By: Matt Florjancic '07
BEREA, Ohio – “What’s your why?”
This is a question many athletes are presented with as to the reason or reasons they wake up early, put in work after practice and make personal sacrifices to perfect their crafts. To some, it is for the spirit of competition, while others work hard to help support their families.
When Jaden Hinton steps onto the wrestling mat wearing a Baldwin Wallace University singlet, he is carrying the hopes and dreams of not only of himself, but also, the woman who was his biggest fan since he started in the sport, his late mother, Saleah.
“When I was little, she would come to my matches,” Hinton recalled. “I’ve been doing this for 18 years, and she would come to almost all my matches. No matter how loud it was, I could always hear her yelling her head off from my name or telling me to pin the kid or to get up when I was on bottom.
“I especially heard her (at Nationals) in the stands for sure. I like to know that she’s looking down on me, and that my success was a big part of her. She definitely helped me throughout the Nationals.”
National Runner-Up
When Hinton references metaphorically hearing his mother’s voice, he was addressing competing at the 2024 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.
Ranked No. 3 in the 133-pound weight class heading into the tournament, Hinton won three matches and advanced to the National Championship match where he fell to Chase Randall of the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Although Hinton did not win the championship, he won the 133-pound Central Regional Championship, was an All-American for the second consecutive year and improved on his fourth-place finish at Nationals from the 2022-2023 season.
“Honestly, it feels like I accomplished one of my goals,” Hinton said of becoming an All-American. “It obviously wasn’t the outcome that I wanted, but I’m glad that I got there. I’m glad I got the experience.
“I’m glad I got to have that feeling of running out of the tunnel, so I’m excited to do it one more year. I had that COVID year that they gave me. I definitely would’ve used it. Again, they’re giving it to me, so I might as well use it, and plus, I love it here. If I could wrestle every year until I was 45 years old, I’d do it.”
Keeping Her Memory Close
In addition to hearing the words of his mother in his mind during every match, Hinton has another way of remembering her.
Oftentimes before his matches, Hinton is seen listening to music as a way to get himself focused.
Hinton describes his musical preferences before competitions as, “If you see me warming up for a match, it might not be what you think it might be.”
Instead of the latest chart-topping hits, Hinton uses those minutes before competing to remember and reflect upon the life of his late mother. One of the Saleah’s favorite songs was “Until the End of Time” by Justin Timberlake, and that’s a frequent tune on his pre-match playlist.
“I love that song,” Hinton said. “I try to listen to it as much as I can. It’s kind of hard to get tired of that song. I can listen to it on repeat all the time. Another song I love of hers that she loved listening to was ‘Last Night.’
“I also love Mary J. Blige, just calming stuff like R&B and soul. She loved listening to that. I remember always hearing in the car when I was growing up, and she would sing her head off. It’s just stuff that she loved to listen to.”
Honoring Mom
Along with listening to his mother’s favorite music, Hinton has many other ways he honors her.
While Saleah Hinton is no longer physically present, her only son has her in his heart, as he works tirelessly to keep her a part of his experiences.
“Continuing honoring my mom’s memory will always be very important to me, whether that’s on the mat or off,” Hinton said. “She was my biggest supporter in wrestling and in life, so she will still continue to play a big role in my last year as a BW Yellow Jacket.
“Every match/tournament, home or away, I like to bring my necklace with her birthstone ring and engagement ring on it. I wore it when walking out with my dad for Senior Day. She is also my lockscreen picture on my phone, so I look at her every day and in a way, that helps me throughout the day, on and off the mat.”
Fighting Spirit
Hinton’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2021. Following the diagnosis, she underwent medical treatment and fought for nearly one year before her passing.
The grace and determination she showed in that fight has continued to inspire Hinton, both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom.
“She was a fighter,” Hinton said. “She always was. Even before she was diagnosed with cancer, she was born a fighter, and she definitely instilled that in me.
“If I start something, I’m going to finish it to the best of my ability. I would like to think that when I have kids one day, they’ll definitely be fighters as well, take after my mom. Kudos to my mom and dad because I like to think they raised a pretty decent kid and a fighter at that.”
Fatherly Support
While Hinton competed with the memory of his mother on his mind and her supportive voice filling his heart, he had physical support, too.
Hinton’s father, Tyler, and several other family members made the trip from his hometown of Glassboro, New Jersey to La Crosse, Wisconsin to watch him compete in the 2024 Nationals. Despite some challenges along the way, Tyler Hinton was not to be denied of the opportunity to see Jaden finish second in the nation.
“He missed his flight,” Hinton said. “He and my uncle -- his best friend -- missed their flight. They had a flight from Philly to Cleveland to Chicago, and then, to La Crosse. They made it to Cleveland, and then, missed their flight. They had to rent a car, and then, drove the 10 hours.
“They didn’t get to La Crosse until about four o’clock in the morning, and they were up at like 8:30 in the arena, so kudos to them. They were running on E, but they got it done. I’m glad that they made it along with a family friend as well.
“We had gotten to La Crosse Wednesday, and I think Thursday night, he calls me, I’m like, ‘Dude, why are you calling me? Shouldn’t you be on the flight here?’ He is like, ‘Yeah, so we missed our flight. We’re on the road right now. We rented a car, so we won’t get there until late.’ That was a good laugh, good story to get my mind off wrestling that night. That was pretty funny.”
Putting on a Show
Knowing his family travelled a long way to see him compete in the National Championships, Hinton put on a show for them, his teammates and coaches and the Yellow Jackets’ contingent of fans who made the trip.
After winning his first match, Hinton competed against Gabriel Leo-Esparollini of Johnson and Wales and earned a technical fall via a 17-1 score. Then, Hinton faced second-ranked Joe Pins of Wartburg, whom he earned a 9-6 decision victory over before losing in the finals.
Having been there themselves, Michael Petrella (the two-time reigning 149-pound National Champion) and Jacob Decatur (the 2022 125-pound title winner) believe the experience of falling short will motivate Hinton to get the win in the final match of the season.
“I just know how bad that feels, especially when you get that close and put all that effort and work into it, and you don’t reach your goal,” said Petrella, who lost the 2022 National Championship match before going undefeated in the two years since. “I think that it’s really going to help him in the long run. I think it’s going to make him more motivated. I’m going to be really excited for him. I think he’s going to be one of the more dominant wrestlers in D-III.”
Decatur added, “It’s been amazing just to watch him grow throughout these last three years. We’re pushing each other in the weight room, pushing each other in the wrestling room. It’s just the fire in his eyes to compete at the highest level and to do really well. It’s really, really been amazing. I told him after he lost his finals match, I’m so damn proud of him because of everything he’s gone through. He just continues to overcome.
“Wrestling is not an easy sport, and we all have those doubts, and he’s had a lot of them, but he just continues to overcome them, and I can’t speak highly enough of him. He pushes me. He makes me work better and harder. That’s truly my brother from another mother, honestly.”
Bond Forged in Tragedy
Decatur has seen Hinton rise above challenges throughout his collegiate wrestling career, but also, away from the sport, too.
Decatur shared a house with Hinton and was there for him when his mother passed away. To Decatur, the entire wrestling team surrounded Hinton with support to get him through the unthinkable loss.
“We’re always together, and it was just a really tough time for him, but he’s got a lot of people on the team, not just me that he can go to and just talk to,” Decatur said. “As long as we were there for him, we were always willing to listen.
“That’s what this sport is all about, just creating those friendships, those bonds that’ll last forever. We go through so much in the practice room and in the weight room, and go through too much just not to be there for one another. That’s just the hope that I can give him.”
Similar Path
Hinton has appreciated the support of Decatur and the rest of the BW wrestling team during the loss of his mother, and also, the example they helped set in their own struggles on the mats.
Decatur won the National Championship in 2022, and then, finished second the following season. Decatur wrapped up the 2023-2024 season as the fourth-place finisher and an All-American once more. Petrella lost the National Championship Match in 2022, and has since won 103 straight contests and back-to-back National Championships.
Also, Petrella became the school’s all-time leader in wins earlier this year.
Hinton is hoping to follow in the path of rising above the loss in the National Championship Match to win the title this year and give his mother just another reason to be proud as she looks in on her only son.
“I honestly thought that after I was an All-American last year, I was like, ‘There’s no way I could possibly get any better than this,’” Hinton said. “My coaches, they didn’t give up. They were like, ‘You can get a whole lot better in this next year.’
“Making it back to the National Tournament would be a huge deal from me. Being a four-time qualifier, three-time All-American, two-time finalist and one time champion definitely sounds like a pretty good college career to me. I still have a ton of work to do from now until Regionals and Nationals, but I’m definitely ready for it.”
Credits:
Matt Florjancic '07