Penn State Sports Magazine
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J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State will officially have two more national champions back in the fold for the 2024-25 season. Seniors Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet have both announced that they will take advantage of their extra year of eligibility and will compete again in a blue-and-white singlet next year. The two wrestlers join senior Beau Bartlett, who declared in April that he would be returning for a final season. Starocci can become the first five-time champion in NCAA history with a title next March when nationals are held in Philadelphia. Whether he competes in the 174-pound weight class, where he won his first four championships, however, re- mains to be seen. He has hinted at moving up in weight with the Lions having lineup holes at both 184 and 197 pounds. Starocci told FloWrestling that he would do "whatever makes sense and obviously what's best for the team, too." He noted that redshirt junior Shayne Van Ness will be returning to the lineup next year after suffering a season-ending leg injury last December, and he also pointed out that junior Levi Haines will likely be looking to move up a weight class after winning the NCAA title at 157 pounds this past March. "In that room, there are so many guys, and you're thinking, where's Van Ness going to go in the lineup? Where's Haines going to go? Because he doesn't want to cut anymore," Starocci said. "It's just [a matter of doing] whatever is best for the team." Starocci is coming off a leg injury that hindered him in the 2024 postseason but did not prevent him from going 5-0 at the NCAA Tournament. In announcing his return, he said he wanted to leave PSU on his terms. As for Kerkvliet, his decision to return was mostly expected. He won his first NCAA title last season and will be the fa- vorite at heavyweight again in 2025. Looking at the Penn State lineup in 2024-25, the Lions are locked in with Bartlett at 141 pounds and Kerkvliet at heavyweight. At 125, it could be sopho- more Braeden Davis or incoming fresh- man Luke Lilledahl. If Davis does not stay at 125, he could bump up and challenge junior Aaron Nagao at 133 pounds. At 149 pounds, sophomore Tyler Kasak could redshirt with Van Ness returning to the lineup. There's been speculation that Haines and redshirt sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink could flip spots, with Mesen- brink moving down to 157 and Haines to 165. If Starocci moves up to 184 or 197, redshirt sophomore Alex Facundo could slide in at 174 coming off his Olympic redshirt season. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr could be the choice at 184 if Starocci moves all the way up to 197. In other roster news, graduate Ter- rell Barraclough has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Barraclough, who is from Kaysville, Utah, will have one season of eligibility remaining at his new school. Barraclough's decision to move on is not a surprise given that he served pri- marily as a backup at Penn State. He went 12-2 during the 2023-24 season but com- peted in only three dual meets, going 2-1. Throughout his time at Penn State, he was flexible with his weight, filling in at both 165 and 174 pounds when needed. ■ Carter Starocci, Greg Kerkvliet Confirm Plans To Return G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M David Taylor Named Head Coach At Oklahoma State David Taylor, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time finalist at Penn State and member of the Nit- tany Lion Wrestling Club, is headed to Oklahoma State to succeed the recently retired John Smith. Taylor, who also won a gold medal at 86 kilograms at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be taking charge of one of collegiate wrestling's most storied programs. At age 33, he will be making his coaching debut. Taylor became a surprise candidate for the job in early May after many assumed it would go to Cole- man Scott, the team's associate head coach under Smith and also a program alum with head coaching experience at North Carolina. It was unclear why Oklahoma State ultimately chose not to promote Scott, but Taylor said he was "extremely grateful" for the opportunity to oversee a program that has won 34 NCAA team championships, the most recent coming in 2006. "I'm looking forward to the future of Oklahoma State wrestling," Taylor said in a prepared statement. "It has an unbelievable tradition, and I'm excited to be part of it moving forward. I've achieved every- thing I have wanted in my personal career, and this is no longer about me. I'm just thrilled to be in the position to help others achieve their goals and truly make an impact in the wrestling world and on the lives around me." Taylor was 134-3 as a PSU wrestler, with national championships at 165 pounds in 2012 and 2014. He won the Dan Hodge Trophy, which goes to the nation's top collegiate wrestler, both of those years. Taylor is also three-time world champion in freestyle at 86 kg. In April, he finished second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials after being beaten in the final by Aaron Brooks. — Greg Pickel Starocci has a chance to become the first five-time national champion in collegiate wrestling history. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS