Will Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet return to Penn State wrestling in 2024? They have their initial answer
Penn State national champions Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet have stay or go decisions to make. Will they be back in 2024-2025?
Will Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet return to Penn State wrestling in 2024? They have their initial answer
- Thread starter GregPickel
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No expert here, I think Carter could be fantastic at Freestyle, but it is going to take at least four years, Dake retires and he can leapfrog Nolf, just to be the best guy at the NLWC. If there is anyone who can do it
I suspect MMA would love to have Carter and this will be just too much of a pull.
I think Kerk comes back. He just needs to continue to get bigger.
I suspect MMA would love to have Carter and this will be just too much of a pull.
I think Kerk comes back. He just needs to continue to get bigger.
Bottom line. We MUST get Bartlett, Carter, and kerk to come back final season. We NEED our Big time Wrestling Donors to step in now while decisions are being made. Let’s go Big Donors. Bartlett placed 3rd, and 2nd. He has unfinished business. Carter would be the 1st in the sport to have 5 National Championships.
Agree. Can someone just mute him to give everyone a break?
I would love to see those guys back (especially Kerkvliet), but we don't NEED any of them back. Penn State wrestling has the next man up mentality and while it would be nice, I think we will be fine either way.
Going to try to, anyways. Curious to see if the knee is ready for it.
My observation/question specifically for CStar.
1. How does a guy with an apparent serious knee injury drop 11 pounds in 4 weeks (174-163) while maintaining his strength and feed his body enough to all his injury to heal more? As everyone can see, it isn't like he is going to shed fat-weight.
2. Best play for him to return for a 5th year is for Welsh to trash-talk with some specific references to CStar. Something like "everyone knows he isn't coming back and I'd ruin his run at history" or "As a true-freshman he could barely beat me. With a year of experience, this weight is now mine"
1. How does a guy with an apparent serious knee injury drop 11 pounds in 4 weeks (174-163) while maintaining his strength and feed his body enough to all his injury to heal more? As everyone can see, it isn't like he is going to shed fat-weight.
2. Best play for him to return for a 5th year is for Welsh to trash-talk with some specific references to CStar. Something like "everyone knows he isn't coming back and I'd ruin his run at history" or "As a true-freshman he could barely beat me. With a year of experience, this weight is now mine"
That's assuming that he's currently a full 174. None of us really know. Given that the staff would know his goals, he might have been on a descent plan throughout the season.
Folks 74 kg is 163 pounds- Carter has been wrestling obviously at a weight class (174) 10 pounds heavier. So how would he possibly-with a bad knee-wrestle at a much lower weight in like 3 weeks? As I have said before Olympic freestyle has 6 weight classes only and for those who wrestle in the middle of the sometimes 20+ pound difference in weight classes-it can be a major disadvantage. Other world competitions have more weight classes than the Olympics. Plus Olympic wrestling rules are much different than college rules and for even the likes of David Taylor it took time to transition to the Olympic style wrestling
A lot of people are going to read this as Bartlett not coming back but I'm not making that leap just yet, but did want to point it out:
He weighed in a little over 169 pounds for the NCAA championships over the weekend.
I would love for Carter, Kerk and Beau to come back but if they don't we will be fine. Kasak would challenge for a title at 141lbs next season. We have legit guys who can step in at 174lbs like Zack Ryder who did not wrestle his senior season but rather moved to State College to rain at M2. He will be ready to go if Carter is not back. If Kerk does not come back Cole Mirasola will likely man HWT unless Cochran puts on weight.
My guess is that Carter does not compete at the trials. I just don't think he is healthy enough. Or he does and doesn't make the team with a bum knee. Not making the Olympic team is the best shot I think we have at Carter coming back because if he doesn't make the team he has to wait another four years to try again and in the meantime he can wrestle 174lbs/79kg after next season for the world championship.
Beau - Will be back.
Carter - 60/40 that will will come back if he doesn't make the Olympic team.
Kerk - 50/50 on him coming back but if I had to guess, I would say he does not come back.
My guess is that Carter does not compete at the trials. I just don't think he is healthy enough. Or he does and doesn't make the team with a bum knee. Not making the Olympic team is the best shot I think we have at Carter coming back because if he doesn't make the team he has to wait another four years to try again and in the meantime he can wrestle 174lbs/79kg after next season for the world championship.
Beau - Will be back.
Carter - 60/40 that will will come back if he doesn't make the Olympic team.
Kerk - 50/50 on him coming back but if I had to guess, I would say he does not come back.
Agree, with your rationale on the 3 coming back. In fact, I'd say it's damn accurate as of today.
I can understand any one of the three not coming back if they are done with wrestling, moving on to other aspects of their lives, but if they are going to continue to live and train in State College with NLWC, why not wrestle another year for PSU and get paid whatever NIL money may be available to them. I'm sure they would not have to compete in the first semester and be on a " match count" if that was in their best interest . JMHO................
Carter hates school. Have to go to school to wrestle. May be only spring semester.
I think kerk likes college.and his dad has PhD, so I don't think another year in school would be a big deal to him.
Definitely gotta get our Donors to get Bartlett back. Geez ever so close to a National Championship.
I've heard that about Carter as well! I may be mistaken, but couldn't he only register for 3 grad classes (if he completed his undergrad degree) or 4 undergrad classes and technically withdraw after the season ends. I've heard that others have done this at other universities.
I bet the right donor can get Kerk and the other 2 back for a final run. My Lord that would be the best team EVER.
Cole M needs to really hit the weights and be in the room at least 1 year before taking over the HWT Spot. Just not ready and I’m not really sure how he’s going to do against the better HWT in the Country. Kerk gotta stay his final season. Please Donors step up. Hopefully other’s are talking to Donors to get the 3 of them back. Well see
Carter doesn’t like undergrad. He can take some easy classes just to be enrolled. He doesn’t necessarily have to pursue the complete masters. Carter just talk’s off his sleeve too. Bet he doesn’t hate school as much as he said
Thank you. This doesn't surprise me. Our staff has a history of being savvy with weight management and I'm sure that they knew of his plans for 74/163 long before we did.
If Carter can't make the Olympic team this go round, will he wait another four years or just start his MMA career? I don't now if there is any opportunity for him to leverage ATT like Bo has. I would think that Bo tried to negotiate some type of ownership stake in Pleasant Gap as part of that partnership but have no idea.
What happens to Nolf if he doesn't make the Olympic team? Is this it for Dake? Can Levi catch Carter? So many variables and considerations IMO.
What happens to Nolf if he doesn't make the Olympic team? Is this it for Dake? Can Levi catch Carter? So many variables and considerations IMO.
Yeah, I'm trying to put together a story about the top X number of questions facing Penn State wrestling as the offseason begins story and I'm having a heck of a time whittling it down.
The good thing for us, most things are first world questions/problems
Thought Bartlett said he was returning… CStar will not make this years Olympic team. He ain’t beating Dake. He or Nolf is the heir apparent just like Brooks is Taylor’s. His opp is 2028 and do one more year of NCAAs and then focus on FS leading up to those Olympics would make sense. Same with Kerk if his desire is Olympics but I’ve never heard him say that.
We’ll be fine with Kasak at 141 & SVN at 149 I think.
But would help from the Big Donors help? Have not seen that discussed here. Good start for a very important, but rarely discussed topic.
I've come to the conclusion that Spice67 is 1) a BOT very narrowly programmed on potential replies to posts, 2) a person so fixated on money that he can't even contemplate doing anything for a reason other than money, or 3) is an attention seeking ***** trying to irritate everyone by incessantly claiming over and over and over that donors must fork over money.
My God man, give it a rest!
Hohmadw, I know you have posted several times recently stating a relationship with CStar. My next statement is not an accusation of lying. I find this statement curious and out of context. CStar specifically said in an interview that he was over and praised Cael for being on the bike beside him as encouragement/support to make weight while he looked around and saw coaches from other teams on their phones. I'm making an assumption this was leading into Saturday (this could be wrong). If true, 174lb wouldn't be the target for Saturday due to the 1lb/day weight allowance. Actual target would be 176 lbs (7 lbs higher than you cited).
Now if you said his walking around weight for NCAA Championships was 179 lb, that would make a lot of sense and certainly reasonable difference to cut daily for weigh-ins. Are you sure it wasn't 179?
Manatree - I agree with you that they almost certainly had a descent plan in place so he didn't need to cut all of it in the next 3 weeks. However, that plan probably did not include sustaining a knee injury that would have impacted ability to work out.
In the end, doesn't really matter. We will see if he wrestles and at what wait in a few weeks. I wish him well on whatever weight he decides to go at. Hope it just doesn't end up setting him back for a full recovery that endangers his future.
Doing so crossed my mind! But, honestly, a lot of times when we do that, part one does two or three times the traffic as part two. But, may have to ultimately go that way.
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