2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Carter Starocci takes medical forfeit for Penn State

Penn State’s three-time national champion and No. 1 seed Carter Starocci took a medical forfeit against Minnesota’s Andrew Sparks.

Starocci, who injured his knee during the Nittany Lions’ dual finale, was rumored to default out of the tournament and acquire an at-large bid for NCAAs. He stepped on the mat to make it official.

However, Starocci will have to do it once more to take a second loss and he’ll rest up for the national tournament. His seed for NCAAs is to-be-determined.

Starocci has taken a medical forfeit after he stepped on the mat. https://t.co/ByyjM2jQeu

— Nick Kosko (@nickkosko59) March 9, 2024

“He just was trying to get the pin and so he kind of put his leg in a compromised position and it just didn’t work out, instead of just letting the guy kind belly out there,” head coach Cael Sanderson said of the injury prior to the tournament.

“You want your kids healthy and happy, that’s every practice, every competition. That’s not always realistic, it’s part of the sport. We’re obviously thinking about Carter right now and getting him over to figure out what’s going on. We have time, we still have a couple of weeks for the conference and another week and a half before the nationals. Carter’s always been a very quick healer. He won a national title a couple of years ago with a broken hand. He’ll get in there, he’ll compete hard.”

Starocci previously posted on Twitter, sending a cryptic message about his status.

“A true champion can adapt to anything,” Starocci wrote. “You can either run from your adversity or face it head on and conquer it. There’s only one way in and one way out and I’m going that way. This game teaches you a lot and one thing I learned for sure is my mind is absolutely bullet proof.”

How to watch 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Fans not in attendance for this year’s Big Ten Tournament have the option of streaming on Fubo TV.

Fubo’s spring offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on their first month of Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans.

Date: Saturday March 9th (1 and 2) and 10th (3 and 4)
Session 1: 10 a.m. ET
Session 2: 5 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET
Session 3: 12 p.m. ET
Session 4: 4:30 p.m. ET

Location: College Park (M.D) – The University of Maryland
Channel: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: Fubo TV (Try for free)

Fans can click the link above for a free trial of Fubo TV to stream the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships