National recognition returns for Cal Poly Wrestling as they enter the 2026-27 season with six wrestlers ranked in the top 33 on WrestleStat, up from five ranked starters last season.
At the top of the rankings is fifth-year returner Zeth Romney, who comes in at No. 11 at 141 pounds after spending the majority of last season with an injured UCL. Before the injury, Romney was a 2025 NCAA All-American, earning third place at 133 pounds and was named the 2024-25 Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year.
“It’s just a breath of fresh air having him back on the mat. A team leader, he’s a really good wrestler, but an even better human being and leader,” Head Coach Jon Sioredas said. “We’re in no rush. We’re going to make sure it’s healed up completely, and when he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”
Having not wrestled since Dec. 29, 2025, Romney was able to obtain a medical redshirt year for the 2025-26 season, allowing him to have two more seasons of collegiate wrestling, including this season.
Alongside Romney in the top-20 are Koda Holeman, No. 16 at 125 pounds, and junior Anthony Berg, No. 17 in the 157-pound weight class.
Holeman, the 5-foot-4 fifth-year senior, is coming off an individual Pac-12 Championship title and his second straight NCAA appearance. He went 19-7 on the year with a third-place finish at the Midlands Championships before finishing the season at a No. 28 ranking.
“This year, I have a clear goal in mind, and honestly [the success I had last season] didn’t really change anything,” Holeman said. “I trust the process that I’ve been working on and the things I’ve been doing to get better.”
Coming into the opening weekend, the Clovis, Calif. native is not focused on his highest-ever preseason ranking, but rather on the off-season work that has improved his skill set.
“I could be ranked. I could not be ranked. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just focusing on myself, my own skill sets, and my opportunities that I have,” Holeman said.
Similarly to Holeman, Ceasar Garza enters his fifth season of collegiate wrestling after winning an individual Pac-12 title and qualifying for his first NCAA Championships during the 2025-26 wrestling season. The 2025 Michigan State transfer comes into the year ranked No. 29 in the 184-pound weight class.
Rounding out the rankings are sophomore Aiden Simmons, entering at No. 30 in the 149-pound weight class, and junior Jagger French, No. 31 at 165 pounds.
“I think we’ve always had star power through the years, but this is the most complete team that we’ve put together in a while,” Sioredas said. “We’ve got a number of guys that continue to get better and are buying into what we’re doing, and I think the results are starting to show.”
As rankings play a crucial role in bidding criteria that qualify athletes for the NCAA championships, Sioredas acknowledges not only the depth that Cal Poly Wrestling has created, but how this early recognition can signal good things to come.
“[NCAA bidding] is a lot based on ranking, so it’s more important now than it’s ever been. So, it takes some of the pressure off of the qualifier, which is the Pac-12 Championships, because if you’re ranked in the top-20, you’re more than likely going,” Sioredas said.
The Mustangs will open up a new season as they travel to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Nov. 1. For Sioredas, it will be an opportunity to see many of Cal Poly’s top wrestlers, as well as an opportunity for some fresh faces and new talent to make a statement early.
“Most guys are going to get four matches, and we’re going to see a lot of East Coast teams that we typically don’t see, and get that experience,” Sioredas said. “And then we’re especially excited for some of our freshmen. We’re going to have a couple true freshmen in the lineup.”