Sanderson: Penn State wrestling star ‘day-to-day,’ plans to compete this postseason

Penn State wrestling will begin the postseason this weekend at the Big Ten Championships in College Park, Maryland. While the Nittany Lions enter March eyeing a second consecutive conference title and a third straight National Championship, much of the discussion going into the week has been around the status of star wrestler Carter Starocci, who suffered an injury against Edinboro a little over a week ago. But on Monday, head coach Cael Sanderson said that his three-time National Champion plans on doing what he does best in the postseason: compete.

Sanderson: Carter Starocci is day-to-day but getting ‘significantly’ better

The injury to Carter Starocci was the talk of the college wrestling world last week. Unclear how severe the leg injury was at first, Starocci’s plans heading into the Big Ten Championships this week were uncertain. On Monday, Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson provided an update on the Erie native’s progress more than a week out from the initial injury.

“It’s a day-to-day thing where he is getting better, significantly, over time,” Sanderson said of Starocci’s recovery. “His plan is to do what he does, and that is go compete. [But] that’s something where we’ll have to step in there if we don’t feel like it’s in his best interest.”

Even in the hours following the injury, Cael Sanderson was optimistic that Carter Starocci would compete this postseason. Speaking on the Penn State Coaches Show last week, Sanderson noted that his star wrestler was “doing better than they feared right away.”

Carter Starocci, in his own right, hasn’t shied away from his intentions. “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.”

Will the Penn State wrestling star compete at the Big Ten Championships this weekend?

But even with the Big Ten Championships occurring this weekend, there are still questions about whether Starocci will compete.

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

Ultimately, winning a fourth National Championship is paramount for Carter Starocci, and it appears the plan is to have him in the best possible state to do that at the NCAAs in two weeks.

There’s been talk over the last two weeks that the Penn State wrestling star will take the mat at the Big Ten Championships this week but medically forfeit in order to heal as much as possible before the NCAAs. If Starocci takes this option, he would still be able to qualify as an at-large for Nationals.

Starocci was announced as the No. 1 seed at 174 pounds for the Big Ten Championships Monday night. With how close Cael Sanderson keeps everything to the vest, don’t expect to know for sure until Saturday.

Going for history

Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks are looking to make Penn State wrestling history this postseason. The duo has the chance to become the first Nittany Lions to win four individual National Championships in program history.

Starocci is currently 12-0 this season with an 83.33% bonus percentage. He hasn’t lost a dual since 2021 and holds a 91-2 career record as a Nittany Lion.

Penn State wrestling begins its postseason run in the Big Ten Championships starting Saturday morning. Session 1 begins at 10 a.m., and Session 2 starts at 5 p.m. Sessions 3-4 will be held on Sunday at 12 and 4:30 p.m., respectively. All sessions will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlet. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can proudly claim a readership of over 3.5 million in our first year of operation.