3/23/2024 other sports Edit

Carter Starocci makes history, wins fourth NCAA title

Dylan Callaghan-Croley • Happy Valley Insider

Editor

Smith, Sanderson, Dake, Stieber, and Diakomihalis. Those five names were synonymous with what is probably the closest you could come to immortality in college wrestling.

They were all four-time champions.

Now, Penn State's Carter Starocci joins that elite group. On Saturday night in Kansas City, Starocci defeated Ohio State's Rocco Welsh 2-0 to earn his fourth NCAA title in four years.

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For Starocci, it was the "dominate or die" demeanor that he has often carried through his collegiate career that ultimately led to his latest national championship.

After injury defaulting out of the Big Ten's, Starocci entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed. It was no problem for Starocci who did what he has done his entire career, dominate.

He opened up with a 12-6 win over Minnesota's Andrew Sparks, he then defeated Cal Poly's Adam Kemp 5-3. On Friday, he took down a pair of former national champions in the top seeded Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech 4-0 before defeating Michigan's Shane Griffith later in the day 2-0.

The scores may not be impressive but Starocci who has his right leg fully wrapped after suffering an injury in the Nittany Lions' regular season finale, wrestled each and every match perfectly.

Starocci is the third Nittany Lion on Saturday to win a national championship joining heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet and 157-pound wrestler Levi Haines.

Following his championship win, Starocci called Penn State trainer Daniel Monthly a national champion for helping him over the last month get ready to compete in the NCAA Championships.

"I wouldn't be walking if it wasn't for him," Starocci said about Monthley. "He looked me in the eye and said it was goiung to be along road, I just believed in him."

Starocci wouldn't comment on his exact injury but took off his knee brace on the center of the mat following his win, to show a heavily bandaged leg.

Starocci also mentioned that he was on crutches just 12 days before his national championship bout, meaning he entered this weekend's championships with just being off crutches for a week.

Considering the look of the injury when it occurred, the bandaging and bracing of his leg, as well as Starocci's comments following the match, it all appears that Starocci did in fact suffer some sort of significant knee injury against Edinboro last month.

Former Penn State great Bo Nickal, also chimed in on X, on Tuesday saying "Carter Starocci is one of the toughest humans on the planet. If y'all knew what he had to go through you wouldn't believe it."

All things considered, Starocci's fourth NCAA title is likely also his most impressive. He finishes his season with a 16-2 record and 16-0 in matches in which he did not have an injury default. His career record improves to 92-4.

The already legendary Starocci still has a year of eligibility left though it's unclear if he will use it to pursue a fifth national championship. For now, Starocci has his eyes on the U.S. Olympic Trials in State College next month.