Takedown Report

From great to greatest: How returning NCAA wrestling champions prepare to be even more dominant in 2025

Penn State’s Carter Starocci is unquestionably one of the best college wrestlers of all time. With four NCAA titles and two Big Ten titles to his name at 174 pounds, he’s already solidified himself in the history books with the chance to win an unprecedented fifth Division I NCAA title this year, now up at 184 pounds.
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But Starocci’s main focus this year is less on his last title and more on how he can improve. “I really find peace in training and getting better,” Starocci said. “My dad used to always tell me, ‘every day, you have the option: either get better or get worse. If you stay the same, everyone else around you is getting better, and that means you’re getting worse’…so every single second of the day I really try to utilize ‘is this going to help me, or is it not?” 
Starocci is one of seven returning champions from 2024 looking to add to his resume this season, and he’s the only champ from last year with more than one title. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson and Penn State’s Levi Haines all earned All-American honors as true freshman, finishing sixth, fifth and second respectively at 141, 149 and 157 pounds before winning their first titles as true sophomores last season.
THROWBACK: Here’s how Mendez and Henson earned All-American honors as true freshmen
UNI’s Parker Keckeisen won his first title in 2024 at 184 pounds after finishing third twice and second in 2023, while Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet  … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2024-11-15/great-greatest-how-returning-ncaa-wrestling-champions-prepare-be-even-more-dominant

November 19, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling