Takedown Report

Penn State wrestling: The Hodge Trophy winner was announced. It may surprise you.

Carter Starocci, one of the most successful college wrestlers of all-time, will never win its top season award.
The Penn State wrestling superstar just finished another undefeated season on the mat. He won his unprecedented fifth individual NCAA title − defeating a reigning national champ in the title bout.
He finished his Penn State career with an astounding 104-4 record.
But he lost out on the Hodge Trophy, yet again.
Oklahoma State heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson beat out Starocci and undefeated national champion PSU teammate Mitchell Mesenbrink for the award given to the nation’s top wrestler.
The award, which included fan voting, was announced Monday afternoon.
Hendrickson earned one of the most dramatic title-match upsets in NCAA Championships history two weekends ago in Philadelphia, taking down Olympic gold medalist and former two-time Hodge winner Gable Steveson.
Hendrickson earned 30 first-place Hodge votes to Starocci’s 26, making it the second-closest Hodge race ever. Hendrickson was 27-0 this season with 13 pins, eight tech falls, and an 81.5% bonus-point win rate.
Starocci and Mesenbrink also were undefeated with higher bonus-point rates and history-making team credentials but lacked that historic finals’ victory.
Mesenbrink arguably was the most dominant wrestler in any weight class, leading the nation in technical falls (18) and bonus-point rate (89 percent). He capped his 27-0 season with a decisive 8-2 NCAA Championships title victory over Mikey Caliendo − his sixth victory over the Iowa wrestler in two years. Starocci would have been the second straight Nittany Lion to win the Hodge, the equivalent to college football’s Heisman Trophy.  … more at … https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/college/penn-state/2025/03/31/carter-starocci-penn-state-vs-wyatt-hendrickson-hodge-trophy-winner/82693975007/

April 6, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized