Penn State wrestling crushes Edinboro, but it comes with Carter Starocci getting injured

Everything was going according to plan in Penn State’s final wrestling dual of the season Sunday inside Rec Hall.

The Nittany Lions honored their seniors, and the dual was well in hand against Edinboro. But then came Carter Starocci’s match and injury — a dark spot in the 55-0 rout.

Penn State coach Cael Sanderson didn’t get into specifics about the injury, but said it was obvious Starocci was in some pain.

“You want your kids happy and healthy, that’s every practice and every competition. It’s not always realistic. It’s just part of sports,” he said. “We’re obviously thinking about Carter right now, but we’re optimistic. Carter is a tough kid. He’s been through the national tournament with injuries before.”

The three-time NCAA champion was on cruise control against Joey Arnold at 174 pounds.

Starocci, who was one of 10 seniors recognized, was taking Arnold down with ease. He recorded six takedowns.

The pair got into a scramble situation where Arnold was trying to not give up nearfall points, but Starocci stepped over to keep that from happening. His right leg got trapped as Arnold went to roll back through, which forced Starocci’s leg to bend at the knee at a weird angle.

The match was over as Starocci collected a 22-5 technical fall in 2:45, but he lay on his back and Rec Hall became dead silent.

Sanderson and trainer, Dan Monthly, were each under one of Starocci’s shoulders to help him off the mat as he appeared unable to put any weight on his right leg.

“We carried him off the best we could,” Sanderson said. “Thankfully, it was at the end of the match, so he could kind of just get off the mat and be finished. We still have a couple of weeks to (Big Tens) and then another week and a half before the nationals. Carter has always been a very quick healer. He won a national title a couple years ago with a broken hand. He’ll get in there and compete hard.”

The atmosphere for the rest of the dual was rather somber as everyone’s minds tried to comprehend what they just saw.

Bernie Truax, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet, who were also recognized, all kept the bonus-point train rolling to close out the dual.

Truax racked up a 21-3 technical fall in 5:00. Brooks had a second period technical fall too, 19-4 in 4:55, in his final Rec Hall dual.

“I’m very blessed that I was able to wrestle in Rec Hall. I think it definitely molded me and prepared me to wrestle anywhere. I say that’s what I’m grateful for,” Brooks said, “that’s what I think, not really that’s my last time. I don’t like to sit and think about that kind of stuff because you might wrestle different or whatever it may be. I’m just glad I got to do it, be a part of it, and hope to stick around after.”

Kerkvliet locked up a cradle of Nick Lodato and pinned the Fighting Scots’ wrestler in 1:27 to close the dual out.

It was the third shutout for Penn State this year, which is the most it has had in a season. The 55 points scored tied the most dual points scored, when the Nittany Lions topped Buffalo, 55-0, on Feb. 18, 2018.

“I think it was a good match. You got to give Edinboro credit, they came in here and put up a good effort just outmatched a little bit. I think the guys overall wrestled well,” Sanderson said. “Some of the energy gets sucked out of the room there, that’s just life and sports. Sometimes a little adversity just sharpens the senses and makes everybody a little bit stronger, including the person that’s injured.”

No. 1 Penn State 55, Edinboro 0

Sunday at University Park

125: No. 8 Braeden Davis, PSU, tech. fall Caleb Edwards, 19-3 (4:02)

133: No. 11 Aaron Nagao, PSU, tech. fall Eamonn Jimenez, 18-3 (3:33)

141: No. 1 Beau Bartlett, PSU, pinned Jacob Brenneman, 4:11

149: No. 9 Tyler Kasak, PSU, pinned Colin Roberts, 3:20

157: No. 1 Levi Haines, PSU, pinned Gannon Jaquay, 4:38

165: No. 6 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU, won by forfeit

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci, PSU, tech. fall Joey Arnold, 22-5 (2:45)

184: No. 6 Bernie Truax, PSU, tech. fall Brody Evans, 21-3 (5:00)

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks, PSU, tech. fall Jack Kilner, 19-4 (4:55)

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet, PSU, pinned Nick Lodato, 1:27

Takedowns: E 0, PSU 39

Records: Edinboro 2-12, Penn State 12-0

Next match: Penn State at Big Ten Championships, College Park, MD, March 9-10