San Marcos three-sport standout Rio Chesluk was awarded the school’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor to headline the weekly Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Press Luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe on Monday.
After Chesluk was honored to begin the luncheon, local winter sports playoff teams provided updates ahead of a week packed with postseason action.
The weekly SBART Luncheon is presented by Maho Prentice LLP, Investec and Fidelity National Title Group Santa Barbara.
Rio Chesluk Named San Marcos Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Chesluk has made a name for herself in three different sports throughout her time as a Royal, all while signing in the classroom as well.
She is one of the best high school flag football players in the nation, including winning the Channel League Two-Way Player of the Year award in her junior year and being named the Channel League MVP this past fall.
Chesluk has also earned All-Channel League honors for her contributions on the girls soccer team and was named a team captain on the San Marcos beach volleyball team.
In the classroom, she boasts an impressive 4.9 GPA and has taken a plethora of AP and honors courses. She is also an AP Scholar with Distinction and holds the California State Seal of Biliteracy.
She also founded Tutoring to You, a program that helps ‘bridge educational inequities by offering individualized academic support to elementary students.’
“I just wanted to thank everyone who made getting this award possible, including Mr. Gamberdella, Mr. Dare Holdren, Mr. Solis, all my coaches, Jaylon Letendre, Tim Loomer, Miguel Vences, coach (Bazylewicz),” Chesluk said.
“Thanks to my teachers as well, my parents for always supporting me, driving me everywhere and coming to my games. Of course, (thank you to) my teammates who support me every day.”
Chesluk is the fifth of 11 Scholar-Athletes of the Year for this school year, joining Dos Pueblos’ Elliot McGuire, Laguna Blanca’s Bennett Sullivan, Providence’s Annika Haugen, Bishop Diego’s Jaymi Coronado and Carpinteria High’s Vivian Huskins.
The award is sponsored by Marc Gamberdella of the Gamberdella-Spruill Group of Merrill Lynch.
High School Winter Playoffs In Full Swing
The high school winter sports playoffs enter full swing this week, as basketball, soccer and wrestling will join girls water polo in the postseason in the coming days.
San Marcos, Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara High girls water polo all remain alive in the CIF-SS playoffs in the Open Division, Division 1 and Division 2, respectively.
The Dons are on the road against Edison on Tuesday, the Royals will host Long Beach Wilson at Santa Barbara High on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. and the Chargers will welcome Agoura to town on Thursday.
Four local boys basketball teams and five boys soccer squads will step between the lines to begin their quests for CIF-SS titles on Wednesday, with four games in town.
San Marcos boys basketball hosts Calabasas in the Div. 2 opener at 7 p.m., Bishop Diego boys basketball faces off against Rancho Mirage at 6 p.m. in Div. 5 and Providence takes on NOVA in Div. 9 at 7 p.m. On the pitch, Bishop Diego will roll out the welcome mat for Grove High at 3 p.m. in Div. 8.
“We’re all in the thick of it for the playoffs. This is a very exciting time,” San Marcos athletic director Aaron Solis said. “Good luck to all the other teams out there in the playoffs. We want the whole community to do well.”
The busy playoff action continues into Thursday when six girls basketball and five girls soccer teams take on their first-round matchups. Six local teams will host their postseason openers.
On the hardwood, Bishop Diego (Div. 5), Carpinteria High (Div. 6), Laguna Blanca (Div. 8) and Cate (Div. 9) will host their respective first-round opponents on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, Dos Pueblos and Cate girls soccer will kick off their playoffs in Division 3 and Division 7, respectively, at home on Thursday.
Westmont men’s basketball head coach Justin Leslie left the local high schoolers with a message on their upcoming playoffs to round out the luncheon.
“This pressure you get from the playoffs is a privilege,” Leslie said. “Lean into your training, lean into the fact that those fundamentals and the base that you have are there, and just leave it on the line. Don’t doubt yourself for a minute, because it’s going to go by really fast
“It’s just a fantastic time of year, and I just want to offer you all the most encouragement that I possibly can to do your best.”
Student-Athletes in Attendance
San Marcos Flag Football, Girls Soccer, Beach Volleyball: Rio Chesluk
San Marcos Beach Volleyball: Cora Loomer, Evyn Miller
San Marcos Boys Basketball: Brody Green, Lincoln Gengo
San Marcos Girls Basketball: Jada Ahmad, Kaliah Alvin
San Marcos Boys Soccer: Jasel Sandoval, Ethan Turenchalk
Santa Barbara High Wrestling: Sammy Ramirez-Navas, Yahir Dorado, Lucas Blessing
Bishop Diego Girls Basketball: Jeisa Coronado, Jaymi Coronado
Carpinteria High Girls Basketball: Charlotte Cooney, Amalia Castaneda
Carpinteria High Girls Soccer: Vivian Huskins, Evelyn Lara, Josie Lara
Santa Barbara High Boys Basketball: Levi Oakes, Luke Wilson, Zach Anthony