The Open Mat presents awards annually in three categories for each division of college wrestling at the conclusion of the season. Awards are presented for Freshman of the Year, Coach of the Year and Wrestler of the Year.

Braydon Pacheco turned in one of the top freshman seasons in NAIA men's wrestling, earning All-America honors in his first year of collegiate competition.

For his performance, Pacheco was named The Open Mat's 2026 NAIA Men's Freshman of the Year.

A Kansas native competing at 125 pounds for Friends University, Pacheco opened his career with back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Falcon Open and the Conner Oppenheim Open. His only loss at the Falcon Open came in the finals to eventual national champion Ray Ray Harris of Doane.

He continued to build momentum throughout the season, placing at the Battle in the Bluegrass and the Missouri Valley Invitational while consistently facing top competition.

Pacheco qualified for the national tournament with a runner-up finish at the 2026 KCAC Men's Wrestling Championships.

At the 2026 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championships, Pacheco won his first three matches to reach the semifinals. After a loss to Isaac Hampton of Southern Oregon, he rebounded with a win over Anthony Hughes of Marian in the consolation semifinals before dropping a narrow 7-6 decision to Grand View's Elijah Cater in the third-place match.