CLA Athletes Honored at Big West Conference
The following Cal Poly student-athletes from the College of Liberal Arts were honored on the 2017-18 Big West Conference or Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (men’s and women’s swimming) All-Academic Team for the winter and spring quarters.
Miranda Daschian (Cross Country/Psychology)
Miranda Daschian won the 2018 Big West individual cross country championship, earning the medalist plaque with a victorious 6-kilometer performance of 21 minutes, 23.1 seconds in Brea. While crossing first at the Conference Finals, she also led the Mustangs to the team trophy by scoring 33 points.
Daschian went on to advance to the NCAA Championships in Wisconsin. At the National Finals in Madison, she came in 112th place, covering the Badgers’ Zimmer Championship Course in 21:09.5.
Named 2018 Big West Athlete of the Year after collecting conference athlete-of-the-week awards on both Sept. 4 and Oct. 2, Daschian also garnered USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete accolades.
An Atascadero native and transfer from Cuesta College, Daschian was selected as Cal Poly’s overall 2019 Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming one of 18 combined individuals from the conference’s 2,500 student-athletes selected to be honored at the annual March banquet in Anaheim.
A Psychology major with a minor in Ethnic Studies, Daschian (who has earned Dean’s List honors every quarter at Cal Poly) is scheduled to graduate Summa cum laude this upcoming December. Her research positions are with Dr. Julie Rodgers (Psychology) and Dr. Sarah Keadle (Kinesiology), while interning with Not Your Average Nutritionist under Libby Parker, R.D.
Joe Protheroe (Football/Sociology)
Cal Poly senior fullback Joe Protheroe, a Sociology major, earned seven All-America awards and landed on the All-Big Sky Conference first team for the third time after a record-breaking year on the football field.
In becoming the most decorated Mustang football player in Cal Poly football history, Protheroe was named an All-American by Associated Press, STATS Inc., the Walter Camp Foundation, HERO Sports, Phil Steele, the FCS Athletics Directors Association and Athlon Sports.
The Clayton Valley Charter High School graduate rushed for 1,810 yards during the 2018 season and 4,271 yards in his Mustang career, both school records.
Protheroe, who finished fourth in balloting for the 2018 Walter Payton Award which goes to the offensive player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision, surpassed the 200-yard mark in rushing three consecutive times late in the season, four for the year and five times in his Mustang career. They are among 23 career 100-yard performances, including the final nine games of the 2018 season. All of those accomplishments are school records.
Protheroe, who was named the team's most valuable player in December, carried the ball 861 times in his collegiate career, another record. He finished No. 1 in the Big Sky and FCS with his 1,810 yards and averaged 35.5 carries and 183.1 yards over eight conference games.
Adlee Van Winden (Volleyball/Child Development)
Senior outside hitter Adlee Van Winden was named First Team All-Big West after averaging 2.92 kills per set, second most on the team to help the Mustangs volleyball team to its second straight conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
She was also named to the Pacific North AVCA All-Region First Team as well as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American.
Van Winden, a Child Development major who will graduate in June, finished her career having started every match in her four years and is fifth in program history in career kills (1,372) and eighth in career kills per set (3.46).
Madilyn Mercer (Volleyball/Art & Design)
Sophomore middle blocker Madilyn Mercer was named to the First Team All-Big West after leading the conference in blocks (1.12 per set).
She started every match this past season for the Mustangs and was a key part in the Mustangs’ second straight Big West title and NCAA Tournament run.
Mercer, who is an Art & Design major, was also named to the Big West All-Academic Team.
Additional CLA Academic and Athletic Honors
The following Cal Poly student-athletes from the College of Liberal Arts were honored on the 2017-18 Big West Conference or Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (men’s and women’s swimming) All-Academic Team for the winter and spring quarters. To be eligible, student-athletes must be a sophomore academically, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and must have competed in at least 50 percent of their team’s scheduled events.
- Madilyn Mercer, Art and Design, Women’s Volleyball
- Miranda Daschian, Psychology, Women’s Cross Country
- Casey Sublette, Journalism, Football