Everything Penn State star Carter Starocci said before starting his quest for a record-setting fifth NCAA title

PHILADELPHIA — Penn State graduate senior Carter Starocci is chasing history. The Erie, Pa., native could win a fifth individual title this weekend. He won his first four at 174 pounds, making him one of seven college wrestlers ever to accomplish that feat. Thanks to an extra year of eligibility provided by the NCAA to athletes impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, four victories in the 184-pound weight class could make him the first to ever go five-for-five.

“Carter is one of those guys that, he’s given a great effort every single day,” Lions coach Cael Sanderson said this week. “Every day he trains, every competition. So naturally, he’s going to be at his best in the big moments. He always has been. Yeah, it’s, it’s an unusual situation, right? He’s a four-time national champion, you know, four out of four. And you ,know that that’s kind of the ultimate goal for kids when they’re looking at NCAA Wrestling.

“He’s just blessed to have, you know, another opportunity to do something that we hope never is again available, right? And it’s just seizing the moment. I think he has a pretty good mindset about it.”

Here’s what Starocci said this week about his historic quest before it begins on Thursday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Starocci on his mindset entering nationals

“I was talking with Coach Cael about it last week,” Starocci said. “And for me, it’s never about winning like a national title or anything like that. I just really enjoy competition. And, I’m very competitive. And so for me, just one thing I want to make sure is, before I go, that I kill all these guys.”

On his match with Minnesota freshman Max McEnelly in the Big Ten finals

The Golden Gopher became the first wrestler to take the Penn State standout down this season before Starocci won 8-5 in sudden victory.

“I mean, he’s a tough kid,” Starocci said. “He came out and he came forward, and then he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to keep it up the whole match. And so he kind of hit the normal, it’s kind of back up, play the out of bounds game. So, he had a nice takedown. And so for me, I kind of want that match again. But that’s kind of not what I’m focused on. It’s kind of whoever’s in front of me.”

Does Starocci look into who he will, and could, wrestle in his bracket?

“I have all these guys scouted down from 157 heavyweight,” Starocci said. “So, I can tell you what all these guys like to do. So for me, I kind of stay ready for everybody. I like to know who I’m wrestling, because, that’s the great thing about wrestling: It’s always going to change and adapt. And a lot of that is kind of based on your opponent.

“So, when you know what they like to do or don’t like to do, and things like that, and there’s guys too, that, I’ve wrestled my freshman year that are now coaches, and so I kind of know how they’re thinking as well. And so it just helps out a lot. So for me, I kind of always stay ready so I don’t have to get ready.”

Why are Cael Sanderson and his staff so good at getting Penn State wrestlers to peak at the right time?

“I feel like, even when we have like five champs, something like that, I feel like that look in his eye, he’s still a little pissed off,” Starocci said. “And I think for him, it’s because he’s coaching all of us. And so I feel like, if something doesn’t go one of our ways, he kind of feels for us. So I think until he gets 10 national champs, he’s not gonna be satisfied, right?”

How did an eighth place finish at this first PIAA tournament moment Starocci?

Starocci did not leave his room for a considerable amount of time following that first postseason outcome. He told the story back on Monday of what came next.

“It was rough,” he said. “I went on like, four or five years before that, where I hadn’t lost. So, obviously, in I think I’m pretty good. And so my freshman year at states, yeah, long story short, I took eighth place. And, I was just really angry. It was just one of those moments where it kind of wakens you. For me, it was just, what am I going to do with my life? And , am I going to pursue this, or am I going to go do something else?

“Because if I’m going to do something, I’m not going to lose at it. So, I just had to figure out what I was going to do. I just kind of broke myself down in all areas of life on what I was doing, and things like that. We don’t come from much money, and so kind of whatever my dad had, like food-wise and things like that, that’s kind of what I had to roll with. And he’s a big guy, and he’s kind of scary, so you kind of just agree with what he says.

“So when I came out of my room, I was like, ‘listen, dude.’ I had this long sheet of paper, and I was like,’ I’m doing x, y and z, and I was like, and if you’re not down with it, I’m going to have to move out, because I’m never going to lose again.’ And I think it was a moment for me that, it’ll never go away. And I think that moment will help me for the rest of my life.”

On being the number one seed

“I wish there was no seeds, and I just wish you wrestled every single kid in the bracket and take them all out inside three days,” Starocci said.

Starocci was asked to reflect on his time at Penn State

“Well, the focus isn’t on Saturday,” he said. “I would say the focus is on right now. We got practice in a few minutes, so that’s kind of where my mind is at. That’s kind of where my focus is. And just my career at Penn State, I mean, it’s been a really good time.

“Obviously, I’m at my dream school with all the best guys that I could possibly be around, not only as wrestlers, but as people as well. And I’ve grown in many, many ways in my life. And so I feel like for me, that’s something that’s more impactful than anything you can do on the wrestling mat.

“Just as I came here, we had a really good team. And then my sophomore year, we had a better team. In my junior year, we had a better team. And now, we have even a better team. So I just hope that kind of it keeps going on as I enter my way out of here. And I think these two young studs right here, they’re obviously really good wrestlers, and I think they’re going to keep that going and that’s what it’s about.”

What keeps the NCAA Tournament fresh year after year when you’re having so much success?

“For me, it’s never really about the tournament or just year after year for me, I just really love dominating,” Starocci said. “And for me that’s kind of a big reason why I chose to come back this year was obviously last year, dealing with the injury and things like that.”

Has it sunk in that this is his last NCAA tournament?

“It’s not my final tournament,” Starocci said. “I’ll always be competing. So for me it’s not necessarily this is my last time. It’s really not — all this stuff I practiced for and there’s always the next time. That’s something I hope to; it’s not about wrestling our opponents now, it’s about wrestling for the next time and making sure we wrestle again. And if you take that mindset it will help you in life too.”

What do these three days mean to Starocci’s Penn State career?

“For me it’s not necessarily about these next three days,” he said. “I feel like your career isn’t just based on a three-day span. I think it’s about going out there every single time you have the chance to compete, no matter if you’re sick or hurt, just putting it all on the line. I feel it’s something I’ve done every single time.

“As far as all the other stuff, I mean, for me just, like I said, it’s just about dominating. It’s not just about winning and things like that. These next three days are another opportunity for me to go out and do that and prove that I’m the best.

“It’s one thing to be the best whether it’s one year, two years, but it’s another thing to be the best for half a decade, not only yourself and it’s your team.

“I feel a lot of times I get asked, you have a target on your back, this and that, but for me that’s the whole way around. For us, we always are the guys hunting. That’s how we approach it.”