For 10 minutes straight Saturday night, Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci downplayed his history-making fifth NCAA title the way an NBA all-star might dismiss winning a pickup game.
Minutes after the final bout of Starocci’s collegiate career, an NCAA official introduced him at a press conference as the first-ever five-time national champion in the history of Division I men’s wrestling. The official asked him for a “victorious” opening statement.
“I don’t have a statement,” the usually outspoken Starocci quipped, wiping his nose to scattered giggles in the media room.
Without managing a smile, the stonefaced student-athlete acknowledged this was a meaningful accolade. He said he didn’t mean to downplay it. But he also said it wasn’t his job to hype it up.
“For me, I’ve been in this moment so many times year after year. You kind of have that experience and understand what to do,” he said. “But honestly, though, I mean I know it’s ‘five-time champ,’ but it’s really just another match.”
Just another match. Starocci sent the record books back to the printing presses Saturday night. He moved up a weight class in the offseason — to 184 pounds — and proceeded to knock off the defending champ in Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen, who was riding a 59-match win streak. Starocci won 4-3, and was awarded the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
On Saturday night, he hugged his teammates and family members after his win and then briskly walked through the halls of Wells Fargo Center without a hint of emotion. Fans leaning over the railing and shouting congratulations seemed more excited than Starocci, who resembled a wrestler that finished a workout rather than one who won a national title.
A week before, his former high school coach acknowledged he never could’ve dreamed Starocci would become a national champion — let alone a five-time champ.
“I don’t know if anyone would’ve believed it,” Cathedral Prep (Erie) wrestling coach Mike Hahesy said. “I don’t know if Cael Sanderson himself would’ve believed it. I think the only person that would’ve believed it was Carter.”
Hahesy was right. On Saturday night, that question was posed to Starocci: What would he have said, six years ago, if told this future awaited?
“I would have said, you’re damn right,” Starocci said matter-of-factly.
Tell Starocci he can’t do something, and watch him strain every muscle to prove doubters wrong. When he lost to Iowa’s Michael Kemerer in the Big Ten championships in 2021, Starocci responded by beating Kemerer a few weeks later for the national title. When Starocci was forced to injury default last year at the Big Ten championships, he returned to NCAAs with a bulky leg brace — and essentially won the national title (again) on one leg.
It was the same story in high school, where Starocci was a four-time captain. Back then, the boy of few words was still a man of action. When his coach silently prayed the rookie wouldn’t get pinned temporarily moving up a weight class, Starocci ended up winning by major decision over a decorated opponent. And when Hahesy teased his star pupil about his inability to take down his opponents after his freshman campaign, Starocci devoted his offseason to proving his coach wrong.
“Something clicked there,” Hahesy said. “That’s when he became mentally invincible — and, physically, very, very good.”
Starocci ended his high school career by winning more than 90 straight matches. At Penn State, not counting his two injury defaults last year when he didn’t wrestle, Starocci has gone 1,476 days since his last true NCAA loss.
But it’s not the wins or trophies that Starocci hopes define his legacy at Penn State. He said he always led by example, always showed up — even when he was “hurt, injured, sad, no matter what” — and he never stopped pushing forward.
The record-breaking wrestler may not have started his career eyeing five national titles. But he always demanded his best, never felt satisfied, and a lifetime’s worth of trophies followed. The awards weren’t the goal, just the byproduct.
So as Starocci readied himself for his final match Saturday — one that was surprisingly first on the slate — he missed the “Parade of Champions,” an annual spectacle where each weight class’ All-Americans are guided to the arena floor to be recognized. Starocci was the only wrestler who missed it, but he didn’t need the recognition.
He just wanted the win.
“There’s just certain things where you hate to lose so much that you will do whatever it takes,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said, when asked about the similarities between him and Starocci. “… And most people don’t have that. And he does. He’s just a competitor.”
And, with five national titles and a confidence that never wavered, he’s a unique talent that Penn State fans may never see again. On Saturday night, he made certain they’d never forget.
