Carter Starocci has revealed that it had become difficult for him to cut weight down to 174 lbs. With a natural weight closer to 190 lbs, it made sense for him to move up to the 184 lbs category for the 2024-25 season. The Penn State wrestler won four consecutive national titles at 174 lbs from 2021-2024.Starocci was among the favorites to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 86 Kg bracket following his NCAA triumph. However, after securing a dominant 12-4 win over Patrick Downey in the opening round, he was eliminated following a 4-6 loss to Trent Hilday.The 23-year-old later announced he was coming back to Penn State for his fifth-year eligibility but would compete over the 184 lbs category. The four-time NCAA champion had planned to move up a weight class during the last season but didn't receive a heads-up from coach Cael Sanderson.Speaking during an interview with Flo Wrestling, Starocci opened up about his decision to move up a weight class, explaining that it had become 'very hard' for him to cut down his weight to 174 lbs."It just got to a point where it was like I don't want to make this weight anymore. It was just really hard and it was last year," he said [4:40 onwards]The 23-year-old added that he was excited to compete over the 184 lbs and hoped the world would see an even better version of him."I'm really excited like for me I believe I am always the guy who never gets tired, now moving up a weight class not really cutting anything, so I think I'll be an even a lot better version of myself," Carter Starocci added.Starocci added that he typically weighed around 188-190 lbs, and cutting down to 184 lbs instead of 174 lbs was a significant change that made things easier for him.Carter Starocci starts the 2024-25 season with an impressive victory over defending 184 lbs NCAA Champion2022 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championship - Carter Starocci wins fourth national title (Source: Getty)Carter Starocci started his 2024 season with an impressive victory in the 184 lbs category at the NWCA All-Star Classic on November 16. He was paired with the defending 184 lbs NCAA Champion Parker Keckeisen and went on to secure a sudden overtime victory. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe bout was evenly balanced for the majority of the three rounds and with only 35 seconds remaining, Starocci landed a clear shot on the Northern Iowa wrestler and converted it to a takedown to win 4-1. While the match won't count towards official records, the 23-year-old gained valuable confidence as he prepares to battle Keckeisen throughout the rest of the season.