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| Full name | Carter Alphonse Starocci | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (2001-02-08)February 8, 2001 (age 24) Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 174 lb (79 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Freestyle andFolkstyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 Americanfreestyle and formerfolkstyle wrestler who competes at174 pounds.[1] In freestyle, he was aU23 World bronze medalist in 2022.[2]
In folkstyle, Starocci became the firstfive-time NCAA Division I National champion in history, and was a three-timeBig Ten Conference champion out of thePennsylvania State University.[3]
Starocci was born and raised inErie, Pennsylvania, where he startedwrestling at the age of three. RaisedCatholic, he attendedCathedral Preparatory School.[4][5] During hishigh school years, Starocci became a two-timePIAA state champion and a four-time state placer.[6] Infreestyle, he placed at multiple national tournaments and was a Fargo National champion as well as inGreco-Roman.[7] One of the top-recruits in the country, Starocci committed to wrestle for thePenn State Nittany Lions, and closed out his high school career at 172–10.[8]
Starocci wore aredshirt 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.[9]
Competing as afreshman, 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.[10] At theBig Ten Conference Championships, Starocci placed second, falling to Michael Kemerer fromIowa after defeatingNebraska's All-American Mikey Labriola to cruise to the finals.[11] Starocci, the third-seed, then became theNCAA 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.[12]
After the season, Starocci went up 13 pounds and competed at theUS Olympic Team Trials at 86 kilograms, having qualified by becoming anNCAA champion a month before.[13] He was eliminated after losing back-to-back matches toU23 World championBo Nickal andNCAA championMyles Martin.[14]
In September 2021, Starocci competed at theUS 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 ofteammate andthree-time NCAA championJason Nolf and All-Americans Chance Marsteller and Evan Wick.[15]
Back to folkstyle, Starocci went 15–0 in dual meets as asophomore, grabbed his first Big Ten Conference title and became a back-to-backNCAA Division I National champion with victories over fellowNCAA championMekhi Lewis, three-time All-American Hayden Hidlay and two-time All-American Michael Kemerer, closing out the year at 25–0.[16]
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, includingDan Hodge Trophy winnerAlex Dieringer and three-time All-American David McFadden, to place third.[17] 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 theU23 World Championships.[18]
In October, Starocci became a U23 World bronze medalist, with wins overU20 World medalist Abdulvasi Balta andU23 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 theBig Ten title and became a three-time2023 NCAA Division I National champion.[19] He closed up the year at 24–0, with five victories over All-Americans.[20]
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 bythree-time NCAA championAlex Dieringer in a rematch, and subsequently dropped out of the tournament to place sixth.[21]
Asenior, Starocci came in the season looking to become the sixthfour-time NCAA champion in history, and looked fit to do so after picking up nine dual meet victories and a Journeymen Classic title.[22] 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 theNCAA tournament due to past accomplishments.[23] After two forfeits which counted as losses, Starocci, the ninth-seed, earned four straight victories, including two over past NCAA championsMekhi Lewis and Shane Griffith, before cruising to the finals and defeating Rocco Welsh to become a four-time NCAA champion.[24]
Starocci then competed at theUS Olympic Team Trials in April, where he was expected to cut down to 74 kilograms, though ended up going up to 86 kilograms.[25] After a win over US National championPat Downey, he was defeated byU23 World finalist Trent Hidlay, and later forfeited out of the tournament to end his run.[26]
Starocci was given an extra year of eligibility as an athlete who competed during the COVID-affected 2020-21 season. He won the Big Ten Tournament in March and was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.[27] He would go onto win theNCAA Division I Wrestling Championships later in March, becoming the first everfive-time NCAA Division I National champion.[28]
| Senior Freestyle Matches | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Score | Date | Event | Location |
| 2024 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at86 kg | ||||||
| Loss |  Evan Wick | FF | April 19, 2024 | 2024 US Olympic Team Trials | ||
| Loss | 15–7 | Trent Hidlay | 4–6 | |||
| Win | 15–6 | Pat Downey | 12-4 | |||
| 2023 US Open 6th at 79 kg | ||||||
| Loss | Alex Marinelli | FF | April 27, 2023 | 2023 US Open National Championships | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Loss | 14–6 | Alex Dieringer | 1–7 | |||
| Win | 14–5 | Michael Kemerer | 9–0 | |||
| Win | 13–5 | Jay Nivison | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 12–5 | Sean Houston | TF 10–0 | |||
2022 U23 World Championships at 79 kg | ||||||
| Win | 11–5 |  Valentyn Babii | TF 11–0 | October 21–22, 2022 | 2022 U23 World Championships |  Pontevedra, Spain |
| Loss | 10–5 |  Daulet Yergesh | 7–8 | |||
| Win | 10–4 |  Abdulvasi Balta | TF 11–0 | |||
| Win | 9–4 |  Erik Reinbok | TF 10–0 | |||
| Win | 8–4 |  Oktay Hasan | TF 11–0 | |||
| 2022 US World Team Trials at 79 kg | ||||||
| Win | Vincenzo Joseph | FF | June 8, 2022 | 2022 Final X NYC | New York City | |
| Win | 7–4 | David McFadden | 10–2 | May 21–22, 2022 | 2022 US World Team Trials | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Win | 6–4 | Alex Dieringer | 5–1 | |||
| Win | 5–4 | Brayden Thompson | 10–1 | |||
| Loss | 4–4 | Chance Marsteller | 4–5 | |||
| 2021 US World Team Trials at 79 kg | ||||||
| Win | 4–3 | Jason Nolf | 4–3 | September 11–12, 2021 | 2021 US World Team Trials | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Win | Isaiah Martinez | FF | ||||
| Win | 3–3 | Evan Wick | 8–4 | |||
| Win | 2–3 | Chance Marsteller | 4–0 | |||
| Win | 1–3 | Branson Ashworth | 7–3 | |||
| Loss | 0–3 | Taylor Lujan | 4–6 | |||
| 2020 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 86 kg | ||||||
| Loss | 0–2 | Myles Martin | 2–5 | April 2, 2021 | 2020 US Olympic Team Trials | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Loss | 0–1 | Bo Nickal | 1–6 | |||
2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships medalists | |
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| 125 lbs |
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| 133 lbs |
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| 141 lbs |
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| 149 lbs |
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| 157 lbs |
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| 165 lbs |
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| 174 lbs |
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| 184 lbs |
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| 197 lbs |
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| 285 lbs (HWT) | |
