Fort Campbell senior Jaeden Carolina is headed to the next level after signing on Friday to continue his wrestling career at Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro.
His signing marked a milestone: he began as a basketball player before finding his path on the wrestling mat — and eventually turning that late start into a college opportunity.
For Carolina, the move into wrestling was fueled by the challenge the sport presented and the chance to build on something through hard work.
“It was just the physicality and just wanting to work for something that you haven’t been into,” Carolina said. “And just the hunger for accolades and stuff. Just getting better over time.”
Carolina said wrestling quickly taught him there was little room for error — and that the intensity of practice and competition forced him to grow.
“If you slack off, it’s bad for you,” Carolina said. “Wrestling is not one of those sports where you can just be lazy or anything. One bad move and you’re off the mat. So you just got to lock in and get it done.”
Carolina earned a trip to the KHSAA Boys’ State Wrestling Tournament earlier this year. He finished third at 215 pounds in the Region 1 Tournament, helping the Falcons place fourth as a team — Fort Campbell’s best regional finish in 12 years.
Asked what it meant to perform the way he did at both region and state, Carolina said the accomplishment was about more than individual success.
“I think it meant a lot for me,” Carolina said. “I wanted to do it for my team and my coaches. They’ve put all the time into me to help me get better, and I just wanted to do something great for the team.”
Carolina’s signing on Friday was one of three for the Falcons, something Coach Anthony Shingler said speaks to the work ethic and toughness of the senior class.
“They put extra time, extra work, camps, whatever, you know, 5 a.m., 5:30 here in the morning, two or three times a week, like you’re running all over the place,” Shingler said. “I think that the highlight about all three of them is their grit and toughness. Wrestling is not easy. But when it comes down to it, their character speaks volumes.”
Carolina’s decision to choose Kentucky Wesleyan came down to comfort, the fit, and the chance to help build something at the next level.
“I was really looking for somewhere I could call home, somewhere that I could stay for probably about a whole four years of college,” Carolina said. “With Kentucky Wesleyan, I feel like I could just do that. Contributing and improving their program over time.”
That opportunity comes with a program that continues to evolve.
Kentucky Wesleyan’s wrestling program began in 2017 and competes at the NCAA Division II level as part of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Academically, Carolina said he plans to study education so he can “become a teacher and basically leave the impact that the teachers left on me to make me such a great person that I am today,” he said.
