Penn State continues to stuff the record books
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Penn State's college wrestling dynasty will always be compared with Iowa's historic runs under coach Dan Gable. But the longer the Nittany Lions dominate, the more they replace the Hawkeyes at the top of many record lists.
The Nittany Lions rewrote a couple of records previously thought to be unassailable in winning their third consecutive championship at the 2024 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships Saturday at the T-Mobile Center.
Penn State erased the record of 170 team points set by Iowa in 1997. The Nittany Lions piled up 172.5 points, a full 100 more than second-place Cornell's 72.5. Michigan was right behind in third with 71. PSU's 100-point margin of victory broke another record, 73.75, which was also held by Iowa.
This championship was built on the strength of eight All-Americans, four champions, two runners-up, a third-place finish and a fifth. That gives Penn State 11 titles under Cael Sanderson in the past 13 years and 12 in school history.
Six finalists is a school record. Penn State is the sixth team in NCAA history to have six, joining Iowa (1997, 1991, 1986) and Oklahoma State (1964 and 1962).
With his 11th title as a coach, Cael Sanderson moves into a second-place tie with Oklahoma State's Ed Gallagher, just four behind Iowa's Dan Gable with 15.
Carter Starocci (174) and Aaron Brooks (197) joined the pantheon of NCAA greats as four-time NCAA champions. They are Penn State's first four-timers, but not the only two in the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex. They join Sanderson, as well as Oklahoma's Pat Smith, Ohio State's Logan Stieber, Cornell's Kyle Dake and Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis. Starocci and Brooks accomplished that 20 years to the day that Sanderson did it.
"Obviously in situations with like Carter and Aaron, the pressure mounts. But they both are competitors and that's what they live for and were born for. And I'm just happy for them," Sanderson said.
"There's pressure and expectations right away that they have for themselves. It's something they've been working on for four years. So, this is more about them being able to be themselves and focusing on the things that work, the eternal principles, it's just gratitude."
Levi Haines (157) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) also won championships, a year after losing in the finals. Beau Bartlett (141) and Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) each lost matches in the finals, but were oh so close to winning them. Tyler Kasak (149) wrestled back for a third-place finish and Bernie Truax (184) finished fifth. The eight All-Americans tied a school record.
"I'm just proud of our guys. Great effort by 10 kids and then the whole whole crew of 37 or whatever our roster is. Super grateful to be a part of this and our coaching staff are the best and it's great to be a part of things," Sanderson said.
To underscore Sanderson's point, his 10 wrestlers compiled a 45-9 record at the NCAA Tournament.
Starocci won his title with a tense, taut 2-0 win over Ohio State's Rocco Welsh. Clearly hampered by a bulky brace on his right knee, Starocci still delivered.
When the final buzzer sounded, he ran to the corner into the waiting arms of assistant coach Casey Cunningham. He hugged assistant Cody Sanderson and Cael Sanderson and, very telling, shook hands with trainer Dan Monthley.
After getting his hand raised, Starocci stripped off the protective covering on his right knee and unstrapped the brace beneath before leaving the raised platform.
"Carter had some adversity, which is pretty amazing," Sanderson said. "He wasn't able to wrestle the way he wanted to. Wrestling with the knee injury he had was really, really impressive. There are not a lot of human beings on the planet that would be able to do what he just did."
Starocci related a story that served as a foundation for his winning four titles and his 78-4 career mark.
"After my freshman year, after I won, I went into the office of Coach Cael and he was like 'this first one's going to be your easiest one.' I kind of looked at him like 'I don't know about that. I plan on getting better and making this thing easier.' But sure enough, looking back on it, every one had its own challenges," he said.
The NCAA, perhaps fittingly, moved Brooks' match against North Carolina State's Trent Hidlay in the 197-pound final to the end of the night. The Nittany Lion was pursuing his fourth championship, so a win from Brooks would be a great way to end the tournament and the ESPN broadcast.
Brooks didn't disappoint.
The Nittany Lion had met Hidlay in the previous three tournaments. Brooks won 6-3 in the 2023 semifinals, 6-4 in sudden victory in the 2022 semifinals and 3-2 in the 2021 final.
This time, Brooks was the aggressor from the start, constantly in pursuit and earning a stall call late in the period before converting a takedown with 5 seconds left. He escaped to start the second and was awarded another penalty point to take a 5-0 lead into the third. He rode Hidlay until late in the period and then fended off attacks. A point for 1:49 in riding time settled the final at 6-1. Brooks ended the season 22-0 and with a 35-match winning streak. He ends his sterling career as a five-time All-American and an 89-3 record.
"Being able to be present tonight is a gift," Brooks said. "Our team, a special night with my family being here, and friends. So, I'm just very blessed that tonight played out as it did."
Brooks seemed appreciative to have Starocci along for the ride.
"It's pretty cool. Looking back, when we first came in, just seeing the growth of both of us. Having someone else be along for that journey and do it with was a lot of fun," he said.
Haines, in the finals for a second straight year, cashed in this year. He was the aggressor throughout in his 5-0 win over Jacori Teemer of Arizona State, capping a 23-0 season.
After the final buzzer, Haines sprinted to the corner and leaped into Cody Sanderson's arms for a bear hug.
"Obviously, everybody wants to win. Losing last year may have been one of the best things that ever happened to me. In the moment, it wasn't like that, but I think I'm more proud this year because I just went out and competed free. I wasn't worried about losing," Haines said.
Kerkvliet capped a four-year journey at the NCAAs by finally ascending to the top of the podium. He exploited a superiority on his feet against Michigan's Lucas Davison for four takedowns and a 13-4 major decision. After seventh-, fourth- and second-place finishes the last three years, he is finally a champion, finishing the season 20-0.
"There's some growing I had to do, and not necessarily growing in wrestling," he said. "I had to grow in my faith. I've always been religious. There's a difference between having faith and living faith. I'm not perfect, but I think I'm doing a better job and I'm just gonna continue to keep trying to grow. think those previous years just make this much better for me, because it feels good."
Kerkvliet said he loved wrestling first, instead of last.
"Oh, it was awesome. I couldn't have planned that any better. Having to wait until the end kind of blows a little bit. So get in and get at it," he said, and then talked about being able to fully cheer on his teammates.
"Usually, I have to control my emotions and hold it in. Now I just get to be free, be happy and cheer those guys on."
Mesenbrink never stopped fighting in dropping a 9-8 decision to now two-time champion David Carr of Iowa State. Sanderson revealed in his post-championship news conference that Mesenbrink thought the match was going to overtime, so he shut down his offense prematurely. Sanderson took the blame for that.
Bartlett faced off with Ohio State No. 1 seed Jesse Mendez in a rubber match, each having won a 4-1 decision this season. Mendez countered a late Bartlett takedown attempt for one of his own for yet another 4-1 decision in the rivalry.
Sanderson said in his post-championship news conference that he was already looking forward to what's next, emphasizing that he and the team would be practicing on Monday. Wrestling fans, too, are looking ahead and wondering what Penn State could possibly do for an encore, and when someone else might get at the top.
Haines had an answer for that.
"I guess there could always be an end to everything, but I like to believe as long as Coach Cael is there, it's probably going to keep going on," he said.
Kasak, a true freshman, completed a remarkable run to a third-place finish, achieving something only one other Nittany Lion and seven other wrestlers have accomplished since 1998 - lose their first match and win seven in a row to place third.
The first wrestler in NCAA history to do it was John Lange in 1998 in Cleveland.
"I don't even think about it. I haven't even really comprehended or processed what really happened," Kasak said.
But, he continued, it does validate the progress he's made since being thrown into the lineup, up a weight, to take the place of Shane Van Ness, who was injured and had surgery.
"I think it's always been there in bits and pieces. It's just kind of putting it all together. It's kind of like a play. You know, I do some parts good. Some parts, need some work and then kind of putting it all together as best I can. And it feels good," Kasak said.
Graduate transfer Bernie Truax closed out his career by earning his fourth All-America honor. He had placed fourth in three consecutive tournaments coming into this year. He placed fifth Saturday afternoon after dominating Minnesota's Isaiah Salazar 12-0. He had been pinned in 2:30 in the consolation semifinals by Oregon State's Trey Munoz.