For the first time in a decade, sophomore defender Parker Owens and junior goalkeeper Nicky McCune earned first-team All-Far West Region selections from United Soccer Coaches.
McCune and Owens are the program’s only USC first-team selections since 2014 when midfielder Chase Minter earned the USC honors.
The Mustangs’ best defensive season in program history, allowing just 13 goals in 19 games helped propel the team to its first Big West regular-season title, earning record accolades in both the Big West and beyond.
McCune’s stellar season earned him Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, a Big West First-Team nod and four Big West Defensive Player of the Week selections throughout the season.
He gave up just three goals in nine Big West regular-season matches, allowing Cal Poly to secure points and the eventual regular-season title in the final match against Cal State Bakersfield.
In his third year with the program, McCune ranked third in the NCAA in goals-against average, with a program-record low of 0.629. He also helped lead the Mustangs to eight solo shutouts, one off the Cal Poly record set in 2007.
Owens also held down the Cal Poly back line, contributing to nine shutouts during the season, also one short of the 2007 record, and earning Big West Defender of the Year and a Big West First-Team spot on the way.
The Mustangs’ program record low of goals allowed was 17 before this season, set in 2011. Owens led a defensive front that blew past this mark, conceding only 13 times, including a dominant stretch of just four goals conceded against Big West regular-season opponents.
Owens also contributed on the offensive side of the ball. His 6-foot-4-inch frame helped net him his first career goal and three assists, ranking second in goal contributions among Mustangs in 2024.
Both McCune and Owens will return for the 2025 season, where Cal Poly will look to build on their 2024 success on both sides of the ball.