Carter Starocci isn’t just back — he’s back with a mission. The Penn State phenom is gunning for a history making fifth national title, and he’s doing it with the kind of swagger only a four-time champ can carry. After an injury-plagued finish last season, Starocci made one thing clear: he’s not going out like that. “And so for me, just one thing I wanna make sure is before I go that I kill all these guys.” Talk about making a statement!
During his media duties Starocci was asked what kept the tournament fresh and exciting for him year after year. “Obviously last year I was dealing with the injury and things like that and it just wasn’t the way I wanted to finish up. So now I’m looking to finish this thing off the way I intended to — healthy, in style, and dominant,” Starocci said during the NCAA Championships Athlete Presser, sending a message to every contender in the bracket.
He’d bumped up to 184 pounds for his final NCAA run, and so far, he’s been flawless. Starocci kicked off the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships by tech-falling Lehigh’s Caden Rogers 18-2 in the opening round — not only securing his first win of the tournament but also hitting a major milestone with his 100th career victory at Penn State.
Later that evening, he followed that up by defeating Rutgers’ Shane Cartagena-Walsh with a score of 15-0, advancing to the quarterfinals. With these victories, Carter Starocci has improved his all-time record at the NCAA Championships to 22-0, breaking the program’s record for the most career wins at the tournament—surpassing the legendary Ed Ruth’s mark of 22 wins and 1 loss.
Now just three victories away from breaking that NCAA record, Carter Starocci meets Maryland’s Jaxon Smith in the quarterfinals — a match he has won with relative ease twice this season already. And if he gets the job done, Starocci becomes the first five-time NCAA Division I champion, a record that is only possible because of the COVID eligibility extension, but one that will almost certainly never be matched again.
Penn State’s opening day perfection sets the tone
While Carter Starocci chases his personal crown, the rest of Penn State’s squad isn’t exactly chilling. Day 1 of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships? A clean 20-0 sweep. Every single Nittany Lion punched their ticket to the quarterfinals — a first in program history and a flat-out flex to the rest of the field.
This gave them 39.5 points, over Nebraska’s 28.0 and Oklahoma State’s 24.0. Now sitting comfortably atop the team leaderboard, Penn State is rolling toward what would be its fourth straight national title and 12th overall under Cael Sanderson. And let’s be real — no one’s betting against them.
It’s not just the depth that’s scary — it’s the dominance (And we’re not just talking about Carter Starocci). Eight of Penn State’s ten wrestlers are seeded in the top three of their weight classes. Starocci’s chasing a fifth. Luke Lilledahl and Tyler Kasak are charging hard with respective wins over Blake West and Cody Chittum.
And with momentum like this, breaking their own NCAA scoring record? Totally on the table. But top seeded wrestlers aren’t the only ones who’re pulling their weight. For example, 8th seeded sophomore, Braeden Davis secured his place in the quarters with a 5-3 division.
Trailing behind are Nebraska and Oklahoma State, but with all 10 Lions still alive, it’s beginning to look like everyone else is wrestling for second.
This team isn’t just winning. They’re steamrolling. And if Carter Starocci caps it off the way he’s talking? We’re witnessing something the sport may never see again. The dynasty rolls on. The crown’s not up for grabs — it’s being held in place by sheer dominance.
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