Arabia Mountain alum makes history
Arabia Mountain High School alum Jaela Pace recently became part of history by being a member of Tuskegee University’s first-ever NCAA women’s soccer team.
The former Arabia Mountain Lady Rams forward joins a roster of players from across the country building the program from scratch at Tuskegee University.
Pace was a four-year contributor for Arabia Mountain. During her senior year of high school, Pace helped lead the Lady Rams to an 8–5 record and joined fellow graduate Kayla Allen to lead the team in every statistical category.
Not long after her career in DeKalb, Pace made her way to Tuskegee University in Alabama – a school not well known for soccer.
Founded in 1881, Tuskegee added men’s and women’s soccer to its athletics program for the first time in its 145-year history in 2026, competing in NCAA Division II play with home matches at Abbott Stadium.
“As the Senior Woman Administrator, I am especially excited about the impact this program will have on young women who aspire to play collegiate sports,” said Tuskegee University Deputy Athletic Director Deborah Jones-Rodgers. “It creates more opportunities for women to compete, earn scholarships, develop leadership skills, and pursue their academic and athletic goals.”
The team’s inaugural season is being chronicled in a new docuseries titled “Unveiling History.” Filming gets underway July 31 and continues through the team’s first season.
The series will follow the players, coaches, and administrators through the challenges of standing up a first-year program, according to a news release, including a shortened recruiting timeline, budget constraints, and sharing practice and game space with the football team and marching band.
“After more than 18 years in coaching, I understand what it takes to build a program. This is the second program I’ve had the privilege of helping start, and I know both the challenges and the opportunities that come with building something from the ground up,” said Tuskegee women’s soccer head coach Emmanuel Stephens. “Soccer changed my life. Growing up, I often played in environments where very few people looked like me, yet this game opened doors I never imagined possible. I wouldn’t be where I am today without soccer. To now help create those same opportunities for young women—especially at an HBCU—is incredibly meaningful.”
The Lady Golden Tigers will begin their Inaugural season on Aug. 21 against University of West Alabama at Terry Bunn Field. For more information on the team’s schedule, tickets, series’ broadcasting, visit https://goldentigersports.com/coverage.
