The Gallop podcast created KCPR’s first-ever sports audio documentary, featuring insider interviews from Mustang News.
Written and narrated by the hosts and accompanied by original music, this project intends to pave the way for high-quality long-form journalism in Mustang News and KCPR.
During the episode, the hosts explore what happened in Alex Crozier’s final years as coach, the transition to Cal Poly 2.0, and what these changes look like on the field.
For the first time in 21 years, Cal Poly Women’s Soccer won the Big West championship on Sunday, Nov. 9. Many players are excited to move on to the NCAA tournament after being eliminated in the conference finals in 2021 and 2023. Six Mustangs earned All-Big West honors for the regular season after the team narrowly missed out on the first seed.
Junior forward Annika Smith earned Offensive Player of the Year and senior defender Brennan Cole earned Defender of the Year.
“I think the mindset from last year to this year is a huge difference,” Smith said. “Everyone this season is on the same page and is super committed to this team, and I’m just so grateful for everyone around me because they put in a great shift every day, even during practices.”
Cal Poly went from missing the postseason to being the most accoladed team of 2025, driven by changes in personnel, culture and on-field strategy.
The Mustangs had competed for the postseason chip every year exiting the pandemic, but had an incredibly disappointing 2024 season. To follow, the only head coach in program history, Alex Crozier, had planned to retire.
Also, many notable seniors were graduating, which left the rest of the Mustangs to regroup under a new coach.
Bernardo Silva, head coach, made many changes to personnel and team culture, labeling them with a rebrand called Cal Poly 2.0.
Executive producer & music composition by Ty Soria | Hosted by Dylan Allen, Jonathan Sze and Matthew Muren
This story originally appeared in a printed newspaper on Nov. 12. For more stories from the November print edition check out the featured print section on our website or the full edition.