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UNIVERSITY PARK -- Even with its unprecedented success under coach Cael Sanderson, winning 10 team titles in the last 12 contested NCAA Championships, there has never been a four-time national champion at Penn State.
There is a very good chance that milestone will be achieved by two Nittany Lions in March.
Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks have both captured three NCAA titles and will be heavy favorites to win their fourth titles this upcoming season.
That was a popular topic when Sanderson, Starocci, Brooks and more Lions met with the media on Wednesday after at the Rec Hall media room and just outside of the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. Brooks said he doesn't think about it, but being a four-timer is motivation for Starocci.
"Yeah, I've thought about it. On one of these posters over here, there's only six three-timers," Starocci said as he pointed to a poster on a window to the wrestling room. "I was like yeah it's time to make that list a lot shorter. I think me and Aaron can do it. This is what we love to do. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now, like being on vacation and doing anything else."
Starocci, who went 24-0 for his second straight unbeaten season, contemplated not coming back so he could concentrate on training for the Olympics. The two-time Big Ten champion also talked about being an MMA fighter.
"I don't like going to class," Starocci said, causing the media throng around him to laugh, "so I was kind of ready to be done. And my college weight class is 174, but the Olympics it's 163. With making weight once or twice every single week, that kind of makes it a little more challenging to bring my weight down.
"I was ready to go down to 163 for the Olympics, but me and my coach came up with a game plan (for the season)."
"I don't think about that stuff to match," said Sanderson, who of course was a four-timer at Iowa State. "My focus is just to help each individual to just wrestle great. If they can do that and focus on what that looks like, all that other stuff will take care of itself. But, yeah, it's pretty cool. They're both great wrestlers."
While Starocci will be back at 174 pounds, Brooks, who won a U-23 world championship last month, has moved up to 197 from 184. Bernie Truax, a three-time All-American at Cal-Poly, has transferred to Penn State and will most likely be the 184-pounder.
When Sanderson was asked how he thought Brooks would handle making the move up, he joked, "I try not to make eye contact with him before practice because I don't want to be his partner."
Asked to respond about the Sanderson comment, Brooks smiled and said, "That's not true. "He's one of my main partners actually."
For Brooks, a three-time Big Ten champion at 184 who went 17-1 last season, the move up to 197 won't be too much of a jump. He said he had to cut a lot of weight to make 184 last season.
"I just grew," Brooks said. "I just got bigger, stronger, so I'm not going to force myself back down. We saw Bernie wanted to come here, so it worked out. The NCAA tournament is a grind in itself, but I wrestle in the later rounds at 184.
"I'd get back from later rounds at nine o'clock, check my weight, I'm like 12 pounds over and then I got to get down to weight. So, I go to bed at 1 or 2 a.m. and I'm up at 5 or 6 to check my weight, get another workout in, weigh in and come back and rest for the next round. It was tough."
Starocci said he's noticed the size difference in Brooks this season.
"He's a beast," Starocci said. "I've seen him wrestle (285-pounder) Greg (Kerkvliet), and he's almost the same size. I think Aaron is a guy who can win any weight class. I think whatever Aaron decides to do, he's going to do well at."
"He'll have to manage his weight to stay up there," Sanderson said. "He's not going to be undersized at all. He's doing really well. I think he's looking at the next level as well. I think his mentality is don't get too big right now."
The Lions (16-0 last season), who are without graduate two-time NCAA champ Roman Bravo-Young, open the season Sunday in the Journeyman Collegiate Classic at Freedom High School in Bethlehem.
On Nov. 21, Penn State will host the NWCA All-Star Classic at Rec Hall. Six Lions will wrestle in the dual meet, including Brooks, Starocci, and NCAA runners-up Levi Haines (157) and Kerkvliet.
Asked about if he was happy to get an all-star meet invitation, "Little bit, mainly because it's here. That's what's cool."
Three points for takedown
One change to college wrestling this season is the three-point takedown. It's an effort to get more points to be scored and less riding.
"I think the three-point takedown is a good rule," Sanderson said. "We had a round of inter-squad matches last week, and the points fly. We're always going to adjust to whatever the rules are. I don't think it changes anything because it's a two-way street. Their (opposition) are worth three points too."