Pair of Penn State wrestlers named as Hodge Trophy finalists

The Penn State wrestling program sits atop the college wrestling world once again, rewriting the record books en route to another national title last weekend. Now, the Nittany Lions’ two individual champions are vying to take home the highest honor in the sport: the Dan Hodge Trophy.

On Tuesday, 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink and 184-pounder Carter Starocci were named as two of the three finalists for this year’s Hodge Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top college wrestler. The pair of Nittany Lions were joined on the list by Oklahoma State heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson.

The trophy is awarded based on seven criteria: record, number of pins, dominance, past credentials, quality of competition, sportsmanship/citizenship, and heart. Selection is made by a voting committee that includes past Hodge winners, national media members, retired college coaches from each region of the country, and a representative of each national wrestling organization. Fans also have a chance to submit their picks, with voting running from Tuesday through Friday afternoon. 

The winner will be announced next Monday.

Fan Voting is officially LIVE for the 2025 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy presented by @ASICSWrestling!

Click the link HERE to cast your vote: https://t.co/GUXekZPGSX

The winner will be announced on Monday, March 31 at 12pm CT. pic.twitter.com/8Bz2NRfnkg

— WIN Magazine (@WINWrestlingMag) March 25, 2025

Starocci, Mesenbrink led the way for Penn State wrestling in 2025

Penn State wrestling 184-pounder Carter Starocci. © Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

Mesenbrink finished his second season in Happy Valley with an 8-2 victory over Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo to capture his first individual title. The now two-time All-American finished 2025 a perfect 27-0 with an 88.9% bonus, 18 tech falls, and three major decisions.

“Obviously, it would be freakin’ sweet,” Mesenbrink said of the award following his national title victory. “Walking into AWA [Askren Wrestling Academy], there’s two Dan Hodge Trophies sitting on the table there. And I’ve done that — I’ve seen that since 2011. So, yeah, it would be really freaking sweet to get that. But at the end of the day, it’s not everything.”

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Starocci cemented himself as the most accomplished wrestler in Penn State history with a 4-3 win over Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in the 184-pound title bout. With the win, Starocci became the first five-time individual champion in NCAA Division I history. The sixth-year senior went 26-0 in his final season with an 84.6% bonus, adding six pins, 10 tech falls, and five major decisions in the process. Now a five-time All-American, Starocci finishes his Penn State wrestling career with a 104-4 record.

“It means a lot to me,” Starocci said of his success. “But as for me, I never want to downplay the moment, but I mean, it’s always cool. But one thing that Coach Cael really instills in us: this is all just preparation for the next thing, you know what I mean?

“I mean, it’s important because obviously I’m here doing it and I love to do it. But I think it ends at that. I don’t think it’s anything more or anything less.”

Last season, Aaron Brooks brought the Hodge Trophy back to Happy Valley. Penn State wrestling has five Nittany Lions who have won the award a combined seven times, the most of any program in the country.

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