FARGO, N.D. – Carter Starocci never stopped working – not after finishing second in the PIAA tournament, not after outscoring opponents 48-2 on his way to the finals of the Marines Cadet National Championship and not even when the coveted “stop sign” awarded to freestyle champions was just a few seconds away.

True to his style, Starocci kept working to get one final takedown in the closing moments of his 7-2 victory over Arizona’s Aaron Gandara on Monday at the Fargodome.

Only then, after the Erie Cathedral Prep junior-to-be had won the 152-pound national championship, was he able to relax.

“It was a long road,” Starocci said. “Even during the folkstyle season – I was training hard for folkstyle, obviously – but after folkstyle states, I made the transition to freestyle. Ever since, I’ve been working hard in the gym, just working out, getting better every day.”

Starocci, who became the 64^th Pennsylvania wrestler to win a Cadet freestyle title and the only one in the past two years, was asked what he’ll do now that he achieved his goal.

“Just take it in, enjoy the moment, feel happy, give myself a long break and, when I’m ready, get back in the practice room and keep getting better,” Starocci said.

If he improves at the same rate he did over the past year, the rest of the country might be in trouble. A year ago, Starocci didn’t place at Fargo. This year, he dominated the field on the way to the title.

“I’m very competitive with myself,” he said. “I always want to be the best that I can be, and I like winning. … My freshman year was my first year in freestyle and Greco. Not to make excuses for it, but that was my learning stage. I was getting a feel for it and every day just willing to learn and get better.”

Wrestling on the big stage, Starocci continued to do what he did all tournament – stay active on his feet by attacking often while maintaining a strong defense.

He and members of Team PA’s coaching staff watched film of Gandara on Sunday night, and they saw that the Arizona wrestler, who was a Cadet folkstyle national champion, liked to stay low.

“I knew if I was on my game and my offense, I shouldn’t have a problem,” Starocci said.

He didn’t.

Starocci was able to get in deep on a single-leg, lift it high and finish to a leg lace 2 minutes into the match. Although he wasn’t able to turn his opponent, Starocci put himself in the driver’s seat.

Finishing leg attacks on Gandara wasn’t easy, but Starocci did it again just before the end of the first period. He shot in on a double-leg attempt with about 40 seconds remaining in the first, switched off to a single – and even a cradle at one point – but couldn’t finish it until breaking down Gandara from a quad pod just before the buzzer.

Gandara responded with a second-period takedown and threatened to turn Starocci with a trap-arm gut wrench, but the Pennsylvania wrestler was able to slip it and reverse Gandara for a point.

Starocci, as he showed throughout the tournament, was not content to sit on the lead. He kept attacking and getting to Gandara’s legs. The perseverance finally paid off in the closing seconds, as he scored one final takedown to cap his title run.

Now, with a stop sign in hand, he can afford to relax.

 

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Cadet Freestyle Medalists

 

88 LBS

1st Drake Ayala Fort Dodge, IA (Iowa) VPO1 Chance Lamer Corvallis, OR (Oregon), 14-10

3rd Dylan Lesueur Trussville, AL (Alabama) VSU Tommy Curran Warrenville, IL (Illinois), 10-0 2:17

5th Stevo Poulin Schuylerville, NY (New York) VSU Brandon O`brien Cedar Rapids, IA (Iowa), 10-0 0:54

7th Cody Thompson Loveland, CO (Colorado) VSU1 Richard Treanor Charlotte, NC (North Carolina), 13-2 2:22

 

94 LBS

1st Jett Strickenberger Monument, CO (Colorado) VPO1 Carter Young Bixby, OK (Oklahoma), 10-4

3rd Sheldon Seymour Troy, PA (Pennsylvania) VPO1 Kyle Rowan Madison, OH (Ohio), 6-6

5th Cooper Flynn Seymour, TN (Tennessee) VSU1 Jordan Titus Center Moriches, NY (New York), 13-3 5:17

7th Kase Mauger Wendell, ID (Idaho) VFA Dyson Kunz Central City, NE (Nebraska), 10-0 1:19

 

100 LBS

1st Dylan Ragusin Elk Grove Village, IL (Illinois) VPO1 Andrew Chambal Millington, MI (Michigan), 6-5

3rd Richard Figueroa ll Sanger, CA (California) VPO1 Yusief Lillie Bonney Lake, WA (Washington), 8-2

5th Dominic Chavez Jr. Arlington, TX (Texas) VSU Paxton Creese Shakopee, MN (Minnesota), 10-0 1:16

7th Dustin Norris Middletown, OH (Ohio) VSU1 Brayden Lowery Indianapolis, IN (Indiana), 12-2 5:10

 

106 LBS

1st Zeke Escalera Morganfield, KY (Kentucky) VSU1 Matthew Ramos Lockport, IL (Illinois), 11-0 6:00

3rd Aizayah Yacapin University Place, WA (Washington) VSU Ryan Miller Stroudsburg, PA (Pennsylvania), 10-0 0:53

5th Vincent Zerban IL (Illinois) VPO1 Cullan Schriever Mason City, IA (Iowa), 11-6

7th Caleb Rathjen Ankeny, IA (Iowa) VPO1 Jakason Burks Omaha, NE (Nebraska), 13-9

 

113 LBS

1st Noah Surtin Glen Carbon, IL (Illinois) VSU1 Nick Masters Acworth, GA (Georgia), 12-2 4:34

3rd Anthony Clark East Hanover, NJ (New Jersey) VPO1 Maxx Mayfield Lincoln, NE (Nebraska), 5-1

5th Dylan Shawver Lorain, OH (Ohio) VSU1 Joshua Ogunsanya River Forest, IL (Illinois), 12-2 4:01

7th Joel Vandervere Gurnee, IL (Illinois) VPO1 Trey Crawford Kansas City, MO (Missouri), 14-9

 

120 LBS

1st Ryan Sokol Inver Grove Heights, MN (Minnesota) VSU1 Dominick Serrano Greeley, CO (Colorado), 14-4 2:47

3rd Phillip Moomey Kearney, NE (Nebraska) VFA Caleb Tanner Collinsville, OK (Oklahoma), 8-7 3:00

5th Trevor Mastrogiovanni NJ (New Jersey) VSU1 Michael Burnett Elyria, OH (Ohio), 12-2 4:25

7th Marckis Branford Easton, PA (Pennsylvania) VPO1 Jacob Lindsey Oak Forest, IL (Illinois), 13-11

 

126 LBS

1st Joshua Saunders St. Louis, MO (Missouri) VPO Ryan Franco Fresno, CA (California), 8-0

3rd Travis Mastrogiovanni Sussex, NJ (New Jersey) VFA Keegan O`Toole Hartland, WI (Wisconsin), 9-4 2:08

5th Gabriel Hixenbaugh Alabaster, AL (Alabama) VFA Gus Sutton Youngstown, OH (Ohio), 8-1 5:38

7th Ryan Ripplinger Bismarck, ND (North Dakota) VFA Charlie Pickell Mankato, MN (Minnesota), 24-13 4:45

 

132 LBS

1st Carson Manville Shakopee, MN (Minnesota) VFA Aidan Medora Milwaukee, WI (Wisconsin), 11-0 3:17

3rd Victor Voinovich Streetsboro, OH (Ohio) VPO1 Alexander Mosconi Trafalgar, IN (Indiana), 8-2

5th Frankie Tal-shahar Boca Raton, FL (Florida) VSU1 Trevor Chumbley St. Charles, IL (Illinois), 12-2 4:09

7th Carter Tuttle New Ringgold, PA (Pennsylvania) VPO1 Joshua Edmond Detroit, MI (Michigan), 6-6

 

138 LBS

1st Fidel Mayora Melrose Park, IL (Illinois) VPO Kevon Davenport Pontiac, MI (Michigan), 3-0

3rd Lance Runyon Indianola, IA (Iowa) VFA Michael Kistler Walnutport, PA (Pennsylvania), 6-0 0:43

5th Cade Devos Altoona, IA (Iowa) VPO1 Padraic Gallagher Chesterland, OH (Ohio), 10-3

7th Dominic Damon Seattle, WA (Washington) VPO1 Luka Wick San Gabriel, CA (California), 9-9

 

145 LBS

1st Alex Facundo Essexville, MI (Michigan) VPO1 Michael Weber Forsyth, MT (Montana), 6-5

3rd Jace Luchau Selma, CA (California) VIN Drew Eller Augusta, GA (Georgia), 0-0 0:01

5th Christian Hudson Caldwell, ID (Idaho) VSU Luca Frinzi Quakertown, PA (Pennsylvania), 10-0 1:53

7th Trent Munoz Mission Viejo, CA (California) VFA Nathan Paulson Brentwood, CA (California), 6-1 1:52

 

152 LBS

1st Carter Starocci Erie, PA (Pennsylvania) VPO1 Aaron Gandara Somerton, AZ (Arizona), 7-2

3rd Nevan Snodgrass Dayton, OH (Ohio) VSU1 Joshua Otto Brookfield, WI (Wisconsin), 14-4 3:55

5th Christopher Donathan Mason, OH (Ohio) VSU1 Skyler Noftsger Cambridge, IA (Iowa), 18-6 3:56

7th Aurelius Dunbar Greencastle, PA (Pennsylvania) VSU Brett Mcintosh Harrison, OH (Ohio), 10-0 2:29

 

160 LBS

1st Robert Kanniard Belmar, NJ (New Jersey) VSU1 David Key Snellville, GA (Georgia), 17-6 4:13

3rd David Ferrante Huntley, IL (Illinois) VPO1 Riley Habisch Buffalo, MN (Minnesota), 3-2

5th Zach Glazier Albert Lea, MN (Minnesota) VPO1 Clayton Fielden Garrett, IN (Indiana), 11-7

7th Jacob Nolan Saranac, NY (New York) VFA James Cagnina River Forest, IL (Illinois), 7-4 2:09

 

170 LBS

1st Albert Ferrari Allen, TX (Texas) VPO1 Abe Assad Carol Stream, IL (Illinois), 11-3

3rd Patrick Kennedy West Concord, MN (Minnesota) VIN Gerrit Nijenhuis Eighty Four, PA (Pennsylvania), 0-0 0:00

5th Talon Borror Coweta, OK (Oklahoma) VPO1 Rocky Elam Kansas City, MO (Missouri), 3-2

7th Ryan Ringler Cedar Springs, MI (Michigan) VPO1 Kyle Haas Maize, KS (Kansas), 16-8

 

182 LBS

1st Devin Winston Kansas City, MO (Missouri) VPO1 Jacob Logan New Rochelle, NY (New York), 5-1

3rd Darrien Roberts Bushkill, PA (Pennsylvania) VPO1 Jonathon Fagen Fruitland, ID (Idaho), 8-5

5th Connor Bourne Las Vegas, NV (Nevada) VSU1 Grant Parrish Forest Lake, MN (Minnesota), 13-3 3:08

7th Jeremiah Hollen Mesa, AZ (Arizona) VFA Gavin Carter Topeka, KS (Kansas), 6-0 0:59

 

195 LBS

1st Ashton Sharp Kansas City, MO (Missouri) VPO1 Matthew Cover Bay Village, OH (Ohio), 6-4

3rd Wyatt Hendrickson Newton, KS (Kansas) VSU Santos Cantu Salem, OR (Oregon), 11-0 3:35

5th Peter Christensen Harwood Heights, IL (Illinois) VSU1 Konner Doucet Comanche, OK (Oklahoma), 12-2 1:28

7th Cody Fisher Madrid, IA (Iowa) VPO1 Avery Jaramillo Eugene, OR (Oregon), 12-6

 

220 LBS

1st Braxton Amos Mineral Wells, WV (West Virginia) VPO1 Luke Luffman Urbana, IL (Illinois), 10-2

3rd Jacob Kaminski Riverside, IL (Illinois) VFA Victor Jaquez Jr. San Jose, CA (California), 9-6 2:24

5th Jacob Bullock East Saint Louis, IL (Illinois) VPO1 Hunter Catka Brookhaven, PA (Pennsylvania), 10-9

7th Lewis Fernandes Lebanon, NJ (New Jersey) VSU1 Tarik Sutkovic Phoenix, AZ (Arizona), 11-1 5:02

 

285 LBS

1st Nash Hutmacher Oacoma, SD (South Dakota) VSU1 Louden Haga Mineral Wells, WV (Ohio), 19-8 4:26

3rd Eli Pokorney Chesterton, IN (Indiana) VSU Chase Dockter Bismarck, ND (North Dakota), 10-0 0:42

5th Logan Zschernitz Spencer, WI (Wisconsin) VPO1 Nicholas Pierce Saint Francis, MN (Minnesota), 14-13

7th Colby Whitehill Brookville, PA (Pennsylvania) VSU Carlos Sanchez Dumas, TX (Texas), 11-0 1:28

 

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