A little more than two weeks after making history by winning his fifth Division I national championship, Carter Starocci said goodbye to Penn State wrestling.
Carter Starocci Makes History, Penn State Breaks Own Points Record at NCAA Wrestling Championships
This past Sunday, Penn State had its annual end of year banquet.
Starocci has been to plenty of those but for him, this one marked the last hurrah as a Penn State wrestler.
What a career it was. Five national titles. A 104-4 career record (two of those losses were via medical forfeit). Three Big Ten titles (would have been four if Starocci werenโt injured during the 2024 Championships) and part of four national championship teams. The last part is most important of all to Starocci.
CARTERโS FAREWELL
Carter Starocci improves Penn State’s winning margin 26-5 with his convincing win over Iowa’s Angelo Ferrari.
Hereโs what Starocciโs farewell statement said.
โPSU wrestling banquet all wrapped up,โ the statement read. โMy time is officially up. It was an honor to help lead these teams. Thank you coach Cael for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to be in your program. I gave it my all every time. Thank you Penn State, grateful forever. โค๏ธโ
PSU wrestling banquet all wrapped up. My time is officially up. It was an honor to help lead these teams. Thank you coach Cael for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to be in your program. I gave it my all every time. Thank you Penn State, grateful forever. โค๏ธ
— Carter Starocci (@carterstarocci) April 6, 2025
Penn State wrestlingโs had plenty of stars and even a number of superstars.
But even though his career hasnโt even been over for a month, itโs already clear that Starocci will go down as one of the best, maybe even the best.
NOT QUITE DONE
Photo by Penn State Wrestling: Carter Starocci
In most sports, when a college star is done at that level, they go to the pros. A unique thing about wrestling is that, since there isnโt a professional league, Starocci will still be part of the Penn State family via the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, where heโll train with the current program. ย Starocciโs long-term plans in the sport are unknown.
