“Love Them or Hate Them”: Penn State Commit Avenging Carter Starocci Gets Wrestling Community’s Respect

Penn State has carved out a name for itself in the country’s collegiate wrestling scene with definitive gusto. With a long list of celebrity alums and current wrestlers, the program has risen to the top, exerting its dominance on the mat. The strong bond in the dressing room also benefits the athletes’ mentality and performance in matches and a new recruit just emphasized the necessity to stand by their teammates.

Earlier this year, the NLWC wrestlers put out a dominant display of prowess as they trampled the Iowa Hawkeyes in high stakes meeting. Despite his thunderous win, Carter Starocci of Penn State didn’t get the chance to set the records straight with Iowa’s Gabe Arnold in the dual, but it looks like his grievances have been meted by one of his soon-to-be teammates.

A Penn State loyalist took to X to highlight how Zach Ryder, who is already committed to Cael Sanderson’s squad for the upcoming season, shared his glee after defeating Gabe Arnold twice at the U20 World Championships Team Trials. The Geneva event from last weekend saw Ryder take down Arnold in the finals of the 79kg bracket, noting how he felt “very proud” to have avenged Starocci.

After Gabe called Starocci “overrated” on social media last year, the Penn State star didn’t hesitate to hit back with promises of showing the former his place. Their verbal conundrum attracted a lot of attention from fans, and now, even they seem to be elated to see Ryder doing the dirty work for Starocci.

Fans laud Ryder’s style for expressing his allegiance

Robert hailed the herd mentality of Penn State where they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their comrades to take on common enemies. Over the years, head coach Sanderson has instilled a sense of kinship among his wrestlers, and the fan thinks this is what sets the program apart from others. “Love them or hate them, @pennstateWREST is a BROTHERHOOD. They have an us against at them mentality and if you mess with one, you’re gonna get the whole gang,” reads the comment under the original post.

Piper is also thrilled to see what Ryder means when he’s trying to prove a point to his foes. Zach handed two back-to-back defeats to the Iowa wrestler (5-4 and 4-2) at the U20 Team Trials and the fan exclaimed how this should add to Zach’s confidence.

Another fan underscored how the new recruit also seems to reflect the elite mentality that defines Penn State. With three consecutive NCAA title wins to its name, the NLWC is currently looking to extend its lead to go to a place where the competition will become far and wide, and this fan believes the baton has been passed on to the worthy candidate.

Penn State has been scurrying to wriggle out commitments from some of the country’s best-rising stars. With David Taylor moving to OSU as the new head coach, the task to defend its title looks a difficult one for PSU, but Alex looks comfortable about how Penn State might hold its ground riding on the fresh talent filling up the void.

One fan claimed that Cael won’t have to look far to help him retain his revered status among the nation’s wrestling connoisseurs. He already has a starter ready in Ryder in the 174lb category.

Share your thoughts about Zach’s future with the Penn State team in the coming years under the tutelage of Cael Sanderson in the comments below!