Sports
How Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci became a 5-time national champion
PHILADELPHIA — The Penn State fans inside Wells Fargo Center rose to their feet and held five fingers in the air.
In the waning seconds of Carter Starocci’s final match as a Nittany Lions superstar, one last gasp from Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen ended the same way every Starocci match has gone during his five trips to the NCAA championships.
The crowd roared as Cael Sanderson bear-hugged Starocci much like he has done every March of Starocci’s star-studded career. The yearlong chase to accomplish a dream that wasn’t even feasible when Starocci started college came to fruition. His 4-3 win in the 184-pound class against Keckeisen cemented Starocci in college wrestling history as he became the first Division I wrestler to win five individual NCAA titles.
“I’ve been in this moment so many times, year after year,” Starocci said. “I have that experience and understand what to do. Honestly, I know I’m a five-time champ, but it’s really just another match. … It’s always about the next one.”
The COVID-19-shortened 2020 season granted Starocci an extra year of eligibility, and after he stormed through the bracket in Kansas City last year on one healthy leg to win his fourth NCAA championship, questions about this year and this quest for five national titles began. Though Starocci has insisted for a year that the next match is the most important, he’s one of only seven wrestlers all time to have navigated the grueling, sweaty and often bloody three-day gantlet of a tournament to win four NCAA titles. Sanderson is a member of the exclusive club as is former Nittany Lions star Aaron Brooks, who joined Starocci as a four-time champion last year.
One wrong move or one bad day on the mat would seem inevitable for anyone. Many of the sport’s best have stumbled to be perfect. Starocci proved time and time again he was the exception.
The Penn State standout — excluding a pair of injury defaults last season — ends his college career having not lost a match since the 2021 Big Ten tournament finals. During his career, he went 104-4, which includes those two injury defaults. Even Michael Kemerer, the last wrestler to defeat Starocci, was later beaten by him in the 2021 NCAA finals.
Penn State’s Carter Starocci claimed his fifth individual NCAA crown Saturday. (Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)
“That was a heck of a feat. That’s really special,” Sanderson said. “It takes a lot of mental toughness and focus. … You got two of the best wrestlers in the country, first match up, which is kind of weird, but that was a great match. That reshot Carter hit, that was as good as it gets.”
Penn State heads back to Happy Valley after a historic showing. It secured its 13th NCAA team title, including its 12th since hiring Sanderson in 2009. It wowed the in-state crowd with all 10 wrestlers becoming All-Americans. It’s just the second team to ever have 10 All-America honorees, joining Minnesota in 2001. The Nittany Lions even one-upped themselves by setting an all-time team scoring record with 177 points. The previous mark was 172.5 — which Penn State set in 2024.
In addition to Starocci, Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds) took home an individual championship. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr finished second at 197 pounds. Five wrestlers, Luke Lilledahl (125), Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Tyler Kasak (157), and Levi Haines (174) placed third. Sophomore Braeden Davis finished fifth, and heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet withdrew from the tournament due to injury. Kerkvliet finished sixth and concluded his college career as a five-time All-America honoree.
For a program that has churned out some of the best wrestlers in the country on an annual basis, it was Starocci who had the brightest of lights on him during the NCAA championships. ESPN even flipped the rundown for Saturday night’s television broadcast to put Starocci’s historic match first in an attempt to lure in the largest audience possible. Starocci wasn’t fond of the change.
One of Sanderson’s most outspoken and most prolific wrestlers, the same one who jogs out to the haunting main title from the “Halloween” franchise, wouldn’t have wanted his college career to end any other way than in the spotlight.
One last Carter Starocci intro as a Penn State wrestler pic.twitter.com/7BVNuy2jGQ
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) March 22, 2025
“He’s not scared of anybody,” said Mike Hahesy, who coached Starocci at Erie’s Cathedral Prep. Hahesy was on hand when Sanderson drove to the high school to recruit Starocci and was here, too, to watch Starocci chase history. “You could tell him he has to wrestle Hulk Hogan and Godzilla back-to-back, and he’d be like, ‘Yep, no problem. What mat am I on?’ He has that supreme, and I don’t know if it’s confidence or sure of himself, or I don’t know what, but he has that definitely more than any kid I ever coached and probably more than any person that’s ever wrestled.”
Starocci was once the young wrestler who holed up in his bedroom for a couple of months after he placed eighth at the Pennsylvania state tournament as a freshman in high school. His family worried about how withdrawn he became. When he emerged from the room with a list of demands for all of them — no more junk food in the house, no more of his time spent playing football — his mind was set on becoming the best wrestler possible.
“It was one of those moments that just awakens you,” Starocci said this week. “For me, it was what am I going to do with my life? Am I going to pursue this, or do I want to do something else because if I’m going to do something I’m not going to lose at it.”
Still, few people in the high school ranks or even at Penn State could’ve predicted a career like this.
Starocci is brash enough to tell all his opponents he’s going to beat them — and skilled enough to back it up. When Sanderson drove to Cathedral Prep to recruit Starocci, the coach took a detour to the home of Starocci’s high school wrestling teammate, Ian Malesiewski. Malesiewski was adjusting to life after a significant injury from wrestling left him paralyzed from the chest down.
Sanderson was there to spend time with Malesiewski, whose story spread through the wrestling world. During Sanderson’s two-plus-hour visit, he wanted to get the full picture of the wrestler he was recruiting. In a way, Malesiewski helped solidify Sanderson’s decision to keep heavily pursuing Starocci.
“We were getting ready to leave, and Cael said, ‘Should I recruit Starocci or not?’” Hahesy said. “Ian said, ‘Yeah, I think you should.’ Cael goes, ‘Well, why do you think I should recruit him?’ He goes, ‘Because you’ll never be able to find anybody that can beat him. … If Carter doesn’t go to Penn State, I don’t care who you’ll get from what state, that kid will never beat Carter.’”
He was right. Finding someone to upend Starocci, even when everyone was gunning for him, whether he won it all with a broken hand, an injured knee or with the weight of expectations on his shoulders, Starocci never backed down.
As Starocci paused for photos in the tunnel alongside his teammates Saturday, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft leaned in for a hug. A smear of Starocci’s blood stayed on Kraft’s white hoodie, a not-so-subtle reminder of this night from one of Penn State’s all-time greats, who starred on one of the sport’s most impressive dynasties.
“I want these younger guys to keep on pushing for more and more and more and just keep that Penn State dynasty going,” Starocci said, drenched in sweat. “I’m not sure how much longer these coaches got, but I know coach Cael pretty well, and if there’s some kind of record out there or something — you guys figure it out — I’m sure when he breaks that, he’ll be done.”
(Top photo: Eric Hartline / Imagn Images)
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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.
“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.
The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.
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Star receiver Puka Nacua will fully participate in voluntary offseason workouts, the Rams are getting closer to another contract adjustment with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead hope backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo decides to put off retirement and return for a third season and possible Super Bowl run.
McVay and Snead addressed those topics and the NFL draft on Tuesday during a videoconference with reporters.
Nacua led the NFL in receptions last season but also was involved in a string of off-the-field incidents the last few months, including an alleged biting incident that led to a civil lawsuit. Those situations put the brakes on any immediate discussion between the Rams and Nacua about a massive extension for the fourth-year pro.
In March, Nacua began a rehabilitation program in Malibu, but he was present for the first day of workouts on Monday.
Nacua, 24, “looks great” and is “doing really well,” McVay said. McVay declined to detail discussions he’s had with the All-Pro, who was a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.
“He and I have a great relationship,” McVay said. “Feel really good about kind of the direction we’re going.”
Stafford, 38, led the Rams to the NFC championship game last season and is the reigning NFL most valuable player. According to overthecap.com, he is due to carry a salary-cap number of $48.3 million this season.
But Stafford has no doubt demanded, and will receive, a raise and a possible additional year in a deal that the Rams acknowledged two years ago is essentially a year-to-year situation.
“Progress has been made,” Snead said of negotiations.
There is no timeline, Snead said, “but don’t expect any drama, per se.”
Garoppolo, 34, has backed up Stafford for two seasons, and he has been invaluable.
Last year, with Stafford sidelined for training camp because of a back issue, Garoppolo ran the offense and prepped the defense with a skillset honed during a 12-year career that included a Super Bowl appearance. Stafford joined workouts before the season and remained healthy throughout, but Garoppolo was perhaps the most valuable insurance policy in the NFL.
Last season, Garoppolo played on a one-year contract and earned $4.5 million, according to overthecap.com.
McVay expressed confidence in fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett, but said he was hopeful that “when the time is right,” Garoppolo will “change his mind,” and return.
“You leave the door open,” McVay said when asked if there was a point that Rams would press Garoppolo to return. “I don’t think you want to press. What you don’t want to do is ever force a guy to play if in his mind he’s ready to move on.
“But you don’t want to minimize that, ‘Hey, if you do decide you want to play, let’s make sure it’s here with us.”
The Rams have the 13th pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Pittsburgh. They have one pick in the second and third rounds, one in the sixth round and three in the seventh.
Receiver, offensive line and edge rusher are among the positions the Rams could address with their first top-15 pick since they selected quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016.
“There’s a lot of possibilities,” McVay said. “We don’t control what happens in those 12 picks before, and so what we’ve done is a lot of contingency planning and a lot of conversations, and feel really good about that.”
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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.
The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area.
An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.
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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.
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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.
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