Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Carter Alphonse Starocci | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. | February 8, 2001|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight class | 174 lb (79 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | Freestyle and Folkstyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College team | Penn State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Nittany Lion Wrestling Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coached by | Cael Sanderson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Carter Alphonse Starocci (born February 8, 2001) is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 174 pounds. [1] In freestyle, he was a U23 World bronze medalist in 2022. [2]
In folkstyle, Starocci became the sixth four-time NCAA Division I National champion in history, and was also a two-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University. [3]
Starocci was born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he started wrestling at the age of three, later on attending Cathedral Preparatory School. [4] During his high school years, Starocci became a two-time PIAA state champion and a four-time state placer. [5] In freestyle, he placed at multiple national tournaments and was a Fargo National champion as well as in Greco-Roman. [6] One of the top-recruits in the country, Starocci committed to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and closed out his high school career at 172–10. [7]
Starocci wore a redshirt during his first year in college, racking up an unbeaten 19–0 record and titles from the Southern Scuffle, the Edinboro Open, the Patriot Open and the Clarion Open while wrestling unattached. [8]
Competing as a freshman, Starocci recorded a 6–1 mark in dual meets during regular season, with a lone loss to DJ Washington though a notable victory over All-American Logan Massa. [9] At the Big Ten Conference Championships, Starocci placed second, falling to Michael Kemerer from Iowa after defeating Nebraska's All-American Mikey Labriola to cruise to the finals. [10] Starocci, the third-seed, then became the NCAA Division I National champion with a series of back-to-back wins, and a rematch-victory over Kemerer in the finals to top it off. [11]
After the season, Starocci went up 13 pounds and competed at the US Olympic Team Trials at 86 kilograms, having qualified by becoming an NCAA champion a month before. [12] He was eliminated after losing back-to-back matches to U23 World champion Bo Nickal and NCAA champion Myles Martin. [13]
In September 2021, Starocci competed at the US World Team Trials at 79 kilograms, where after falling in the first round to US National champion Taylor Lujan, he racked up wins over the likes of teammate and three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf and All-Americans Chance Marsteller and Evan Wick. [14]
Back to folkstyle, Starocci went 15–0 in dual meets as a sophomore, grabbed his first Big Ten Conference title and became a back-to-back NCAA Division I National champion with victories over fellow NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis, three-time All-American Hayden Hidlay and two-time All-American Michael Kemerer, closing out the year at 25–0. [15]
He then competed at the US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in May, where after falling to US National runner-up Chance Marsteller in a rematch, Starocci defeated three straight opponents, including Dan Hodge Trophy winner Alex Dieringer and three-time All-American David McFadden, to place third. [16] A true-third match against fellow two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph was set to take place in June at Final X NYC, however, Joseph forfeited the match and Starocci earned a US National Team spot, which qualified him for the U23 World Championships. [17]
In October, Starocci became a U23 World bronze medalist, with wins over U20 World medalist Abdulvasi Balta and U23 European medalist Valentyn Babii though a close loss to Daulet Yergesh in the semi-finals. [2]
Back to folkstyle, Starocci went 16–0 in dual meets during regular season, claimed the Big Ten title and became a three-time 2023 NCAA Division I National champion. [18] He closed up the year at 24–0, with five victories over All-Americans. [19]
In April, Starocci reached the semi-finals of the US Open National Championships with a dominant win over four-time All-American Michael Kemerer, though was defeated by three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer in a rematch, and subsequently dropped out of the tournament to place sixth. [20]
A senior, Starocci came in the season looking to become the sixth four-time NCAA champion in history, and looked fit to do so after picking up nine dual meet victories and a Journeymen Classic title. [21] However, he suffered a knee injury right at the end of his last dual meet, and was forced to medical forfeit out of the Big Ten Championships, though earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament due to past accomplishments. [22] After two forfeits which counted as losses, Starocci, the ninth-seed, earned four straight victories, including two over past NCAA champions Mekhi Lewis and Shane Griffith, before cruising to the finals and defeating Rocco Welsh to become a four-time NCAA champion. [23]
Starocci then competed at the US Olympic Team Trials in April, where he was expected to cut down to 74 kilograms, though ended up going up to 86 kilograms. [24] After a win over US National champion Pat Downey, he was defeated by U23 World finalist Trent Hidlay, and later forfeited out of the tournament to end his run. [25]
Cael Norman Sanderson is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who is the current head coach of Penn State's wrestling team. As a wrestler, he won an Olympic gold medal and was undefeated in four years of college wrestling at Iowa State (159–0), becoming a four-time NCAA Division I champion (1999–2002).
Kenneth Jay "Ken" Chertow is an American folkstyle and freestyle wrestler, who competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Coach Chertow conducts wrestling camps across the United States. He serves as a mentor for thousands of young wrestlers whom he coaches at his clinics and summer camps in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling program is an intercollegiate varsity sport at Pennsylvania State University. The wrestling team is a competing member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Nittany Lions compete at Rec Hall in State College, Pennsylvania, on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. The Nittany Lions have claimed 13 team National Championship titles and 55 individual NCAA National Championship titles.
David Morris Taylor III is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 92 kilograms. He is the current head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Spencer Richard Lee (born October 14, 1998) is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, he earned a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is a two-time US National champion and three-time age-group world champion.
Bo Dean Nickal is an American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In freestyle wrestling, he claimed the 2019 U23 World Championship and the US Open national championship, and was a finalist at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials and a Final X contestant in 2019. As a collegiate wrestler, Nickal was a three-time NCAA Division I national champion and a three-time Big Ten Conference champion out of Pennsylvania State University.
Mark John Hall II is an American former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competed at 86 kilograms. As a folkstyle wrestler, Hall was an NCAA Division I National champion and a three-time Big Ten Conference champion out of the Pennsylvania State University. As a freestyle wrestler, Hall was the 2021 US Open National champion, 2018 Pan American Continental champion, a two–time Junior World Champion and a Cadet World Champion.
Zain Allen Retherford is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 70 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a gold and silver medalist at the World Championships, as well as a Pan-American champion.
Jason Michael Nolf is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a three-time U.S. national champion and a multiple-time medalist in international tournaments.
Roman Guillermo Bravo-Young is a Mexican-American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms. In freestyle, he represented Mexico at the 2024 Summer Olympics and has won multiple international tournaments.
Anthony Cassar is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler. He was an NCAA Division I champion and a Big Ten Conference champion at Penn State University, and a NJSIAA title holder as a high schooler.
Myles Najee Martin is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he placed second at the '19 US National Championships and is a two-time US U23 National Champion. As a folkstyle wrestler, he was an NCAA Division I National champion, a four-time All-American and a Big Ten Conference champion out of the Ohio State University.
Vitali Arujau is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 61 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2023 World Champion, Pan American champion and US National champion.
Aaron Marquel Brooks is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 86 kilograms. He earned a bronze medal while representing the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and is also a U23 World champion and US National champion.
Beau Reynald Bartlett is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes internationally at 65 kilograms and collegiately at 141 pounds. In freestyle, he claimed a bronze medal from the 2021 Junior World Championships. He is currently a senior at 141 pounds for Penn State.
Gabriel Curtis Dean is an American retired freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who formerly competed at 86 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2020 US National Champion, a '17 Pan American Championship medalist, and a '14 Junior World Championship medalist. He was also the '15 Pan American Championship runner–up in Greco-Roman. As a collegiate wrestler, Dean was a two–time NCAA Division I champion, a four–time EIWA Conference champion, and a four–time NCAA Division I All-American for the Cornell Big Red.
Keegan Daniel O'Toole is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he was the 2023 U23 World Champion and the 2021 U20 World Champion. In folkstyle, he is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion out of the University of Missouri.
Mitchell Owen Mesenbrink is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he claimed a gold medal at the U20 World Championships in 2023 and a silver medal in 2022.
Nicholas Boone Lee is an American freestyle and former folkstyle wrestler who competes at 65 kilograms. In freestyle, he is a Pan American champion and a US National champion. Lee represented the United States at 65 kg at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.
Daniel Gregory Clifton Kerkvliet Jr. is an American freestyle and folkstyle wrestler who competes internationally at 125 kilograms and collegiately at 285 pounds. In folkstyle, Kerkvliet wrestles for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was the 2024 NCAA champion at 285 pounds. In freestyle, Kerkvliet is a Cadet World Champion at 100 kg.