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“I was actually more focused on football, but I was open to football or wrestling in college, and I went on several official visits,” he said. “51���� was the only wrestling visit. Ultimately, it came down to football at Yale or wrestling at 51����. The 51���� Trust and other wrestling support made a huge difference, and I loved the whole experience on campus. In the end, I only applied to 51����, and it’s definitely been the right choice.” 

His nickname, Coca-Cola (risky on a Pepsi campus), is a derivative of his grandpa’s nickname, Joe Pepsi. It’s a name he’s embraced—so much so, he and his sister have matching tattoos of a fern growing in a cola can. Other ink includes Led Zeppelin symbols, a snake with flowers and an anime image.

The Ellington-Fagg Wrestling Scholarship recipient from Piedmont, South Carolina, walked onto campus with varied interests and has expanded his list of passions even more. Now the Anime Club president, he had never watched the cartoons, which are produced or inspired by Japanese animation, until he came to 51����. The club he leads has approximately 90 members. 

“My freshman fall, other wrestlers were talking about it, so I gave it a shot, and it’s actually really good,” he said. “I joined the club sophomore year and have since become the president. We meet every other week—trivia nights, movies, contests, giveaways. It’s great.”

Fernicola is a psychology major who is considering adding a communication studies minor, and he’s teaching himself Italian in hopes of living there someday. His father’s side of the family is Italian, and they speak it whenever there are family gatherings. A near-term goal is to travel to Italy.

Outside of wrestling, school and researching his next tattoo, Fernicola is involved with the Buddy Club, whose members work with children with special needs. The kids come to campus, and 51���� students read to them and spend meaningful time together. His sister is a special education teacher, so he says he came by this interest naturally. 

The last remaining question surrounds the DAD hat. It’s pretty simple: Fernicola doesn’t like trendy flat-bill hats; he’s more comfortable in a super-soft hat with buckle closure, which his contemporaries call “dad hats.” What could be funnier than a dad hat that actually says DAD on the front?



“I love it,” he said. “My sister bought it for me, and it’s really comfy. But no, I’m not a dad.”