By: Pac-12 Conference

The Pac-12 announced today the 2025-26 Pac-12 wrestling postseason awards, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Little Rock’s Stephen Little was named Wrestler of the Year, Cal Poly’s Ceasar Garza and Little Rock’s Jaivon Jones were selected Co-Newcomer of the Year, and Cal Poly’s Jon Sioredas and Oregon State’s Chris Pendleton both take home Co-Coach of the Year.

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Stephen Little, R-Jr., Little Rock, 197 (Sturgis, Ky.)
 

Stephen Little makes history for the Trojans as the first ever Little Rock grappler to earn Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year and the first wrestler to win the award at 197 lbs since that weight class was adopted in 1999.  Little’s monumental season saw him become the first three-time All-American in school history while finishing 3rd at the 2026 NCAA Championships and the first Trojan to reach the NCAA semifinals.  That followed his performance at the Pac-12 Championships where he claimed the 197-lb crown for the 2nd time in the last three years.  Little also was named the Wrestler of the Meet at the conference championships, the 3rd straight year a Little Rock wrestler took home those honors.

CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Ceasar Garza, R-Jr., Cal Poly, 184 (Oakdale, Calif.)
CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Jaivon Jones, Gr., Little Rock, 157 (Macedonia, Ohio)

For the 3rd time in conference history, the Pac-12’s Newcomer of the Year award will have multiple winners.  This first happened in 2007 when Cal State Bakersfield’s Brandon Halsey and Stanford’s Zack Giesen split the award and then again in 2013 when Cal Poly’s Devon Lotito and Cal State Bakersfield’s Bryce Hammond shared the honors in 2013.
 

Caesar Garza made a huge impact in Cal Poly after three seasons with Michigan State.  Garza became just the second Mustang to win the Pac-12 Championship at 184 lbs, joining Ryan Halsey, who captured the crown in 2003, by defeating the defending champion TJ McDonnell of Oregon State.  The Oakdale, California native brought a nine-match win streak into his first ever appearance at the NCAA Championships.  Garza went 18-4 this season with four victories over ranked opponents and he’s the fifth Mustang to be named Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year, joining Ryan Halsey (2003), Darrell Vasquez (2004), Dominic Kastl (2012) and Devon Lotito (2013).
 

Jaivon Jones also took little time to prove himself in his first year at Little Rock after five seasons at Northern Illinois.  Jones followed in teammate Matty Bianchi’s footsteps in bringing home the 157-lb title from the Pac-12 Championships for the Trojans’ second straight title in that weight class and one of three individual Little Rock champions at the meet.  The Macedonia, Ohio native made his NCAA Championships debut this season in hometown Cleveland which included an upset of No. 10 Logan Rozynski of Lehigh in the consolation bracket.  This is the second time in three years that a Little Rock grappler has secured this award after Nasir Bailey won in 2024.

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR: Jon Sioredas, Cal Poly
CO-COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Pendleton, Oregon State

For just the 2nd time in conference history, two coaches will share the Coach of the Year Award.  The previous instance occurred back in 1997 when Cal State Bakersfield’s T.J. Kerr and Arizona State’s Lee Roy Smith shared the honors.
 

This is the 2nd time in four years that Jon Sioredas has earned this award and he is the lone coach in Cal Poly history to be named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.  The Mustangs earned a top 25 national ranking for the sixth straight season and sent at least four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships for the fifth consecutive year, the second time in program history Cal Poly has accomplished that feat after previously qualifying at least five from 2003 to 2007.  Sioredas’ team took three Pac-12 individual titles at this year’s conference championships, which they hosted, while finishing in third place as a team for the third time in the last four years.  And the Mustangs did that all without arguably their best wrestler, 2025 All-American & Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year Zeth Romney, who suffered a season-ending injury in December.
 

This is also the 2nd honor for Oregon State’s Chris Pendleton, with him previously winning in 2022.  The Beavers won their second straight Pac-12 Championship this season and third in the last four years to give OSU a conference record 26 titles.  Oregon State captured four individual titles at this year’s Pac-12 Championships, their most since taking home five championships in 2023.  Pendleton’s squad sent six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, their fourth straight year with at least six selections.  Oregon State was 7-2 in dual meets this season including a 3-0 mark against their conference opponents.  Pendleton is the fourth Beaver head coach to win this award multiple times, joining Jim Zalesky (6), Joe Wells (2), and Dale Thomas (4).