Wrestling Wednesday: Perfect Season, Carter Starocci, Preparing for Big Ten Championships (Feb 28)

In this first edition of Wrestling Wednesday, we'll discuss Penn State's perfect season, the loss of 174-pounder Carter Starocci to injury, and a preview of the Big Ten Championships.

PERFECT SEASON

Penn State finished up the regular season 12-0, a season that included an 8-meet run of single-digit points allowed. They capped off their 10th Big Ten regular season championship with a 55-0 win over non-conference foe Edinboro. This was one of three shutout victories of Penn State's perfect season, with the other two coming against conference opponents Indiana (home, 46-0) and Michigan State (away, 35-0).

CARTER STAROCCI

The 55-0 shutout victory didn't come without trouble, however, as they lost senior 174-pounder Carter Starocci to an injury. Starocci has a perfect 41-0 record in dual takedowns this season. The Nittany Lions will need big performances from 165/174-pounder Terrell Barraclough, who has a 12-2 overall record this season and a 2-1 record in dual takedowns.

PREPARING FOR BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

For a team this dominant, Penn State won't just look towards the Big Ten championships, however it is important for their wrestlers not to look too far ahead. 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink (19 wins), 141-pounder Beau Bartlett (18 wins), and 125-pounder Braeden Davis (16 wins) lead the Nittany Lions squad. This is just one step in the hopeful path to a potential 11th national championship.