Weekly Mustang Roundup: Dec. 16-22
12/15/2025 3:19:00 PM | General
Cal Poly Athletics
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Dec 28, 2025 at 2 P.M.
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Dec 29, 2025 at All Day
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Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
THIS WEEK IN MUSTANG ATHLETICS
- Following a 10-day break for finals, Cal Poly men's basketball closes out the 2025 calendar year when hosting Montana State on Tuesday, Dec. 16 (7 p.m.), visiting UCLA on Friday, Dec. 19 (7 p.m.) and welcoming Idaho on Sunday, Dec. 21 (4 p.m.). Both home games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Friday’s matchup at UCLA airing on the Big Ten Network.
- Following an historic showing in Las Vegas two weekends ago, Cal Poly wrestling is back in action this Saturday to host a tri-dual with Drexel and Cal Baptist inside Mott Athletics Center starting a 1 p.m.
- Cal Poly women’s basketball begins a stretch of four straight road games, with a pair of games this week against Top 25 opponents. On Tuesday, they visit No. 4 UCLA at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. They then face No. 19 USC on Thursday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network+.
#RIDEHIGH MOMENTS
WEEKLY SNEAK PEEK
Men's Basketball Gets Back In Action This Week with Three Games
- Hosting Montana State Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., Cal Poly enters the matchup ranked 22nd among 361 NCAA Division I programs with 122 total three-pointers and 23rd with 11.1 three-pointers made per game.
- A double-digit scorer in all 10 appearances, Hamad Mousa remains the Big West’s top scorer at 20.5 points per game while ranking 31st NCAA Division I players with a 45.5 percent three-point mark.
- Peter Bandelj, meanwhile, is fifth in the Big West with 17.4 points per game and 13th in Division I with a 50.0 percent three-point mark.
Women’s Basketball Faces Pair of Top 25 Teams
- Cal Poly women’s basketball begins a stretch of four straight road games, with a pair of games this week against Top 25 opponents. On Tuesday, they visit No. 4 UCLA at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network. They then face No. 19 USC on Thursday at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Network+.
- Two Mustangs rank in the top seven in the Big West in scoring. Sophomore guard Vanessa McManus leads the conference and is 21st in the nation at 20.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures in eight of nine games, including over 20 four times.
- Freshman forward Charish Thompson ranks seventh in the Big West at 15.6 points per game. She leads the Big West and is 15th in the nation in free throw percentage at 91.6 percent. Thompson also leads the team and is 10th in the Big West in rebounding at 5.9 per game.
Wrestling Returns to Mat Saturday to Host Tri-Dual Inside Mott
- Cal Poly wrestling hosts a tri-dual with Drexel and Cal Baptist starting at 1 p.m. Saturday inside Mott Athletics Center. The Mustangs take on the Dragons first at 1 p.m. followed by Drexel and the Lancers squaring off at 2:30 p.m. The tripleheader ends with a showdown between Cal Poly and Cal Baptist at 4 p.m.
- Both of Cal Poly’s duals on Saturday will be streamed live on FloWrestling and for free on the Cal Poly wrestling X/Twitter account (@CalPolyWrestle). Tickets to the tri-dual can be purchased HERE and one ticket gets you entry into all three duals.
- This weekend, the Mustangs will be looking to build off an impressive performance in Las Vegas two weeks ago. At the 43rd Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 5-6, Cal Poly placed ninth out of 30 teams to secure the seven highest team finish in program history at the prestigious tournament and the best in 16 years.
- The Mustangs had a program-record five placers at the event as Koda Holeman (125 pounds) and Trevor Tinker (285) led the way with fifth place finishes, Cash Stewart (174) and Ceasar Garza (184) both took seventh and Zeth Romney finished eighth at 141.
- All four of Cal Poly’s nationally-ranked wrestlers are currently ranked inside the top 20 in their weight classes with Romney checking in at No. 8 at 141, Holeman No. 17 at 125, Garza No. 20 at 184 and Tinker No. 20 at 285.
- Several Cal Poly wrestlers will also take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday in Reno, Nevada, with live coverage available on FloWrestling.
Cal Poly Volleyball’s Historic Season Ends in Sweet 16
- Making its seventh Sweet 16 appearance all-time and first since 2007, Cal Poly volleyball put up a valiant effort against one of the best teams in the country, falling to No. 1 seed Kentucky in three sets last Thursday inside University of Kentucky’s Memorial Coliseum in the semifinals of the Lexington Regional.
- The defeat ended an historic postseason run for the Mustangs, who were the Cinderella story of this year’s NCAA Tournament as the lone unseeded team to advance to the Sweet 16.
- Cal Poly ended the season with a 27-8 overall record, the most wins under Head Coach Caroline Walters and the program’s highest win total since 2017. The Mustangs earned an automatic bid to this year’s NCAA Tournament by defeating top seed UC Davis in the Big West Championship match to secure their seventh conference title in Division I program history.
- Cal Poly posted a perfect 15-0 at home this season, and have won 19 straight inside Mott Athletics Center dating back to last season, the second-longest home win streak in program history.
D'Amato Named Third Team All-American
- Cal Poly football junior linebacker Mikey D'Amato was named an FCS Central Third Team All-American Monday
- Named First Team All-Big Sky a few weeks ago, D’Amato was one of the top linebackers in the FCS this season. He led the Big Sky and was tied for fourth in the nation in tackles with 137. That number is the third most in a season in Cal Poly history.
- He had seven games with double digit tackles, including a season-high 19 against Sac State. He was also eighth in the Big Sky in sacks with six. He also had 8.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a pass breakup, and an interception.
- He's the first Mustang to earn the honor since defensive end Elijah Ponder was also an FCS Central Third Team All-American in 2023.
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