Jacob Caricato '21 Recruiting Profile

Mount Vernon High SchoolAlexandria, VAWrestling

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ClubHelsingin Paini Miehet (International)

Height5'7"

Weight160lbs

Age21

Primary Position157 lb

Secondary Position165 lb

Dominant HandLeft

Bench Press154

Squat264

Overall Record69-33

Best PositionNeutral

Video

2020 Match Highli...

2019 Match Highli...

2018 Highlights #2

2018 Highlights

Personal Statement

I have been aspiring to extend my wrestling career by wrestling in college since I was in middle school. I spent my freshman through junior years of high school in Helsinki, Finland where all of my coaches spoke in Finnish and I was not only able to keep up with the instructions but also excelled at practices. Because of this, I think I am very coachable. I wrestled year-round for the last three years, and as a result of not having a formal "off-season", I regularly lift weights and do conditioning during the week.

I have been wrestling competitively, mostly in folkstyle since I was 8 years old. During the 2016-2017 season, I wrestled on three club teams and was invited by the high school head coach to practice with the varsity team on a regular basis. I feel that I excel in the neutral position. I have a very explosive double leg, and I am working to improve my ankle pick. I also love trying new moves and improvising during matches, as I feel that those are two ways to help improve my wrestling. I am also comfortable with big throws, as I have trained in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling since I was in fifth grade. I compete internationally throughout Europe with my team in Finland.

I attended the International School of Helsinki in Finland for three years and am now enrolled at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia. I am enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program and I am expected to graduate from high school with a full IB diploma.

Athletics

Club Information

Seasons of Club Experience
5 seasons
2017 Helsingin Paini Miehet (International) (Cadet)
I began training with Helsingin Piani Miehet (Helsinki Wrestling Men) after moving to Helsinki, Finland in July 2017. HPM focuses most of the year on freestyle but also trains Greco-Roman. To date I have wrestled in seven international tournaments with HPM for an overall record 10-7. Significant tournament places include 2nd place Cadets 63kg at the Finnish Schoolboy Freestyle Championship (October 2016) and 1st place Cadets 57kg at the Southern Finland Freestyle Championship (November 2016).
2016 Bandits Wrestling (Advanced Travel Club In Capital Area Wrestling League)
I competed with the Bandits Wrestling Club in the Capital Area Wrestling League (CAWL) during the 2016-17 season at 130lbs, 136lbs and 145lbs. CAWL was an advanced travel league. My overall (official) record was 13-9. I earned 4th place at the CAWL individual championship tournament and went 3-2 at the CAWL team dual championship to help the Bandits earn a third place in the team competition. I competed in four exhibition matches to gain more advanced competition experience earning an exhibition record of 2-2.
2016 Mount Vernon Majors (Varsity )
In my 8th grade year Coach Joel Archer of Mount Vernon High School (MVHS) in Alexandria, Virginia invited me to practice with the MVHS varsity wrestling team on a regular basis. I practiced with the MVHS varsity team five days a week while also training with the Mat Monsters and Bandits club teams and training Brazilian jiu-jitsu twice per week.
2016 Mount Vernon Mat Monsters. (Club/Travel Team )
I wrestled competitively with this club for 5 years from 2012 to 2017 and earned an overall record of 106 wins and 38 losses. In my final 2016-17 season my record was 14 wins and 2 losses. I placed in the federation Championships in 2014 (third), 2015 (third) and 2016 (first). During the 2015 and 2016 seasons I regularly wrestled up to the Senior Division in addition to my Intermediate Division matches to get more challenging competition. I earned the team "Most Improved" award in the 2014-15 season and the "Most Outstanding Wrestler" award in the 2015-16 season.
2015 Gunston Wrestling Club (School boy through cadet)
Began to practice with GWC in the springs and summers. This team mainly focuses on Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. I practiced with this team twice a week.

Coach References

Travel / Club Coach
Hannu Rantala (7th Place 1985 European Championships; 8th Place 1989 European Championships; Nine time Finnish National Champion)
Club Coach
Roy Hill (Virginia Wrestling Hall of Fame; former D-1 wrestler at VMI; former Team Virginia USA head coach)
High School Head Coach
Joel Archer (international competitive experience with the All-Marine Greco-Roman wrestling team)
Club Coach
Tim Koch (former D-1 wrestler at Harvard)

Events

Camp/Event
Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp
7/19/20 to 7/23/20
Attended the Jeff Jordan State Champ Camp in the summer of 2021. Went through the whole camp with severe contact dermatitis. Found motivation from Coach Jeff saying "in order to get tough, you have to suffer".
Camp/Event
DODEA European Championships
2/14/20 to 2/15/20
1st place at 152 in DODEA European Championships. 7-0 in the tournament, with three pins, three techs, and one decision.
Camp/Event
DOD Central Sectionals
2/08/20 to 2/08/20
First place at DOD Central Sectionals at 152lbs. 2-0
Camp/Event
K-Town Tournament, Folkstyle
1/18/20 to 1/18/20
Competed at 152 pounds. went 3-0 plus an additional exhibition match win. Total Folkstyle record as of now is 8-0 plus two exhibition wins.
Camp/Event
Wiesbaden Tournament
1/11/20 to 1/11/20
Competed in a DOD Folkstyle tournament. Unfortunately, I only had 2 matches at 152lbs, both of which I won. I then had an exhibition at 160lbs and teched my opponent 17-2 in the early second period.
Camp/Event
Ramstein Royal Rumble
12/14/19 to 12/14/19
Competed in a folkstyle tournament through the DOD Athletic League at 152lbs. I went 3-0 with two techfalls and one pin.
Camp/Event
Finnish National Championships
12/07/19 to 12/07/19
Competed in the Cadets category at 71kg. Record: 2-2, fourth place
Camp/Event
Helsinki Open International Tournament
11/23/19 to 11/23/19
Competed in the cadets category at 71kg. 3-1, 3rd place.
Camp/Event
Fillip Seitz Invitational
11/17/19 to 11/17/19
Competed in the cadets category at 71kg. Went 1-2, DNP
Camp/Event
Finlandia Freestyle Cup 4/4
11/02/19 to 11/02/19
Wrestled a total of three matches in the cadet category at 70kg. Won all three matches.
Camp/Event
Finnish Freestyle Championships 3/4
9/07/19 to 9/07/19
First place at FFC in the 70kg+ weight class at Cadets. Match 1: WIN, 10-0, Match 2: WIN, 12-2, Match 3: WIN, 11-1
Camp/Event
Finlandia Freestyle Cup
6/08/19 to 6/08/19
Competed at 70kg, 2-1 2nd place: Match one WIN: 8-0, Match two WIN: 10-1, Match three LOSS: 10-0
Camp/Event
Tallinn Open
3/31/19 to 3/31/19
Competed in Tallinn Open at 66kg. Wrestled seven total matches (4-3) Placed 6th out of 28 other wrestlers. Match 1: win tech/pin, 10-0 Match 2: win techfall, 12-2 Match 3: win techfall, 12-2 Match 4: win techfall, 10-0 Match 5: loss 3-8 Match 6: loss 2-12 Match 7: loss 8-18
Camp/Event
Stuttgart Showdown
1/19/19 to 1/19/19
Competed in a D.O.D. tournament at 145. It was my first folkstyle competition for about two years. Although I won the tournament, it showed me that I have a lot to work on in folkstyle. In my finals match, I got rode out the entire second period. However, my opponent did not score on me during the second period. MATCH ONE: second-period pin, 15 - 2. MATCH TWO: Third-period pin, 11 - 2. MATCH THREE: Third-period techfall, 19 - 4. MATCH FOUR (FINALS): Major Decision, 9-2.
Camp/Event
Finnish National Championships
12/08/18 to 12/08/18
Competed at Cadets, 65kg, placed second. Match one: WIN, 4 takedowns, 8-0. Match two, WIN, PIN, takedown, two back exposures 6-0. Match Three, WIN, PIN, 4-0 takedown back exposure. Match Four FINALS: LOSS, 1-12
Camp/Event
Helsinki Open
11/24/18 to 11/24/18
Competed in Cadets, 69kg, 1-2 D.N.P.
Camp/Event
Newland Championship
11/11/18 to 11/11/18
Competed in Cadets at 66kg. Placed Second. Match one: Pin two takedowns, one back exposure. Match 2: Loss, techfall.
Camp/Event
Baltic Championships
11/10/18 to 11/10/18
Competed in Senior Category D.N.P. 0-3
Camp/Event
Finlandia Freestyle, Cup Series 4/4
10/27/18 to 10/27/18
Competed in the final competition of the four-part series at 65kg in the 17 and up age group. Wrestled only one match due to lack of participants. Win by techfall 10-0 in the first period.
Camp/Event
Jelgeva Open
9/29/18 to 9/29/18
Competed at 62kg (136.6lbs) Cadets (seventeen and under). Placed third In a 14 man bracket. First match: First period pin, 8-0, one takedown, three turns. Match two: Loss by points, 8-9; 1 takedown, one turn, 3 push-outs, 1 passivity point. Match three: First Period pin, 2-0, one takedown.
Camp/Event
Ikäkausipainit (Jarvenpää)
9/22/18 to 9/22/18
First place 62kg, Cadets (seventeen and under). Match one: second period pin (8-7); Match two: Second period pin (8-0); match three: first period tech fall (12-0); match four: first period pin (4-0) 6 takedowns, 8 back exposures, 1 four point takedown, 1 reversal .
Camp/Event
Ikäkausipainit (Vantaa)
9/15/18 to 9/15/18
First place in 68kg, Cadets (seventeen and under). Weighed in at 62.4kg (137.6 lbs) Match one: 12 - 4; Match two: Tech fall (19-8) second period; Match three: first period pin. 10 takedowns total; one four point takedown; 5 back exposures.
Camp/Event
J Robinson 28 Day Intensive Camp
6/30/18 to 7/28/18
Attended, graduated, and earned the "I Did It" shirt from J Robinson 28 day Intensive Camp in 2018. Ran the final run (15 miles) in 2:23:19.
Camp/Event
Finlandia Freestyle Cup
5/04/18 to 5/04/18
First Place at 65 kilogram
Camp/Event
Tallinn Open 2018
4/01/18 to 4/05/18
Competed at 62kg in the schoolboy division and attended the freestyle training camp.
Camp/Event
Lilla Mälarcupen Fristil 2018
3/03/18 to 3/04/18
Competed in Cadets, 65 kg
Camp/Event
Southern Finland Championship
11/04/17 to 11/04/17
First place in the 63 kg weight class.
Camp/Event
KLL Championship
10/21/17 to 10/22/17
Second place in the 63 kg weight class.
Camp/Event
Finlandia Freestyle Cup 4/4
10/07/17 to 10/07/17
Second place in the 57 kg weight class.
Camp/Event
Vantaan Sammon Ikäkausikilpailut (Freestyle)
9/09/17 to 9/09/17
Second place in the 63 kg weight class.
Camp/Event
Navy Wrestling Marine Competition Camp
7/06/17 to 7/09/17
Won both competition matches held on the last day of camp.
Camp/Event
Melee 'til Midnight
6/24/17 to 6/24/17
Took second place at 132 lbs. weight class.
Camp/Event
VAWA Freestyle States
5/06/17 to 5/06/17
Took third place in the 132 lbs weight class
Camp/Event
CAWL (Capitol Area Wrestling League) Championships
3/05/17 to 3/05/17
Took fourth place in the 130 lbs weight class
Camp/Event
2016 PreCAWL Open
12/04/16 to 12/04/16
Took fourth place in the 15 and under, 128 lbs weight class
Camp/Event
Navy Wrestling Technique Camp
7/06/16 to 7/09/16
Won all three competition matches held on final day of camp.
Camp/Event
Melee 'til Midnight
6/25/16 to 6/25/16
Took first place in the 128 lbs. weight class.
Camp/Event
VAWA Freestyle States
5/14/16 to 5/14/16
Took sixth place in the schoolboy 122 lbs weight class
Camp/Event
King of the Rock Freestyle Tournament
4/30/16 to 4/30/16
Placed second in the middle school 99-116 lb division. Two of three wins were wins by tech fall.
Camp/Event
King of the Rock Folkstyle Tournament
4/30/16 to 4/30/16
Placed first in the middle school 111-116 lbs division.
Camp/Event
VACW Elementary and Middle School Wrestle Fest
3/05/16 to 3/05/16
Placed 5th in the 112 lb weight class
Camp/Event
VAWA Elementary and Middle School State Championships
2/27/16 to 2/27/16
Placed fifth in the state in the 115 lbs weight class.

Training

Gunston Wrestling Club
3 years
I trained with the Gunston Wrestling Club under Coach Roy Hill from 2015 to 2017. This spring/summer club trained 2-3 times per week and transitioned from post-season folkstyle competition to freestyle and greco roman.
United States Naval Academy Wrestling Camps
5 years
I attended United States Naval Academy Wrestling summer camps annually from 2012 to 2017 including 4 technique camps and one competition camp.
Monthly training camps throughout Central and Southern Finland
3 years
HPM travels throughout Finland to attend and host training camps in addition to normal practices.
J Robinson 28 Day Intensive Camp 2018
1 year
In the summer of 2018, I attended the Jrob 2018 Intensive Camp in River Falls, Wisconsin. I graduated from the camp and also received my "I Did It" shirt and also a shirt for receiving "positives" during numerous practices. At the very end of the camp, I completed the 15 mile run.

Additional Sports

Other
1 year
Club/Travel Team
I began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2016. From 2016 through 2017 I trained BJJ 2-3 times per week in addition to wrestling practices 5 nights per week. In that time I earned my grey belt from Coach Bryant Lovelace of Crypto and Capital BJJ in Ale