BREAKING: Penn State wrestling star Carter Starocci medically forfeits at Big Ten Championships

After weeks of speculation, Penn State wrestling star Carter Starocci will not compete this weekend at the Big Ten Championships. The Nittany Lions standout medically forfeited his quarterfinal matchup against No. 9 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota on Saturday, sending him to the consolation bracket, where he will likely make the same declaration. Questions surrounding the three-time National Champion’s health have remained since he went down with an injury in the regular season finale against Edinboro.

Injury forces Carter Starocci to medically forfeit at the Big Ten Championships

More than the Nittany Lions’ quest for a second straight conference title or third consecutive National Championship, the storyline that has gripped the Penn State wrestling program for two weeks is the health of Carter Starocci. The senior superstar went down with a lower leg injury at the end of his 22-5 tech fall win in the Edinboro dual on February 25.

While Cael Sanderson made it clear early that he expected Carter Starocci to participate this postseason, the running theory was that the Penn State wrestling star would not actively compete at the Big Ten Championships this weekend. By taking the mat and medically forfeiting, Starocci would maintain his eligibility for the NCAAs, albeit with a much lower seed.

And that is exactly what happened Saturday afternoon. Starocci forfeited his quarterfinal matchup to Minnesota’s Andrew Sparks, ending his undefeated season and 64 match win streak. The Nittany Lions star now heads to the consolation bracket of the conference tournament later Saturday evening. There, Starocci is expected to forfeit once again, bringing his Big Ten Championships appearance to an end.

What’s next for the Penn State wrestling star?

While withdrawing from the Big Ten Championships is a disappointing blemish on the senior’s season, it does keep the ultimate goal of a national title alive. Carter Satrocci will now qualify for an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships starting on March 21. With almost a full month to rest the injury, Starocci will likely be in as good of health as possible to make a run at a fourth National Championship.

“Obviously, getting into Nationals is number one [priority], and being at your best at Nationals is number two,” Cael Sanderson said of Carter Starocci Monday. “So what we have to do to help him do that is the plan.

We already know Starocci’s plan when he gets to Kansas City at the end of the month: compete.

“A true champion can adapt to anything,” Starocci wrote, in part, on social media last week. “You can either run from your adversity or face it head-on and conquer it. There’s only one way in and one way out, and I’m going that way.”

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