Koda Holeman, a redshirt junior for the Cal Poly wrestling team, achieved fifth place in the men’s freestyle 57-kilogram weight class at the U23 Nationals held in Geneva, Ohio. This result earned him All-American honors.
Holeman competed for Central Coast RTC and recorded an 8-2 record during the national tournament, which took place from Friday to Sunday. He won seven consecutive matches and secured his fifth-place finish by defeating Carson Wagner of Binghamton University with an 8-6 decision.
During the event, Holeman won three matches by technical fall and one by disqualification. Both of his losses were to Charles Farmer, an NCAA qualifier representing Army. The first loss was by an 11-2 decision in the opening round, followed by a close 7-4 defeat in the consolation bracket.
This All-American performance follows a strong season for Holeman as he completed his first full year as a starter at 125 pounds for Cal Poly. He finished with a 20-13 overall record and received an at-large bid to his first NCAA Championships, although he did not win a match there. Holeman was notable for being the only Mustang wrestler to compete on every date throughout the season, earning Ironman status. He was also recognized as a NWCA Scholar All-American for his achievements both academically and athletically.
