For many wrestlers, wrestling is, after all, just wrestling but Penn State star Carter Starocci isn’t like most.
“When I think about it, I mean, I know we’re out there just wrestling, things like that,” Starocci told Shane Sparks of the Big Ten Network after Friday’s dual meet win over Ohio State, “but for me, I mean, I’m going in a battle and I’m willing to die out there.”
This mentality has made Starocci one of the most successful folk style wrestlers of all time.
He’s one of seven in history to win four national titles. His career record is 92-4, and two of those losses were medical forfeits from last year’s Big Ten Championships. Of the matches Starocci has actually wrestled, he’s won 83 straight.
The reason he had to medically forfeit was because of a serious knee injury.
He ended up winning his fourth national title on one leg.
Had that been Starocci’s last moment on a college wrestling mat, it would had been storybook.
But Starocci told Sparks he came back for a fifth year because he loves the sport that much.
“I love wrestling,” he said, “and that’s probably the reason why I came back is because I love this sport so much.”
‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!’
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Carter Starocci
Starocci gave his mother, Starla quite a birthday president on Valentine’s Day with a tech-fall win over Ohio State’s Ryder Rogotzke, ranked No. 18.
Toughness and self-confidence are two of the things Starocci takes the most pride in, and he attributes a lot of that to his mother.
“She’s one of the toughest people I know,” Starocci said. “I mean, from a young, young age, she was just always, always very confident in me and just always told me I was the best in anything I was doing. And, so, that’s always something I believed.”
But she knows when to set Carter straight, too.
“If I ever have, like, some french fries or something, she’s always giving me that look,” he said. “So, I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better mom.”
THE LAST RIDE
Photo by NCAA: Carter Starocci
This is the last ride for Carter Starocci, and in a little more than a month, he’ll end his wrestling career, quite possibly by becoming the first man in history to win five national titles.
He doesn’t have much time left to enjoy it but Starocci is looking to maximize every inch of his college wrestling career.
History advises against doubting that he’ll end his career on his terms, which he said he wanted to do when he announced his intent to return.
Carter Starocci Announces Decision on Future With Penn State Wrestling
“Whether you’re sick, hurt, when you toe that line, nobody cares,” he said. “The only person that cares is your Mom. Outside of that, everybody else outside of that really doesn’t give a crap. So for me, that’s kind of the mindset that I take in.”
For Starocci, when one of his opponents isn’t “willing to die,” he knows.
“I can feel it,” he said, “I can see it in their eyes. I don’t know if a lot of guys are willing to do that. I think a lot of guys are kind of focused on other things, whether it’s school or their job, whatever the case may be, but for me, this is my life.”
4X National Champion Carter Starocci with another TF to lead @pennstateWREST to a 27-13 win over Ohio State. @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/7zuqWiESvE
— Shane Sparks (@ShaneSparksBTN) February 15, 2025
