2024-25 Wrestling Roster
Jacob Cardenas
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Position:
- 197
- Hometown:
- Kearny, N.J.
- High School:
- Bergen Catholic
Graduate Student (2024-25)
• NCAA All-American, 197 Pounds
• Claimed fourth place at the NCAA Championships (March 20-22) with a 4-2 record
• Earned a 10-5 decision over Indiana's #24 Gabe Sollars in the NCAA quarterfinals; also defeated Little Rock's #12 Stephen Little, 5-2, in the consolation semis
• Captured the 197-pound title at the Big Ten Championships (March 8-9) with a 4-0 record; beat Iowa's undefeated #1 Stephen Buchanan, 4-2, in the championship bout
• Avenged his dual loss to Penn State's #2 Josh Barr with a 4-1 decision in the Big Ten semifinals
• Posted a 24-3 record, including an 11-1 mark in dual meets and team-best 47 dual points
• Scored bonus points in 15 of 24 wins, earning five major decisions, eight technical falls and one pin
• Defeated Columbia's Isaac Schmidt by technical fall (18-0, 3:58) in U-M’s dual opener and his Michigan debut
• Earned six ranked Big Ten dual wins, including a major decision vs. Northwestern's #12 Evan Bates (16-6, Jan. 17) and a decision over Minnesota’s #8 Isaiah Salazar (8-3, Jan. 19)
• Won the CKLV Invitational 197-pound title (Dec. 6-7) with a 5-0 record; earned bonus points in all five matches, including a pin over Northwestern's #11 Evan Bates (4:34) in the championship final
• Claimed silver at 92kg freestyle at the U23 World Championships (Oct. 26) for his third straight U23 world medal
Prior to Michigan
• Graduated from Cornell University (2024)
• Two-time NCAA All-American (197 pounds)
• Placed fourth (2024) and eighth (2023) at the NCAA Championships
• Three-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds
• Posted a 71-22 record over three seasons at Cornell
• 2023 EIWA 197-pound champion; three-time unanimous All-Ivy first team selection
• Two-time 92kg freestyle medalist at the U23 World Championships, taking silver in 2022 and bronze in 2023
• Two-time NWCA School All-American; three-time EIWA Academic Achievement Award
Prep
• Graduated from Bergen Catholic High School (2019)
• Two-time New Jersey state champion, winning at 195 pounds as junior and senior (2018, 19)
• Posted a 121 career wins, including a 69-6 mark at 195 pounds over last two seasons
• Claimed the 195-pound title at the 2018 Super 32 tournament; FloNationals champion (2019)
• Doc Buchanan champion (2019) and two-time finalist (2018, '19); named the Most Outstanding Upperweight Wrestler in 2019
• Two-time Beast of the East finalist (2018, '19)
• Ranked as the No. 15 overall recruit by FloWrestling and No. 1-ranked 195-pound wrestler
Personal
• Currently enrolled in the Ross School of Business, pursuing a Master of Management degree
• Earned a bachelor's degree in urban and regional studies from Cornell University in spring 2024
• Born on September 13, 2001
• Son of Roig Cardenas and Jesenia Reis
• Has three siblings, Kiana, London and Lira
| Year | Overall | Dual | Tourney | Falls | TF | MD | Conf. | NCAA |
| 2020-21 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- |
| 2021-22 | 23-8 | 14-1 | 9-7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5th | -- |
| 2022-23 | 20-6 | 12-3 | 8-3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1st | 8th |
| 2023-24 | 28-8 | 13-3 | 15-5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2nd | 4th |
| 2024-25 | 24-3 | 11-1 | 13-2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 1st | 4th |
| Totals | 95-25 | 50-8 | 45-17 | 8 | 20 | 20 |
