Three-Time NCAA Champion Wrestler Carter Starocci Leaves Team Weeks Before National Tournament

Only five people in the history of NCAA Wrestling have ever been named a four-time national champion.

Penn State senior Carter Starocci was hoping to become the sixth member of that list on March 23 in Kansas City, and the first for the storied Nittany Lions program.

Now, less than two weeks from an opportunity to etch his name in history, it appears Starocci has left the Penn State program.

Starocci shocked the wrestling world late on Saturday night when he tweeted “Looking forward to a new chapter. Thank you Penn State forever.”

That tweet came in between day one and day two of the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Tournament at the University of Maryland.

Carter Starocci Entered Postseason With Unknown Knee Injury

Starocci was the overwhelming favorite for both a Big Ten and NCAA championship. But he suffered a knee injury in the Nittany Lions’ final match of the season against Edinboro.

“He’s doing pretty good,” legendary coach Cael Sanderson, the only undefeated four-time national champion in college wrestling history, said of Starocci’s status. “I don’t know if it’s a situation that me talking really does a lot of good, but what his plans are, they haven’t really changed. I think it’s still search and destroy basically.”

Starocci showed up to the Big Ten Tournament without a brace or noticeable limp. But when it came time to wrestle on Saturday, he stepped on the mat and immediately forfeited one second in.

By taking the mat, he remained eligible for an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, one that he would undoubtedly get. But he was given a pair of forfeit losses, one in his first match and another in his consolation match.

They were his first losses in two years.

Now fans are speculating and Starocci’s injury cut short his run. While others believe he was dissatisfied with the coaching staff for not allowing him to wrestle at the conference tournament.

Sanderson later confirmed the latter of the two options.

“He wanted to wrestle the whole tournament and was planning on wrestling the tournament. It is really tough for him. He’s having a hard time about this. He’d wrestle if both of his legs were hurt,” Sanderson said. “He’s just so competitive. He’s pretty upset, but there’s just no reason, when he meets the criteria to get an at-large (bid), to put himself in a position to set himself back. “He’s not happy, with me, but that’s why he’s Carter Starocci.”

Either way, the Nittany Lions now appear to be down a star, and Starocci’s quest for a fourth national title appears to be over.