Is Carter Starocci’s Injury a Roadblock on His Path to Making History in Penn State Wrestling?

“When I’m not wrestling, I’m not really happy,” the Nittany Lion’s ephemeral champion, Carter Starocci, pronounced a few weeks ago. The words suited the occasion well as he was adding his return to the wrestling lineup evading his illness this season. Upon returning, the 174-category wrestler extended his fiery run that has been continuing for the last sixty-odd matches. But in a dismal fate, that fiery run has stopped again, not by facing a defeat, but because of an uncontrolled pindown. 

That incident has raised several questions about Carter Starocci’s return when the fans are heartily expecting him in the coming season with folded hands. So, let’s have a look at the stakes that may regulate Carter Starocci’s future in the blue jersey. 

Carter Starocci’s resilience never bows out 

On Sunday, hovering over his 64th victory in a streak, Carter Starocci faced an uncontrollable situation that resulted in his leg injury. However, that match ended, giving Penn State the taste of having four consecutive undefeated seasons and a bagful of worry for Starocci. The 3x NCAA champion was steadily moving toward having his fourth on the spree, a first-time achievement for any Nittany Lion.

So, at the behest of this, the blow felt gigantic. Eventually, the Barstool Penn State’s X-handle shared a post on that. “Please no, for the love of God, NO! Carter Starocci appears to get injured in possibly his last match for Penn State. Hope it isn’t a serious injury”, it declared.

However, Penn State’s coach, Cael Sanderson, bit his lips to detail further on the situation. “We’re obviously thinking about Carter right now and getting him over to kind of figure out what’s going on,” he said in the post-match release.

Meanwhile, Carter himself or any medical report is yet to throw light on the depth of the injury. Almost everyone is expecting the wrestler to move ahead just like once he did in 2022 with a broken head. But for the 2x Big Ten champion, the last match against Edinboro could be his last as well, displaying the Lion’s mark on his chest. 

The uncertainty looms deeply this time 

The last time Carter Starocci faced a question mark on his return to the mat was in 2022. At that moment, his broken hand couldn’t stop him from coming back to the competitive matches after a two-week break. Upon returning, the 3-time All-American reversed his fate in the Big Ten Championship to win his gold. But this time his career at Penn State is waiting for a conclusive answer as his eligibility year has already ended. However, a Covid year might still add one year to that eligibility. But no steadfast answer has been shared on that yet. 

Read more: Penn State Wrestling’s No.1 Carter Starocci Extends Winning Streak With a Dominant Win Over Hawkeyes

Cael Sanderson is trying to see the other side in such a complicated scenario. The veteran argued, “We still have a couple weeks until [the Big Ten championships] and another week-and-a-half before nationals [scheduled for March 21-23 in Kansas City]. Carter’s always been a very quick healer.” So, right now, Carter’s 4th NCAA title and third Big Ten title are waiting for a distinct answer from the Penn State authority, sealing his fate for the program.

Also read: Penn State Wrestling Star Beau Bartlett’s Heroics Against OSU Propel Him To Be 5th no.1 Wrestler on the Team