Carter Starocci reacts as he receives major honor after dominating performance at the Big Ten Championships

Carter Starocci received a major honor after asserting his dominance at the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The American was named the 'Wrestler of the Year' and Penn State won the Big Ten Championship title for the second consecutive year.

Starocci returned to compete in his fifth year for Penn State, aiming to win the NCAA Championship title again. The 24-year-old competed in the 184 lbs division and defeated Max McEnelly of Minnesota in finals to clinch the Big Ten Title. His dominance on the mat earned great praise from fans who raised anticipation to witness him compete in NCAA Championships later this month.

Moreover, he was conferred with the 'Big Ten Wrestler of the Year' title. He took to Instagram to share glimpses of his appearance at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

"2025 Big Ten Champion. Wrestler of the Year. Big Ten Team Champions," he wrote.

Carter Starocci on his plans for the upcoming NCAA Championships

Carter Starocci celebrates after winning the title at the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championship - Source: Getty

In a post-match interview with Flo Wrestling, Carter Starocci spoke about competing in the upcoming NCAA Championships. The American wrestler revealed that he doesn't think about that a lot winning his fifth consecutive NCAA title.

"I seriously don't think about it a lot and even when I do think about it and I mean, it's there I mean I want to win five but that's where great athletes shine and so when you want that spotlight, you have the weight on yourself. For me, it's put more pressure on me because when you are out there, it's business and so, that's all for me," he said.

Moreover, speaking about the intense competition in wrestling he revealed how for a lot of people wrestling is just a sport; but for him, it is a highly competitive battle that he enjoys getting into and pushing his limits.

"There's some guy who'd view it just as a sport. For me, it's much more than that. It's my coaching staff vs. yours, It's my training partner vs. yours, It's my Dad vs. your dad, that's kind of hard to look at," he said.

Carter Starocci will be in action in question for his fifth NCAA Championship title from March 20, 2025, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.