Years ago after Carter Starocci won his first NCAA championship, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson offered some important perspective based on his own experience. 

It would only get harder the rest of the way. 

But 93 wins, four losses and four straight NCAA championships later, Starocci has made it look easy. 

“I really couldn’t care less about five NCAA titles, four NCAA titles,” Starocci said. “For me, I just truly love going out there and just smashing somebody.” 

Penn State’s star will look to do it at a new weight. He’s up to 184 pounds, where he’ll chase an unprecedented fifth NCAA title when his season begins with the NWCA All-Star Classic Exhibition on Saturday. 

Sanderson has been in a similar situation with the eyes of the wrestling world on him. He notably became the first unbeaten collegiate wrestler and won his fourth straight NCAA title when Carter was barely a year old in 2002. 

“Our own imaginations will create expectations and we add pressure to ourselves,” Sanderson said. “A guy like Carter, he’s just a competitor and he’s confident and he’s not going out there trying to sneak by with wins. He’s always looking to the bigger picture. His goal is obviously to have a great year this year and then get ready for the Olympics and World Championships.” 

Before that, however, he’ll look to lead the Nittany Lions to their 12th team championship since Sanderson took over in 2009.

Starocci believes moving up to 184 from the 174-pound field he dominated for years could help those efforts.

The senior revealed at the team’s first media availability that he battled hard to cut weight a year ago. As he’s aged, the cut has been tougher. 

“I don’t want to be up until three in the morning cutting weight anymore,” Starocci said. “And it kind of made sense for our lineup, we have some good guys (in) other places.”

While Starocci will take over at 184 in the wake of Bernie Truax’s departure, he’ll yield his former spot to a bigger, stronger Levi Haines who spent the last two seasons at 157. Haines won the Big Ten twice at the weight while putting together runner-up and championship finishes at NCAAs in his first two seasons.

Sanderson said he anticipated the day Haines would need to bump up as early as a summer ago. 

“I was like, well there’s no way he’s going to make ‘57 again, and then sure enough, he was extremely disciplined and followed the game plan to a T and was able to obviously wrestle great and feel great and be healthy,” Sanderson said. “He’s got a big frame and so when he was ready to go up, he’s kind of ready to go up and that’s not something we get too involved in.”

Reigning Big Ten 125-pound champion Braeden Davis has also moved up. He’ll likely go at 133 this season while expected starters Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) return to their spots from last year. 

“Even with losing some really good guys, I think this team can be better,” Starocci said. “We’re all seniors and this is our last year and I think the following year is going to be better so I just think that’s a really good testament to our athletic department and our coaches because they just keep finding ways to get better.”

Healthy And Ready 

Van Ness suffered an unspecified leg injury early last season, had surgery around the team’s holiday break.

From that point on, he was a jovial soul in the room, watching intently and helping his teammates any way he could, even if that was just as a cheerleader on the bench.

Now, the 149-pounder who opened last season with a trio of powerful falls before his season was cut short, is ready to return. 

Van Ness will make his season debut in the All-Star Classic at Rec Hall. He’ll face West Virginia’s Ty Watters.

“He’s going to wrestle tough,” Sanderson said. “He just learns and continues to improve in all areas, hasn’t been on the mat in a long time, but he’s looking really good. We’re excited to get him back in the lineup.”

Instrasquad Battle 

It’ll be a while until the starting picture becomes clearer at certain weights.

Sanderson and his staff are among the most patient in the country and like to let the process play out naturally. With nearly five months until the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, the Nittany Lions will have plenty of opportunities to whittle down their options at 125, 157 and 197.

Penn State has held wrestle-offs, but Sanderson is only willing to put a limited amount of stock in head-to-head matchups. 

Expect multiple Nittany Lions vying for the same starting spots to hit multiple open tournaments along the way.

Sanderson and the rest of the staff like the early progress of freshman Luke Lilledahl and senior Michigan transfer Kurt McHenry, who’s worked to get healthy for the start of the year, at 125. 

Sophomore Tyler Kasak, who started at 141 but moved up to 149 for his last 25 bouts last year, is battling Alex Facundo for early time at 157. Facundo took an Olympic redshirt last season but was 19-6 and qualified for NCAAs as a 165-pounder in 2023. 

Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, along with Lucas Cochran and brothers Connor Mirasola and Cole Mirasola round out the team’s depth at 197. 

“We’ve got some time to figure things out and grow and learn and keep making small steps and progress,” Sanderson said.

A New Beau

It was rare to find the amiable, easy-going Bartlett not smiling last season. 

Underneath the big grin and puffy shock of hair, a fire was raging. He wasn’t as good as he wanted to be down the stretch, and Bartlett wasn’t sure why. 

After losing twice to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez — once in the Big Ten Championships, second in the NCAA finals — Bartlett took time to reflect and was finally able to pinpoint what was eating at him. 

“Last year I had so much confidence I think it turned into arrogance a little bit,” Bartlett said. “The whole year I was like, ‘I’m winning NCAAs, I’m winning NCAAs,’ so a lot of matches I don’t think I cared enough to be fearless.”

Now that he’s in his final year of eligibility, Bartlett said he’s going to try to live in each moment a bit more. 

“I was focused on not losing against guys I was like, ‘I shouldn’t lose to this guy.’ Which is a terrible mindset to have, everyone’s working really hard. It doesn’t make sense,” Bartlett said.

Waiting For Nagao

Sanderson revealed that 133-pounder Aaron Nagao suffered an unspecified offseason injury, but is expected to be available eventually this season.

He is currently still rehabbing and is not wrestling.

Nagao, who transferred from Minnesota before last season, went 17-7 in his first year at Penn State.