Peja Balanon

Peja Balanon battles for ball, Hawai'i, 9-25-22

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Height:
5-3
Class:
Freshman
High School:
Vanden HS
Hometown:
Vacaville, CA

2023 (Junior)
Played in 20 of 21 matches, starting in 10 of them ... racked up 643 minutes on the pitch ... scored game-winning goal in 2-1 victory over Hawai'i (Oct. 29) in First Round of the Big West Championships ... played a season-high 60 minutes in 1-1 home draw against No. 8 Santa Clara (Sept. 10), recording only assist of the season on Sophia Moness' first career goal ... scored a goal with 56 seconds left in 2-1 loss to Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 28) ... earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors ... named to Big West All-Academic Team.

2022 (Sophomore)
Played in all 19 matches, starting in 12 of them and racking up 978 minutes on the pitch ... finished in a tie for second on the team in points (8) with three goals and two assists ... netted first career goal and point in the 62nd minute of a 4-0 home victory over rival UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 15) ... also tallied first career brace in the match with a 70th-minute strike ... scored the second-quickest goal (45:42) to open a second half in program history in a 2-2 draw against Hawai'i (Sept. 25) ... assisted on goals against CSUN (Oct. 2) and UC Davis (Oct. 6) ... earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors ... named to Big West All-Academic Team.

2021 (Freshman)
Played in 15 of 21 matches and averaged 22.1 minutes per appearance … produced career best two shot attempts in 3-0 home win versus CSUN (Oct. 10) … played career best 45 minutes in 2-1 victory at Colorado College (Sept. 5).

Vanden HS (Fairfield, Calif.) / Davis Legacy SC
Scored four times as a freshman and six more times as a sophomore at Vanden HS … transitioned to club level for Davis Legacy SC and was one of 32 athletes selected from the United States and Canada by Generation Adidas International to train at French giants Olympique Lyonnais in 2019 … named as a Elite Clubs National League Northwest Conference Player to Watch in 2017 and 2019.

Personal
Majoring in biology with aspirations of attending medical school and becoming a physician … also plans to pursue coaching license … earned Outstanding Viking Award and selected as an honors student at Vanden HS.