Braeden Holcombe

Photo by: Alysa Rubin/NCAA Photos

Photo by: Tyler Schank, NCAA Photos

Photo by: Isaiah Vasquez, NCAA Photos

Photo by: Trevor Cokley

Class:
Sophomore
Events:
Decathlon / Long Jump
Hometown:
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Height:
6-4
High School:
Palmer Ridge
Squadron:
29 Black Panthers

AIR FORCE HIGHLIGHTS

Mountain West Champion, Decathlon (2022)

JUNIOR YEAR | 2022-23: Two-time all-conference honoree…tallied a season-best 5271 points to finish second in the heptathlon at the Mountain West Indoor Championships…finished first or second in the final four events…matched career-best high jump clearance of 6’5½” during the conference meet…registered season-best marks in three additional events…also scored for the Falcons in the pole vault at the conference meet (seventh)…won the heptathlon’s 1000-meter run at the Ralph Lindeman Invitational, while finishing fifth overall…placed second in the decathlon at the MW Outdoor Championships with a season-best tally of 6995 points…posted season-best marks in six events at the conference meet…led the Falcons to a 1-2 finish in the decathlon hurdles…added a scoring finish for Air Force in the open pole vault, recording a season-best height of 14’9”.

SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2021-22: Mountain West champion in the decathlon…recorded the fourth-highest total in program history (7267 points) during conference win…accounted for Air Force Sophomore Class Records in both the decathlon and heptathlon…all-conference honoree…used career-best marks to set the program’s Decathlon Event records in the 110-meter hurdles (14.69) and discus throw (138’2”) at the MW Outdoor Championships…also accounted for personal-best marks in the 400-meter dash (49.60), 1500-meter run (4:38.34) and long jump (22’1¾”) at the conference meet…finished first or second in seven of the 10 events in the MW Decathlon…also scored for the Falcons in the open 110-meter hurdles (eighth) and pole vault (eighth) at the conference meet…improved hurdles time to 14.65 (+2.3 wind) during the preliminary round of the open hurdles…recorded a season-best distance of 40’3¼” in the shot put at the Jim Click Decathlon…also improved personal-best marks in the 100-meter dash (11.28, Air Force Twilight Open), high jump (6’4¾”, Jerry Quiller Classic), pole vault (14’10¼”, Jack Christiansen Invitational) and javelin throw (172’5”, Aztec Invitational) during the outdoor season…accounted for the sixth-highest heptathlon total in Academy history during a 5285-point performance at the Air Force Invitational…posted a personal-best long jump distance of 23’0” at that meet…accounted for career-best marks in the 60-meter dash (7.30), 1000-meter run (2:43.16) and high jump (6’6½”) at the MW Indoor Championships…posted a personal-best time of 8.28 and won the long jump (22’3”) at the Potts Invitational…rounded out career-best marks with a 15’1” in the pole vault at the Invitational at the Peak meet and a 41’2½” in the shot put at the Air Force Holiday Open.

FRESHMAN YEAR | 2020-21: Earned the team’s Newcomer of the Year award…debuted on the Academy’s all-time standings in both the decathlon and heptathlon…set Freshman Class Records in both…claimed all-conference honors in the decathlon after placing second at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships…recorded the seventh-highest total in Air Force history (7107) at that meet, becoming the first Air Force freshman to break 7000 points in the decathlon…posted career-best marks in six of 10 events during at the conference meet – 100-meter dash (11.43), high jump (6’4¼”), 400-meter dash (50.81), discus throw (128’7”), javelin throw (166’3”), 1500-meter run (4:39.04)…also scored for Air Force in the open 110-meter hurdles at that meet (eighth)…clocked a career-best hurdles time of 14.89 at the West Coast Relays…added personal-best marks in the long jump (21’7½”), shot put (42’4”) and pole vault (14’7¼”) at the Air Force Twilight Open…made decathlon debut with a runner-up performance at the Aztec Invitational (6593)…posted the eighth-best heptathlon total in program history (5168) to finish second at the UCCS Open…accounted for personal-best marks in six of seven events during that performances – 60-meter dash (7.35), long jump (21’10¾”), shot put (41’0½”), high jump (6’4¾”), pole vault (13’11¼”) and 1000-meter run (2:51.43)…earned the team’s Field Athlete of the Week award following that meet…tallied a career-best 8.48 in the 60-meter hurdles at the Championships at the Peak.

HIGH SCHOOL: Palmer Ridge High School...earned All-American honors from USATF and New Balance Nationals Indoor...claimed MVP honors as a senior...three-time Field Athlete of the Year (2017-19)...named Athlete of the Year in 2016...recorded a pentathlon tally of 3662 points to win the Air Force High School Open...that total was ranked No. 2 in the nation in 2020...recorded the nation’s sixth-best high school decathlon score (6010) at the 2019 USATF Junior Olympic Nationals...recorded that decathlon total after just two months of training...recorded a prep-best distance of 23’0” to finish third in the long jump at the Colorado 4A State Championships as a junior...earned academic letters all four years...recorded a GPA of at least 3.75 every year...earned academic all-state honors as a junior.

PERSONAL: Full name is Braeden Mitchell Holcombe...nickname is “B”…son of Layton Holcombe and Kathleen Holcombe Stevens...mother competed in gymnastics at Oregon State University...has five siblings (three older, two younger)...older brother, Preston, was a member of the diving team at Southern Methodist University...majoring in civil engineering…future plans include a civil engineer and project manager for the Air Force…currently serving as an Academic Officer…member of Best Flight from the Field Engineering Readiness Laboratory (FERL) summer program in 2022...enjoys drinking tea, doing yoga and meditating when not studying or working out…also prioritizes nutrition by cooking and meal-prepping weekly...would like to add “track is my assignment, not my purpose”…member of FERL cadre over the summer…also served as logistics cadre during Basic Cadet Training, being on-call at all times to report any location on base to deliver supplies or transport basics...member of Cadet Squadron 04.