Penn State Wrestling: Carter Starocci gunning to be in a class by himself
Penn State Wrestling’s Carter Starocci has his sights set on doing something no other collegiate wrestler has ever done in the history of the sport.
As Nittany Lion fans have seen over the years, Carter Starocci is a confident man. And while some fans would like him to dial it back a bit, I’m going to throw both of my hands up and say, “Hey man, you be you.”
Because who am I to judge what Starocci should or shouldn’t say.
Just look at what he’s done on the mat for Penn State.
Career Record: 97-4
B1G Titles: 2 (2021 & 2022)
NCAA Titles: 4 (2021-2024)
Carter’s 97 wins put him in 40th place all-time in Penn State history. Furthermore his career winning percentage of 96.4% slots him 9th all-time, just one spot higher than teammate Levi Haines (96.3%).
What separates Carter Starocci from everyone else?
But what sets Starocci apart from everyone else in Penn State Wrestling history is the fact he became the first Nittany Lion to ever win four individual NCAA titles. And yes, Aaron Brooks also accomplished this incredible feat, but that happened two matches after Carter etched his name in stone.
Additionally, Starocci has pulled off several superhuman feats at the highest levels of the sport. I’m talking about him taking down the best-of-the-best in the sport in situations that would normally would have sidelined or derailed even the most successful wrestlers.
2022 NCAA Championships
The first of these feats happened at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
After Carter defeated Iowa’s Michael Kemerer 2-1 in Iowa City in late January, Penn State Wrestling fans didn’t see Starocci back on the mat until late February. And when he came back onto the mat in the Rider dual, his hand was heavily taped. However, that didn’t matter as he rolled to a major decision. So based on the result, the injury couldn’t be that bad, right?
Starocci then plowed his way through the field at the 2022 B1G Championships to secure his first conference title. Again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Then in the 2022 NCAA finals at 174, Carter took down Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis 6-5 in a thrilling TB-1 finish. The win gave Starocci his second straight NCAA title it looked like his entire game was clicking.
However, following the conclusion of the 2022 NCAA Championships, head coach Cael Sanderson told the media that Carter wrestled the entire second half of the regular season with a broken hand.
“Say what now?”
Yeah, you heard that correctly. Carter Starocci won a B1G title and NCAA title with only one fully functioning hand. And while I may not know a ton about wrestling, I do know that being able to use your hands is pretty high on the “important” list.
About the only other part of the human body more important to wrestlers are their knees.
2024 NCAA Championships
At the tail end of a 22-5 technical fall over Edinboro’s Joey Arnold, Starocci severely injured his right knee.
News out of the wrestling room was sparse. Which I get. Because the B1G’s were only two weeks away.
When I talked to sources leading up to the B1G Championship, it appeared Starocci would be healthy enough to give it a go.
However I don’t know if he was or not. Because Cael Sanderson made the decision to sit Carter for both matches. Which in the end was obviously a smart move.
His first injury forfeit was Starocci’s first loss since the 2021 B1G finals against the aforementioned Kemerer.
For those of you counting at home, that’s a span of 1099 days.
As for the impact of the forfeits, it did saddle Carter with the No. 9 seed in the 174 bracket. Which meant it was going to be a tough road back to the top.
But, Starocci fought hard and was able to get through his opponents in the first two rounds. However he did surrender a takedown to each guy. So it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.
Next up in the quarterfinals was the overall No. 1 seed Mekhi Lewis. Virginia Tech’s standout grappler was undefeated up until that point in the season. And this is the match that would be the tipping as to whether or not Starocci could pull off the seemingly impossible.
Let’s just say Carter passed. And with flying colors. He 4-0 decision victory moved him to the semifinals where yet another four-time All-American stood in his way.
I honestly have no idea how he did it. But when Starocci surrendered three points in his second round against Adam Kemp, these ended up being the only points scored against Carter the rest of the tournament.
Both the semifinals and the finals were thrilling matches. But neither Shane Griffith or Rocco Walsh stood a chance as Carter Starocci beat each of them 2-0.
The crown was once again his.
What will Carter Starocci’s legacy be?
230318 Ncaa Final Wr 156 Jpg
So there you have it.
Carter Starocci has avenged a loss in the B1G finals against a sixth year senior to win a title. He’s taken down an entire field with a broken hand. And he navigated a very difficult path on one good leg to win his fourth title.
Heck, the one NCAA Championship that wasn’t full of crazy drama (2023), you can argue it may have been his toughest draw. Between IU’s Donnell Washington, Minnesota’s Bailee (quarters), O’Reilly, Cornell’s Chris Foca (semis), and Nebraska’s Michael Labriola (finals).
Bet let’s go back to something I touched on early in the article. If you look at the entirety of his career, there are very few people in all of sports who absolutely have the right to be confident. And Carter Starocci is one of them.
Adding to this the fact he has the chance to become the first ever five-time NCAA Champion, and a question begins to form. If Carter is able to secure an unprecedented fifth individual title, will that make him the greatest of all time?
Even though I’m a glutton for some good ole fashioned “Bold Predictions”, I feel this is a question that I’m not qualified to answer.
Do you think Pat Smith or Cael Sanderson would have won a fifth title if allotted the opportunity?
And that’s my main point.
But regardless of the outcome of this season and regardless if Carter is able to do the unthinkable, he has still cemented himself as one of the best wrestlers in Penn State Wrestling history and in collegiate wrestling history.
That much I feel very confident in.
MORE: Inside What Makes Penn State’s Levi Haines a Force to Be Reckoned With
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Education: Penn State University
Location: State College, PA
Even though he had no prior journalism experience, Chris has now covered Penn State Wrestling and Penn State Football for the past three years, including as the Penn State Wrestling Beat Writer for VictoryBellRings.com, part of the FanSided network.
And it's clear he also likes constant torture as he's been a PSU Basketball fan for way too long.
Several years back, Chris made the seamless transition from PGA Professional to computer programmer and thoroughly enjoys following and writing about all things related to Penn State sports during his spare time.
- Penn State Wrestling: Carter Starocci gunning to be in a class by himself - December 8, 2024
- Penn State Football: Breaking Down James Franklin’s Track Record in Big Games - December 5, 2024
- Penn State Wrestling’s Levi Haines Is a Force to Be Reckoned With - December 4, 2024