RANCHO SANTA FE — Nicholas Carlo, 21, of Rancho Santa Fe, is off to a strong start at Menlo College in Atherton, California, competing as the first-ever heavyweight in the school’s new taekwondo program.
Carlo, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound alumnus of Torrey Pines High School and MiraCosta College, earned a silver medal at the 2025 U21 World Championships Team Trials in Ontario, California, competing in the Nationals division.
In September, he traveled to Muju, South Korea, to compete in the men’s +80kg division at the 2025 Muju Grand Prix. Carlo opened the tournament with a decisive 2-0 victory over Ibrahima Diallo of Guinea before facing #3 seed Marat Mavlonov of Uzbekistan. Despite a strong effort, he was defeated in two rounds.
“It’s a long journey,” Carlo told The Coast News last July after claiming the national heavyweight title of USA Taekwondo. “I’ve been doing this so long and working so hard — the results come after the work.”
Menlo College’s taekwondo program, launched in January 2025, is the first in the United States to offer scholarships for the sport.
Program director TJ Curry said the program offers elite training, including nutrition support, strength and conditioning, and mental coaching, while allowing athletes to continue their academic studies. (Carlo is majoring in marketing.)
The program also allows students to compete in regional, national, and international tournaments, gaining experience on some of taekwondo’s biggest stages.
“This is the first time in history that scholarships are being offered for the sport of taekwondo in this country, and that’s huge,” Curry said. “In the past, athletes had to choose between going all-in on the sport or pursuing college. Most college programs were just club-level — part-time coaches, sometimes even students coaching, mostly recreational competitions. Menlo stepping up with a scholarship program merges the two paths. It keeps athletes in the sport while allowing them to pursue higher education. For U.S. taekwondo, where there’s traditionally been a big drop-off from high school to college, this could be a game-changer.”
Nicholas’s father, Dennis Carlo, said the program helps fill a gap for young martial artists who often have limited opportunities beyond youth competition.
“This is important because a lot of kids take up taekwondo through high school and then stop,” said Dennis Carlo. “With sports like baseball, football, and basketball, there’s a clear path forward. But for taekwondo, there hasn’t been one.”
For Nicholas Carlo, who is aiming for a spot on the U.S. national team and the 2028 Olympics, the program has been particularly impactful.
“They’re going international, and if you want to make the U.S. national team or compete at the World Championships, you have to compete internationally,” Dennis Carlo said. “They’re going up against schools like Stanford, Berkeley, the University of Arizona, and NYU. Most of those schools have taekwondo clubs, so they do compete — but this is different. These athletes are getting Olympic-level training. My son trains from eight to ten in the morning, then attends class, and trains again for two hours in the evening. They have taekwondo training, strength work, nutrition guidance — everything. It’s like the Olympic Training Center, but it’s a school.”
Curry said expanding international competition is key to developing elite American talent.
“The more we can get athletes on the global stage — facing Russian heavyweights or top competitors from Asia — the more comfortable they’ll be competing internationally,” Curry added. “That’s where all the growth happens. In Europe, it’s easy to travel from country to country, but in the U.S., it’s almost like we’re on a big island. One of the main goals of the program is to secure funding so we can take these athletes abroad and give them that crucial international exposure.”
Curry’s connection with the Carlo family dates to 2013, and when he was tapped to lead Menlo’s program, Nicholas was the top heavyweight on his list.
“He was always at the top of my list, and I’ve coached him over the years at tournaments around the Bay Area,” Curry said. “Bringing him into the program was a no-brainer — coaching him now in a full-time program that matches his dedication is perfect.”
Carlo has lofty goals, but both his coach and his father believe he’s close.
“Nick has really good size for the heavyweight division,” Curry said. “He’s checking all the boxes. The guy that’s on the Olympic team right now — we’re looking to take his spot.”
“I personally think he’ll make the Olympic team,” Dennis Carlo said. “Nick told me, ‘Dad, this program is really hard — but that’s a good thing.’ For other kids like Nick, most drop out of taekwondo in high school because there’s no path forward, and they switch to football or baseball. Having programs where they can earn scholarships while pursuing a degree would be phenomenal.”
