For Penn State Wrestling, Destiny Awaits at NCAA Championships

Cael Sanderson has never really been an underdog. He remains the only unbeaten four-time NCAA wrestling champion. He was named the outstanding wrestler at the NCAA Championships four times. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2004.

As Penn State’s wrestling coach, Sanderson has guided his program to 10 of the last 12 NCAA team titles. According to DraftKings, the Nittany Lions are 1/16 favorites to win their third straight this week at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Further, Sanderson has the landmark opportunity to become the first four-time champ to coach a four-time champ. Actually, he can do it twice.

As a result, Sanderson doesn’t have much worldly advice for Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, who can become Penn State’s first and second four-time NCAA wrestling champions. Essentially, he’s telling them to embrace being favorites.

“People like being the underdog,” Sanderson said recently in State College. “People like to think they’re the victim or being picked on, but I really value the person that’s expected to win and they just go out there and do it. It’s easy to be an underdog. Same thing with going for four [titles]. You have an opportunity to do something exciting, and you can be motivated by that or you can allow fear or doubt to slow you down. It’s a great opportunity for these guys to just go do what they do.”

Starocci and Brooks certainly are favorites to win their fourth NCAA titles this week in Kansas City. Starocci has been college wrestling’s  most dominant 174-pounder for three seasons. He built a 64-bout win streak, claiming three NCAA titles in the process, before taking two injury defaults at the recent Big Ten championships. Because of that, Starocci is seeded ninth for the NCAA Championships, a spot that he certainly relishes. Starocci hasn’t lost a college bout on the mat since the 2021 Big Ten Tournament and doesn’t expect to lose another.

“If I had it my way, I would not be seeded, and I would [wrestle] every single one of them, all 33 matches,” Starocci said.

Penn State’s Carter Starocci (left) and Aaron Brooks celebrate winning their third national titles at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Joseph Cress/USA Today Sports

Meanwhile, Brooks has lost just twice over the past four seasons and became Penn State’s third four-time Big Ten champion. After three dominant seasons at 184 pounds, Brooks moved up to 197, where he continued exerting control. Brooks, the weight class’ overwhelming top seed, enters the NCAA Championships with 16 bonus-point victories on his 17-0 record. Brooks has never lost an NCAA Tournament bout (he’s 15-0) and fully backs Sanderson’s theory about underdogs.

“For a lot of people, that’s very true for them,” Brooks said. “They’ve got to build this story or agenda or perspective to be the underdog. That motivates people, because it sets them free from pressure: ‘I have nothing to lose.’ The reality is, the actual truth is, you never have anything to lose, whether you’re the favorite or the underdog.”

Just five wrestlers, Sanderson included, have won four NCAA titles. Starocci and Brooks can become the first teammates to achieve the feat (Cornell’s Kyle Dake and Yianni Diakomihalis won at different times). They also have an appreciation for potentially joining their coach on that very short list.

Sanderson went 159-0 at Iowa State, winning three titles at 184 (1999-2001) and the last at 197 pounds in 2002. Sanderson became head coach at Iowa State in 2006, spending three productive seasons at his alma mater before taking the Penn State job in 2009. He was 29 years old.

Over the past 15 years, Sanderson has built one of college sports’ most impressive active dynasties. Sanderson’s teams have won 10 NCAA titles, eight Big Ten titles and 34 NCAA individual titles. His winning percentage at Penn State is .923.

“He’s done everything that I ever want to do in this life, inside and outside of wrestling,” Starocci said.

But otherwise, Starocci isn’t going to nationals with starry eyes about joining Sanderson in a record book. “I think it’s pretty cool,” he said before adding, “I just like beating people up.”

Brooks views the opportunity from a different perspective, one grounded in his faith. Brooks joined Penn State’s wrestling program with a four-time mindset. That, as Brooks said, was “the old me.”

“I think a lot of things in life we want just because we see how someone else has them,” Brooks said. “… I love how people look at [Sanderson] and they respect him, but you can’t want things for that. So my perspective changed.”

Sanderson doesn’t wave his four NCAA titles around the Penn State wrestling room. “The cool thing is, he’s a regular dude,” Brooks said. And as a regular dude, Sanderson offered Starocci and Brooks regular dude advice.

“I think the key to any sustained success is, just don’t change,” Sanderson said. “Don’t change what you’re doing, don’t take things for granted.”

More Penn State Wrestling

Penn State chases history at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Penn State rolls to another Big Ten title

Penn State’s Carter Starocci ‘fully healthy’ for NCAA Championships

Penn State clinches fourth straight Big Ten regular season title

Penn State demonstrates its dominance in milestone win over Rutgers

Penn State routs Iowa on a landmark night for Cael Sanderson

Penn State turns up the volume at ‘awkwardly quiet’ Rec Hall

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button’s on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.