Penn State Wrestling: Carter Starocci Ended Dual Meet Career on His Terms

Originally posted on Nittany Sports Now | By Joe Smeltzer | Last updated Feb 22, 2025 12:16 PM ET

University Park— Senior Day 2024 was a nightmare for Penn State wrestling star Carter Starocci and a year later, he got to end things on his own terms.

Going back to last February, many thought that Starocci would be done after that season.

Although he had another year of eligibility, he didn’t have much left to accomplish and would cross one more thing off the list last March when he won his fourth national title, a feat only six others have met.

History in Kansas City: Penn State Wrestling Legends win 4th National Titles

So when Starocci’s last Rec Hall match of 2024 ended with a serious knee injury that required him being helped off the mat, many thought that would be the last image of Starocci at Rec Hall.

Good news. Carter Starocci recorded a first period technical fall in his final home match.
Potentially apocalyptic news. He appeared to injure his right knee at the end of this clip. The Cathedral Prep graduate was helped off the mat.
Scheduled to interview him. Wait and see now. pic.twitter.com/M3F74uuMFC

— Mike Copper (@ETNcopper) February 25, 2024

Fortunately for Starocci and everybody else, they were wrong.

ENDING IT ON HIS TERMS

Photo by NCAA: Carter Starocci

A good indicator that Starocci got to end his Rec Hall career on his terms was the fact that, rather than being helped off the mat because of physical pain, he was carried off in celebration by teammate and fellow senior Aurilius Dunbar.

Carter Starocci ends his final match in Rec Hall as a Penn State wrestler with a pin and then gets carried off into the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/lndc2xcj5y

— Zach Seyko (@zach_seyko) February 22, 2025

This is tradition at Penn State, Starocci said.

“Our teammate, he kind of wanted to do that,” Starocci said in his post-duel meet presser, “so I just kind of said, ‘alright.’

As for ending his home dual meet career on his terms, Starocci doesn’t focus on it.

“I really don’t think about the things that happened last year,” he said. “I kind of just try to take Coach Cael’s philosophy and just focus on now and what’s ahead and just keep getting better. I think that stuff kind of always takes care of the rest.”

Later in the presser when Starocci was asked about his favorite memory in home dual meet, whether that’d be at Rec Hall or the Bryce Jordan Center, Starocci said “the next one.”

Yeah, he’s not worried about the past.

WHAT CAEL SAID

Photo by Penn State Athletics: Cael Sanderson

If any people deserve to think about the past, Cael Sanderson and Carter Starocci are them.

Sanderson went 159-0 as a college wrestler, won four national titles and then an Olympic Gold Medal.

In coaching, he’s won 11 national titles in the past 13 seasons and already has a case for being be best coach ever.

Starocci joined his coach in the “four champs” club last March and next month, can become to first to win five national titles.

But these guys do not think about past accomplishments.

“I think all that stuff’s special but I think our focus is just being ourselves and for Carter just being himself,” Sanderson said. “Just wrestle to score points like he has since he was a little kid. So nothing really changes. Just going to have fun with it.”

Penn State competes at the Big Ten Championships scheduled for March 8-9 in Evanston, Illinois.