuesta Athletic DepartmentE

Star Cuesta athletes who excel at scholastics have been honored with the Warren Hansen Scholar Athlete Award.

Winners of this year’s Warren Hansen Scholar-Athlete Award – named for the former Cuesta Athletic Director who boasted a 35-plus year commitment to academic excellence – are track and field sensation Jared “Happy” Hollows, from Placerville, and basketball star Lauren Villa, from San Luis Obispo. Recipients must maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average, as well as demonstrate good citizenship and athletic performance.

Hollows is a returning student to Cuesta, having spent seven years in the military that included a tour of Iraq, where he earned the rank of sergeant. Joining the Cuesta track and field team just this past spring, Hollows became team captain while maintaining his 4.0 GPA. He plans to continue his education at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

Basketball star Villa has earned All Western State Conference First Team honors during both of her seasons with the Cougars team. Also a team captain, she, like Hollows, has a perfect 4.0 GPA over the course of the last three semesters. In addition, Villa is a two-time member of the All-Western State Conference Academic Team and as a freshman, a member of the Cuesta Top Ten Scholar Athlete List.

The Hansen award began in 2002. In addition to recognizing basketball/track and field stars, the honor has also gone to athletes gifted in water polo, wrestling and soccer.