Jacob Cardenas has had plenty of change this summer, most notably a new school and a drastically different daily routine as a result of his transfer from Cornell University to the University of Michigan for his post-graduate year of NCAA eligibility.
Amidst the change – the one constant has been success on the wrestling mat.
On July 10, Cardenas was formally selected to USA Wrestling’s Under 23 World Team for October’s U23 World Championships. It marks the third consecutive U23 appearance for the Kearny native, who all but locked up his spot on June 1 when he won the gold at the USA Wrestling U23 Nationals at 92 kg.
This year’s U23 World Championships will be held in Tirana, Albania from Oct. 21-27. Cardenas is a two-time Freestyle medalist at the U23 World Championships, taking second in 2022 and third last year.
“I think maybe my experience will give me a little edge at the World Championships,” said Cardenas.”I think what I’ve learned (from my past times) is I’m more trusting in my training. I think my first year or two I’ve gotten there, I was a little nervous because my opponent is from this country and they have a reputation for being good. But then you realize they’re just the exact same as me.”
Cardenas experienced no such nerves at the Nationals as he steamrolled his way to six consecutive victories. In the best two-out-of-three final, Cardenas defeated Wyatt Voelker, 9-1 and 8-0 for the title.
Since then, Cardenas has been in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition to his training, he’s currently taking three summer classes in pursuit of his master’s degree in Business Management.
“It’s just busier. I think my training’s a little different now,” Cardenas said. “I’m doing more one-on-ones at the moment because I can’t really practice with the team because my classes go from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM (on Monday and Wednesday) so it kind of stinks where I can’t do the 3:00 PM practices. But I’ve been working with teammates in the morning, just working on techniques. Then I have lift in the afternoon twice a week on the days I don’t have classes. I practice every day at nine in the morning. It’s just kind of busy, but it’s nice to have a routine.”
Cardenas arrived on campus shortly after the US Nationals.
The Ivy League’s rules on eligibility meant that Cardenas would have to use his fifth year of eligibility somewhere other than Cornell, making him one of the country’s most sought after transfer targets.
While chaotic, Cardenas did not draw out the recruiting process for very long, announcing his commitment to Michigan on April 5.
“It was hectic when I first got into the portal, that’s when I got a whole bunch of calls. I narrowed it down to three or four schools after the season,” said Cardenas, who noted that wrestling in the Big 10, college’s top conference, was definitely an appeal to Michigan. “It was a pretty tough decision because that was the next big decision I had to make in my life. I wouldn’t say it was anything crazy, but it was definitely a little stressful for sure.”
Last season at Cornell, Cardenas became an NCAA All-American for the second consecutive year after finishing fourth at 197 pounds at the NCAA Championships.Cardenas, who took eighth place the year before, arrives at Michigan with a college record of 71-22.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)