Luke Nakasone is the leader of the band at Carpinteria High. He’s also a leader in the classroom and on athletic teams for the Warriors.
On Monday, the senior was honored as Carpinteria’s Scholar Athlete of the Year during the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.
Nakasone runs cross country and plays basketball and volleyball at Carpinteria, has received all-Citrus Coast League honors in each sport and has been named to the all-league academic team in every one.
He carries a 4.57 grade point average while taking a class load that includes Advanced Placement Calculus, English Literature and Physics and dual college enrollment Anthropology
He’s also into musical theater and is the drum major of the school marching band.
“He’s a Renaissance man,” said event sponsor and presenter Marc Gamberdella. “He’s exceptional and really represents what this award is about.”
Nakasone showed his grit and tremendous work ethic in cross country.
“I started as a slow freshman with no talent, but eventually worked my way up to becoming the top runner as well as team captain,” he said in his award profile.
He’s also a captain on the basketball team and was a member of the squad that advanced to the CIF-SS semifinals and played in the CIF State Tournament for the first time in program history last season.
After basketball, he started on a league championship volleyball team last spring and earned all-league first-team honors.
Nakasone has been a California Scholarship Federation member and a Presidential Award of Academic Excellence honoree during all four years of high school.
He discovered a love of the sciences during his junior year and hopes to pursue a career as a physician.
Nakasone is also involved in his school and community. He is president of the Interact Club of Rotary International, serves as secretary for the local Habitat for Humanity group and is a Junior State of America assembly member.
Nakasone thanked his parents, Lisa and Ryan, his teachers and coaches, and Carpinteria High.
“I know at a bigger school I wouldn’t be able to be involved in a lot of things and I wouldn’t be able to just have the opportunities that I have,” he said.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.