Ben Partee is Awarded Scholar Athlete of Year Honor for San Marcos

Ben Partee put up impressive numbers as a record-setting quarterback for the San Marcos football team.

He also performs at a high level in the classroom.

The senior on Monday was honored at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon as the Scholar Athlete of the Year at San Marcos.

Partee, who holds the season and career passing records at the school and is headed to Gannon University in Erie, Pa. on a football scholarship, has one of the top grade point averages in his class at 4.8.

“And he’s clearly not phoning it in with his selection of classes,” said award sponsor and presenter Marc Gamberdella.

Partee’s course load includes Advanced Placement Calculus,  Physics 2, Micro and Macro Economics and Government, and English 111, a SBCC dual enrollment class. He also takes a video production class.

Partee said in his biography that “his teachers have sparked an interest in the fields of STEM (a curriculum based on the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and always push me to not only succeed in their classes but fully understand the material given in the course.”

Said Gamberdella: “That obviously was an inspiration in that he’s seeking an upper-level degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering.”

Partee earned all-Channel League first-team honors and was selected to the Noozhawk All-South Coast football team. He also plays basketball and baseball.

His community service includes being a counselor for the past two years at Santa Barbara’s Next Level Sports Camps and serving as a volunteer for the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.

In his junior year, Partee was presented the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award.

“The Athletic Round Table has been there every step of the way for me,” said Partee. “My family, school and myself are so grateful for these opportunities and awards I’ve been presented with throughout my high school career.”

He added: “Winning the Scholar Athlete of the Year award is the capstone of an amazing career at San Marcos that I can safely say have been the most influential and best four years of my life.”

— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.