Fort Lewis College Athletics

Head coach David Oberholtzer will enter his 10^th season at the helm of the Skyhawks program in 2025. During his tenure, Oberholtzer has led Fort Lewis to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA National Tournament, including a trip to the NCAA National Quarterfinal in 2024; won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship in 2023; and made seven appearances in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament. He has also amassed an overall record of 82-57-25 (.576) with a 56-35-11 (.603) mark in conference play.
 
Fort Lewis made its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament in 2024 since winning it all back in 2011, making an appearance in the NCAA National Quarterfinal against No. 15 CSU Pueblo (Dec. 7). The Skyhawks finished the regular season in third place before making a run to, and falling in, the RMAC Tournament Title match. Fort Lewis earned the sixth seed in the region for the NCAA Tournament and defeated No. 3 UCCS (Nov. 24) and (RV) Midwestern State (Dec. 1) on the road to reach the quarterfinals.
 
The Skyhawks were one of the best defensive teams in the country in 2024, boasting the sixth-most shutouts (11) and 25^th-lowest team goals-against average (0.991). Sophomore and Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection Lucas Martin stood between the posts and boasted the second-best save percentage (84.4%), made the fifth-most saves (92), and tied for the fourth-most shutouts (10) in Division II. Junior David Citron had an incredible year on the offensive end for Fort Lewis, earning a plethora of all-conference and all-region honors, culminating in being named a College Sports Communicators First-Team Academic All-American and Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association Third-Team All-American. In addition, seniors Tomas Duenes, Gabriel Legendre, Jakob Larson, and junior Casey Stracher earned nods to the D2CCA and USC All-South Central Region Teams. All six Skyhawks were tabbed with All-RMAC honors, while freshman Fabrizio Aguilera was named the RMAC Freshman of the Year, giving Fort Lewis the award in back-to-back seasons.  
 
Oberholtzer led Fort Lewis back to prominence in 2023 as the Skyhawks posted a 12-5-4 (.667) overall record – the second 12-win season since 2011 – and a 6-1-3 (.750) RMAC record en route to securing the RMAC Regular Season Championship and both the top overall seed and hosting rights for the RMAC Tournament. The Skyhawks owned one of the most dominant offenses in the South-Central Region, averaging the second-highest goals per game (2.429), the second-most goals for (51), and the third-highest goal differential (1.10). Fort Lewis also ranked as high as No. 10 on the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 National Poll.
 
After tripling FLC’s total wins from four in 2022 to 12 in 2023, it was no surprise that Oberholtzer was named the RMAC Coach of the Year in 2023 – the first of his career – by the league's head coaches.
 
In addition, Oberholtzer brought in and oversaw the development of true freshman Anton Hjalmarsson, who was named the RMAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year after tallying 10 goals and eight assists over 17 matches. Hjalmarsson went on to record another goal and three assists in the NCAA Tournament to garner D2CCA First-Team All-South Central Region honors. In addition to Hjalmarsson, redshirt senior Loic Jean-Baptiste was tabbed with First-Team All-Region honors, while junior Gabriel Legendre and sophomore Kaden Schufft each earned Second-Team All-Region awards. Additionally, Hjalmarsson, Jean-Baptiste, and Legendre all earned First-Team All-RMAC nods, while Tomas Duenes and Schufft took home Second-Team All-Conference awards. Four Skyhawks were named the RMAC All-Tournament Team: Emmett Layman, David Citron Jean-Baptiste, and Schufft.
 
Academically, Legendre led Fort Lewis as a First-Team Academic All-RMAC selection – the second of his career – while Quinn Bosanko, Ismael Hernandez, and Jakob Maurek were each awarded RMAC Academic Honor Roll awards. Three Skyhawks also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors: Legendre, Thomas Kirkham, and Bosanko.

In 2022, the Skyhawks were 4-11-2 overall with a 3-7 record in league play and owned a 4-3 record at home on Dirks Field. Four players were named All-RMAC, led by sophomore Gabriel Legendre, who picked up Second-Team nods. The trio of Isaac Garro, Loic Jean-Baptiste, and Maximilian Meier were Honorable Mention picks. Legendre was also an RMAC First Team All-Academic selection, while four additional student-athletes (Andres Hernandez, Jakob Maurek, Brenden Oberg, and Ismael Hernandez) were named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll. 

Fort Lewis went 8-8-1 overall in the 2021 campaign while holding a 5-5 record in league play. The team ranked second in the RMAC in points per game (4.82) while finishing seventh in the league standings. Tomas Duenes and Milen Manchev garnered Second Team All-RMAC nods, while Duenes was tabbed at the RMAC Freshman of the Year. Four athletes earned a spot on the Honorable Mention team (Peter Byrne, Gabriel Legendre, Quinn Bosanko, and Maximilian Meier).

In his first season at the helm, Oberholtzer guided the program to a .500 finish with an overall record of 9-9-1 and a conference record of 8-5-1 (.667).  The Skyhawks qualified for the RMAC men's soccer championship tournament as the No. 6 seed.

Oberholtzer is no stranger to Fort Lewis as he played two seasons for the Skyhawks before serving as an assistant coach from 2009-2012.  A member of the 2006 and 2007 teams, Oberholtzer was a part of the Skyhawks NCAA National Runner-up team in 2006. In his senior year in 2007, he was named to the All-RMAC Second Team, the RMAC All-Tournament Team, and the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 2, 2007).  In 35 career games, he scored seven points (three goals, one assist).
 
As an assistant coach for the Skyhawks, Oberholtzer helped coach FLC to two NCAA National Championships in 2009 and 2011.  His primary responsibilities included recruiting, administering summer camps, overseeing academics, community outreach programs, travel, budgeting, and marketing.

During the 2009 season, FLC went 24-1-0 overall and 14-0-0 in conference games. In 2011, the Skyhawks went 24-1-0 overall and 13-1-0 in the RMAC. Fort Lewis won RMAC regular season and postseason trophies both years.

In his first four seasons as an assistant coach, the Skyhawks were 77-9-7 overall (.866) and 48-3-5 (.902). During that span, FLC won two RMAC regular season titles, two RMAC postseason titles, and qualified for the NCAA-II playoffs three times.
 
After four years as the assistant coach at FLC, Oberholtzer served as the assistant coach at the University of Dayton from 2013-15. At Dayton, Oberholtzer was involved in all facets of the Division I program. In 2015, he helped the Flyers to the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship title and the NCAA Second Round playoffs. The Flyers led the NCAA in scoring offense this past year. Oberholtzer coached the A10 Midfielder of the Year, five all-conference performers, and an Academic All-American.
 
In 2014, the Flyers earned the highest team GPA in program history (3.3 GPA), and the team earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award, which is awarded to teams with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

A native of Tempe, Ariz., and a 2003 graduate of Corona del Sol High School, he majored in Exercise Science-Exercise Specialist when he graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2008. He and his wife, Megan, have two children - Porter and Piper.