Sebastian Ayala asks his swimmers to give “110%” in and out of the pool.
“I know it’s cliché to say that as a coach,” Ayala said. “But, if anything, they do that and more.”
Maximum effort paid off this season as the Newbury Park High boys swim team earned the CIF-Southern Section’s top academic team honor.
The Panthers’ 3.848 team grade-point average was the highest among boys swim teams with enrollments of 1,500 or higher.
“It’s cool to see they are being recognized for it,” said Ayala, who said the majority of his team has earned a GPA better than 4.0.
The progress reports at the end of every quarter only confirm what Ayala already sees on the bus on the way to meets or on the pool deck daily.
“Being an athlete and being 100% in the classroom is a priority for them,” Ayala said. “The homework doesn’t just stay at home or stay at school. They’re bringing it with them.
Zack Bolte, Trevor Craven, Bennett Cronley, Carson Dakroob, Leo Du, Jack Fortune, Dylan Hurvitz, Jack Jennings, Sebastian Laubner, Ryan Lin, Owen McKee, Landon Nguyen, Jacob Stoffer, and Grady Wan contributed to the team award.
El Toro (3.826) and West Ranch (3.811) finished second and third in the large-school boys swimming standings.
Newbury Park boys swimming was the lone local first-place winner among the eight local teams honored when the CIF-SS announced its annual academic awards on March 24.
Royal baseball (3.728 GPA), Royal girls lacrosse (3.886), Simi Valley boys tennis (3.844) and Calabasas boys track and field (3.769) earned second-place honors in their respective sports.
Agoura boys soccer (3.671), Simi Valley stunt (3.609) and Calabasas girls volleyball (3.864) earned third-place honors.
The team awards were based on cumulative GPA in 29 different team sports.
To be considered, teams must have had five student-athletes with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the first semester of the 2025-26 school year.
CIF-SS honors schools in two enrollment divisions, above and below 1,500 students.
The academic team winners will be honored at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on April 20, before the Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.
As part of the program, 13 local schools announced male and/or female CIF-SS Academic Athletes of the Year.
Agoura’s Isaac Grudsky (soccer, track, volleyball); Calabasas’ Matthew Sachs (soccer); Camarillo’s Nicholas Perez Hernandez (soccer); Grace School’s Landon Cooper (football, lacrosse); Moorpark’s Noah Huss (wrestling); Newbury Park’s Carter Taylor (football, lacrosse and soccer); Nordhoff’s Weston Haley (baseball); Oaks Christian’s Captain Wagner (cross country, track); Rio Mesa’s Brian Davis Boccali (swimming, water polo); Royal’s Lucas Markand (baseball, basketball); Simi Valley’s Srivishnu Rayasam (basketball); and St. Bonaventure’s Ayden Klionsky (football) were among the individual male honorees.
Agoura’s Grace Hennessey (basketball, tennis and track); Buena’s Avery Buehner (water polo); Calabasas’ Charlotte Marshall (soccer); Camarillo’s Stella Alessi (flag football, soccer, track); Grace’s Addison Cho (soccer); Moorpark’s Rebecca Hernandez (soccer); Newbury Park’s Greta Heath (flag football, basketball); Nordhoff’s Melina Seider (swimming); Oaks Christian’s Kiah Wong (beach volleyball, volleyball); Rio Mesa’s Brooklyn Bittner (wrestling, track); Royal’s Jordan Downey (golf); Simi Valley’s Nandhiha Krishnamoorthi (tennis); and Lainey Lajoie of St. Bonaventure (soccer) were among the individual female honorees.
Academic Athletes of the Year must be a senior who has maintained a minimum 3.5 GPA while earning a varsity letter and participating in extracurricular activities.
Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Newbury Park boys swimming earns CIF-SS top academic team award
Reporting by Joe Curley, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
