The 2022 NCAA finals match between Carter Starocci and Mekhi Lewis was an instant classic with Starocci defending his 174-pound crown in overtime. The two will meet again at the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by Cliff Keen on November 22 in Austin, Texas. Check out a preview below for their highly anticipated rematch.

Before we look at the matchup, take a look at a snapshot of both Mekhi Lewis and Carter Starocci's college careers. Below you'll see their college records, finishes at NCAAs, and a hitlist of their wins over past All-Americans.

Carter Starocci, Penn State

Quick stats:

• 37-2 career college record
• 2-time NCAA Champion (2021 & 2022)
• 2022 Senior US National Team Member (3rd at 79kg)

Starocci’s College Hitlist

• Mekhi Lewis
• Hayden Hidlay
• Michael Kemerer (3X)
• Logan Massa (3X)
• Demetrius Romero
• Mikey Labriola (2X)
• Kaleb Romero (3X)

Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

Quick stats:

• 62-6 career college record
• 2019 U20 World Champion
• 2019 NCAA champion
• 2022 NCAA runner-up

Lewis’ College Hitlist

• Logan Massa
• Clay Lautt (3X)
• Hayden Hidlay
• Ethan Smith
• Vincenzo Joseph
• Evan Wick
• Alex Marinelli
• Jake Wentzel
• Bryce Steiert

2022 NCAA Finals Match Breakdown

The match between Carter Starocci and Mekhi Lewis in the 2022 NCAA finals showed how evenly matched they are. The first period of that match ended 0-0 with limited scoring opportunities for either wrestler. Lewis seemed to take control in the second period after earning the first takedown but Starocci responded with a takedown of his own in the third period to tie the match at 4-4 and send it into overtime. 

The overtime periods continued to display the excellence of both Starocci and Lewis. Though they went scoreless through the 2-minute period, both continued to attack and counter - battling into the tie-breaker portion of the match. That’s where Starocci proved to have the slight edge. The Nittany Lion went down first and earned an escape in just 6 seconds. Then, during Lewis’ opportunity on bottom, Starocci was able to ride for 21 seconds to secure the victory and national title - winning by 15 seconds of riding time. 

Starocci’s 2022 NCAA finals over Lewis:

What You Can Expect This Time

Starocci and Lewis wrestled for 10 minutes in their NCAA finals bout and all that separated the two was 15 seconds of riding time…that’s about as close as it gets. At the NWCA All-Star Classic, we should expect a similar battle between two, evenly matched competitors in a match that has the potential to come down to the wire. Will Lewis dethrone Starocci? Or will Starocci stay on top at 174? We’ll find out on November 22 in Austin, Texas!