Cal Poly has a sound reputation as an agricultural school. Orcutt Academy senior Karli Lundberg hopes to go into the agricultural field. She also hopes to remain in the area after her college days are over.

Thus, Cal Poly seemed like the perfect fit for Orcutt Academy's senior Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, and Lundberg decided it was. She will attend Cal Poly.

"It's been my first choice for a few years, " Lundberg said. "I"m hoping to go into a local business like farming or marketing, and I hope to stay in this area."

She played golf and soccer, and ran track during her time at Orcutt Academy.

Lundberg also carries a 4.34 GPA, and that earned her Orcutt's senior Female Scholar Athlete of the Year applicant status for that 2020 Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table scholarship award.

The NSBCART typically awards its scholarships during its annual awards dinner. The organization cancelled its 2020 awards dinner because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lundberg now faces a future without competitive golf, and she acknowledged that will be a tough adjustment for her to make.

She holds 11 school records in that sport and has been an All-League selection the past three seasons. She was the MVP of the inaugural Ocean League in 2018.

Orcutt Academy joined most of the other sports programs in a move from the CIF Southern Section to the Central Section that took place in 2018.

Lundberg was the Orcutt girls golf team's captain the past two years and qualified for the CIF Central Section Tournament in 2018.

Life without competitive golf "will definitely be an adjustment, but hopefully I can handle it all right," said Lundberg.

'I'm thinking about joining golf as an intramural sport at Cal Poly." Lundberg chuckled. "Or try to go on my own time and drag my brother out."

Karli's brother, Eddie Lundberg, is a Cal Poly sophomore. Though many state venues have been closed because of the pandemic, many area golf courses have remained open.

Besides golf, Lundberg made her mark in other sports at Orcutt Academy. She finished second in the league in the shot put in track in 2019. In 2018, Lundberg was on the first Orcutt girls soccer team to qualify for the playoffs.

She has spent some time preparing for her future career choice.

Lundberg has been the president of a local 4-H division for two years. She was a founding member of a local farm day event.

Lundberg stated on her scholarship application that the objective of the event is to open farms to the public so the community can better understand how farms function.

Also, Lundberg stated on her scholarship application, she spent eight years raising and showing swine. Lundberg said on the application that she placed multiple times in her class and was a Breed Champion winner.

As for being strictly an online learner since schools were closed statewide in March because of the pandemic, "I always prefer classrooms, because of space," said Lundberg.

"But I think I'm doing all right. The school has made (online learning) pretty straightforward, and I have them to thank for that." 

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Sports Reporter

Kenny Cress, sportswriter for the Santa Maria Times since September of 2000. BA in political science from Cal Poly Pomona. BA in journalism from Cal State Northridge.

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