Wrestling Weekend That Was: Penn State’s Carter Starocci edges University of Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in battle of NCAA champions

College programs have hit the mat to kickoff the 2024-25 season. University of Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen and Penn State’s Carter Starocci highlighted the annual NWCA All-Star Classic. Iowa and Iowa State won big. Grand View held its open tournament and David Taylor won his first dual as Oklahoma State head coach during the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

STAROCCI TOPPLES KECKEISON in ALL-STAR CLASSIC

The match was a highly-anticipated exhibition match. It is weird to talk about excitement for a match that doesn’t count, but that was the case for the featured match in the National Wrestling Coaches Association event.

Two four-time All-Americans and returning NCAA champions. Starocci won four titles at 174 pounds and moved up to 184 in his final season of eligibility. Keckeisen has been a staple at 184, winning the national title last season, finishing second in 2023 and third in his first two seasons.

Keckeisen is an offensive dynamo, while Starocci is one of the most solid wrestlers from any position. A matchup that many considered a prelude to what they will see in March. Starocci is ranked No. 1 and Keckeisen is No. 2. Those ratings won’t change after Saturday night’s match at Rec Hall in State College, Pa.

The duo exchanged escapes in regulation. Even though few points were scored there was good action. Keckeisen hit a high crotch to his left and got in deep but they went out of bounds. Starocci, who looked like a good-sized 184-pound and worked underhooks well, hit a low single that produce a scramble and potentially dangerous stoppage.

Starocci, as he’s done in the past, initiated a shot and finished on the edge of the mat for the decisive takedown and 4-1 decision. This was the second straight time Starocci has beaten a returning NCAA champ in the dual, dropping Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis last season. Starocci has beaten three NCAA titlists in his last four matches, defeating Lewis and Michigan’s Shane Griffith at the NCAA Championships in March.

This was a good match between two elite competitors.

“He’s a really tough kid,” Starocci said of Keckeisen in a post-match interview with Flowrestling’s Andy Hamilton. “He comes from a good program, good coaches. You can see what they do with what they have, so that shows a real testament to their character and preparation.

“That’s always fun when you’re competing against a guy and a program like that.”

Wartburg’s Massoma Endene was invited to wrestle University of Indianapolis’ Derek Blubaugh in a battle of national champions and top-ranked 197-pounders in NCAA Division III and NCAA Division II, respectively.

Endene provide D-III its second straight in the event, joining University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Nolan Hertel. Endene, who had considered transferring to a D-I program in the offseason, throttled Blubaugh, 12-1.

Stanford All-American and former Iowa City West prep Hunter Garvin (165), South Dakota State 174-pounder Cade DeVos, a former Southeast Polk prep, and Grand View’s Maya Davis (124) also competed.

GRAND VIEW OPEN

UNI crowned five champions and Iowa earned three golds at the Grand View Open on Saturday in Grimes.

The Panthers’ Cory Land (133), Cael Happel (141), Ryder Down at 157, Wyatt Voelker (197) and heavyweight Lance Runyon all won open titles. Runyon beat teammate Adam Ahrendsen in the final. Land had four pins and a technical fall, while Happel had bonus-point wins in each bout, including a pin in 4:30 over Grand View’s Carson Taylor in the final.

Iowa’s Caleb Rathjen won the 149-pound title, beating teammate and former Iowa City High prep Kael Voinovich, 4-3, in the final. Freshman Angelo Ferrari was impressive in his Iowa debut. He posted four technical falls and one decision. He reached the 20-point threshold in four bouts, including a 20-5 triumph over Iowa State’s Caleb Helgeson in the 184 final.

Iowa’s Miguel Estrada won the 149 title and Iowa State’s Cole Carlucci was first at 184 in the freshman/sophomore division. The cyclones’ Adrian Meza (125), M.J. Gaitan (165) and Aiden Riggins (174) won open crowns.

IOWA STATE GETS WIN OVER NAVY

Iowa State posted its first dual win of the season Friday. The Cyclones (1-1) won seven matches and beat Navy, 29-9. Anthony Echemendia (149), Connor Euton and heavyweight Daniel Herrera won by technical fall. Meza (125) and 197-pounder Christian Carroll added major decisions.

The Cyclones are still without All-American heavyweight Yonger Bastida, who is expected to return this season, and Casey Swiderski at 141. Iowa State announced that Swiderski will miss the rest of the season due to injury.

Iowa State’s next dual is Saturday against Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 and coming off a 49-0 victory over Bellarmine.

THIS AND THAT

Oklahoma State defeated Utah Valley, 38-6, Friday at Orem, Utah. It was the first win under first-year head coach David Taylor. The Cowboys followed with a 36-3 win at Oregon State on Sunday … Minnesota shared a tweet last week, teasing the return of multi-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner Gable Steveson. He will return to the program during the second semester to finish his eligibility … Cornell Rams recorded two dual victories. The Rams beat University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 42-6, at home Thursday and blanked Simpson, 49-0, at Indianola on Friday.

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