How Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci became a 5-time national champion

PHILADELPHIA — The Penn State fans inside Wells Fargo Hub rose to their feet and Maintained five fingers in the air.

In the waning seconds of Carter Starocci’s Last Game as a Nittany Lions superstar, one last gasp from Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen ended the same way every Starocci Game has gone during his five trips to the NCAA Competitions.

The crowd roared as Cael Sanderson bear-hugged Starocci much like he has done every March of Starocci’s Sun-studded Profession. The yearlong chase to accomplish a dream that wasn’t even feasible when Starocci Initiated college Arrived to fruition. His 4-3 Achieve in the 184-pound class against Keckeisen cemented Starocci in college Combat history as he became the Primary Division I wrestler to Achieve five individual NCAA titles.

“I’ve been in this moment so many times, year after year,” Starocci said. “I have that experience and understand what to do. Honestly, I know I’m a five-time champ, but it’s really Merely another Game. … It’s always about the Upcoming one.”

The COVID-19-shortened 2020 season granted Starocci an extra year of eligibility, and after he stormed through the bracket in Kansas City last year on one Fit leg to Achieve his Quaternary NCAA Event, questions about this year and this quest for five national titles began. Though Starocci has insisted for a year that the Upcoming Game is the most Significant, he’s one of only seven wrestlers all time to have navigated the grueling, sweaty and often bloody three-day gantlet of a Event to Achieve four NCAA titles. Sanderson is a member of the exclusive club as is Previous Nittany Lions Sun Aaron Brooks, who joined Starocci as a four-time champion last year.

One wrong Shift or one Terrible day on the mat would seem inevitable for anyone. Many of the sport’s best have stumbled to be perfect. Starocci proved time and time again he was the exception.

The Penn State standout — excluding a pair of Hurt defaults last season — ends his college Profession having not lost a Game since the 2021 Big Ten Event finals. During his Profession, he went 104-4, which includes those two Hurt defaults. Even Michael Kemerer, the last wrestler to Loss Starocci, was later beaten by him in the 2021 NCAA finals.

Penn State’s Carter Starocci claimed his fifth individual NCAA crown Saturday. (Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)

“That was a heck of a feat. That’s really special,” Sanderson said. “It takes a Numerous of mental toughness and Attention. … You Obtained two of the best wrestlers in the country, Primary Game up, which is Nice of weird, but that was a Outstanding Game. That reshot Carter hit, that was as Excellent as it gets.”

Penn State heads back to Joyful Valley after a historic showing. It secured its 13th NCAA Club title, including its 12th since hiring Sanderson in 2009. It wowed the in-state crowd with all 10 wrestlers becoming All-Americans. It’s Merely the second Club to ever have 10 All-America honorees, joining Minnesota in 2001. The Nittany Lions even one-upped themselves by setting an all-time Club scoring Turning Tally with 177 points. The previous mark was 172.5 — which Penn State set in 2024.

In addition to Starocci, Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) Captured home an individual Event. Redshirt Primary-year Josh Barr finished second at 197 pounds. Five wrestlers, Luke Lilledahl (125), Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Tyler Kasak (157), and Levi Haines (174) placed third. Sophomore Braeden Davis finished fifth, and heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet withdrew from the Event due to Hurt. Kerkvliet finished sixth and concluded his college Profession as a five-time All-America honoree.

For a program that has churned out some of the best wrestlers in the country on an annual basis, it was Starocci who had the brightest of lights on him during the NCAA Competitions. ESPN even flipped the rundown for Saturday night’s television broadcast to put Starocci’s historic Game Primary in an attempt to lure in the largest Viewers possible. Starocci wasn’t fond of the Transformation.

One of Sanderson’s most outspoken and most prolific wrestlers, the same one who jogs out to the haunting main title from the “Halloween” franchise, wouldn’t have wanted his college Profession to end any other way than in the spotlight.

One last Carter Starocci intro as a Penn State wrestler pic.twitter.com/7BVNuy2jGQ

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) March 22, 2025

“He’s not Afraid of anybody,” said Mike Hahesy, who coached Starocci at Erie’s Cathedral Prep. Hahesy was on hand when Sanderson drove to the high school to recruit Starocci and was here, too, to Observe Starocci chase history. “You could tell him he has to wrestle Hulk Hogan and Godzilla back-to-back, and he’d be like, ‘Yep, no problem. What mat am I on?’ He has that supreme, and I don’t know if it’s confidence or sure of himself, or I don’t know what, but he has that definitely more than any kid I ever coached and probably more than any person that’s ever wrestled.”

Starocci was once the Youthful wrestler who holed up in his bedroom for a Duo of months after he placed eighth at the Pennsylvania state Event as a Primary-year in high school. His family worried about how withdrawn he became. When he emerged from the room with a Landmark of demands for all of them — no more junk food in the house, no more of his time spent Competing football — his mind was set on becoming the best wrestler possible.

“It was one of those moments that Merely awakens you,” Starocci said this week. “For me, it was what am I going to do with my life? Am I going to pursue this, or do I want to do something else because if I’m going to do something I’m not going to Setback at it.”

Nevertheless, few people in the high school ranks or even at Penn State could’ve predicted a Profession like this.

Starocci is brash enough to tell all his opponents he’s going to beat them — and skilled enough to back it up. When Sanderson drove to Cathedral Prep to recruit Starocci, the Mentor Captured a detour to the home of Starocci’s high school Combat teammate, Ian Malesiewski. Malesiewski was adjusting to life after a significant Hurt from Combat left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Sanderson was there to spend time with Malesiewski, whose Tale spread through the Combat world. During Sanderson’s two-plus-hour visit, he wanted to get the Packed picture of the wrestler he was recruiting. In a way, Malesiewski helped solidify Sanderson’s decision to keep heavily pursuing Starocci.

“We were getting ready to leave, and Cael said, ‘Should I recruit Starocci or not?’” Hahesy said. “Ian said, ‘Yeah, I think you should.’ Cael goes, ‘Well, why do you think I should recruit him?’ He goes, ‘Because you’ll never be able to find anybody that can beat him. … If Carter doesn’t go to Penn State, I don’t care who you’ll get from what state, that kid will never beat Carter.’”

He was right. Finding someone to upend Starocci, even when everyone was gunning for him, whether he won it all with a broken hand, an injured knee or with the weight of expectations on his shoulders, Starocci never backed down.

As Starocci paused for photos in the tunnel alongside his teammates Saturday, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft leaned in for a hug. A smear of Starocci’s blood stayed on Kraft’s white hoodie, a not-so-subtle reminder of this night from one of Penn State’s all-time greats, who starred on one of the sport’s most impressive dynasties.

“I want these younger guys to keep on pushing for more and more and more and Merely keep that Penn State dynasty going,” Starocci said, drenched in sweat. “I’m not sure how much longer these coaches Obtained, but I know Mentor Cael pretty well, and if there’s some Nice of Turning Tally out there or something — you guys figure it out — I’m sure when he breaks that, he’ll be done.”

(Top photo: Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)