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Penn State's star wrestler Carter Starocci could be coming back for a fifth year to the program after crashing out midway through the U. S Wrestling Olympic Team Trails 2024. If he returns, Starocci could become the first wrestler to win five NCAA Championships.
At last month's NCAA Wrestling Championships, Penn State's Aaron Brooks and Starocci became the only 6th and 7th wrestlers in history to win the NCAA Championship four times. While no one has been able to win more than four titles owing to four-year eligibility of collegiate careers, Starocci has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ahead of him due to the 2021 season's COVID waiver that gave NCAA athletes an extra year of eligibility.
Before the U. S Olympic Trials 2024, the 23-year-old had claimed that his chances of returning for a fifth year at Nittany Lions were “40-60”. However, after he was knocked out from Olympic trials during the quarterfinals, the 4x NCAA Champion has flipped the coin slightly in favor of returning.
Speaking with Flo Wrestling in an interview, Starocci claimed that he had been thinking about the 5th year for some time. He said his chances of returning for the fifth year were now “60-40”, which were “ 40-60” a week ago.
"As I said in my last interview, I was 60-40 not coming back, but now that I’ve been thinking about it a little more, I’m 60-40 [for] coming back. So we’ll see," Starocci said.
He added that he didn't like cutting weight, and would discuss with Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson regarding the matter before making a decision.
"I’ll probably have another meeting here soon with coach Cael [Sanderson], and we will plan and work some things out", he added.
Carter Starocci will continue his freestyle career for now and will be looking to book a place on the 2025 U.S. team at 79 Kg for the World Championships.
“It's not because of NIL”- Carter Starocci weighs in on reasons to come back for a 5th collegiate year
Carter Starocci has wrestled in all four years of his collegiate career at 174 pounds, putting on a 64-match winning streak in the discipline before falling to injury-marred fights at Big Ten Championships 2024.
Carter Starocci is currently looking for motivation to make the decision on the fifth year at Nittany Lions. The best he gets, according to him, is the prospect of becoming the first ever 5x NCAA Champion.
"If I come back, it's not going to be for school. I'm not going to let anything come in the way of what I want. If what I want is to come back and wrestle and win a fifth national title and have our team win another national title, that's because I want to do it. It's not because of NIL, it's not because of this, it's not because of that. It's because I want to do it", he told reporters at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials 2024.
If he does return for a fifth year at Penn State, there’s a strong possibility he would move up, at least one weight class.
