When redshirt freshman Carter Starocci stepped onto the mat in Ann Arbor last Friday, he wanted to secure an upset win over Michigan’s previously undefeated sixth-year senior, Logan Massa, who was then ranked No. 2 nationally.

After two tiebreaker periods, Starocci walked away with an impressive 7-1 victory that helped the Nittany Lions secure an 18-13 win over the Wolverines and gave Coach Cael Sanderson his 200th career win.

This week, Starocci was ranked No. 5 at 174 lbs. in InterMat’s rankings, up three spots from where he was before the upset. Additionally, he was named the Big Ten Wrestler Of The Week.

Through it all, though, Starocci has stayed focused on keeping a level head, even when it comes to stepping into a bout where he’s the underdog.

“It’s the same approach, honestly. I don’t feel like any of these guys are higher ranked than me,” Starocci said. “I’m number one. That’s what it is for me and all of our team, and that’s all that matters.”

Starocci spent all of last season behind Penn State wrestling legend Mark Hall, who left his mark on the program as a three-time Big Ten champion and one-time national champion. Even though he was anxious to finally get on the mat and prove himself, Starocci thinks that being named a starter now isn’t anything to write home about.

“It’s nothing new. It’s just another day. It’s not special,” he said. “That’s not the goal, to be the starter, you know what I mean? My goal is to be the very best version of myself.”

In order to be the best version of himself, Starocci has spent this very unique season being ready to compete at any time and put forth his best wrestling. Even though he describes himself as a very impatient person, the uncertainty surrounding this season’s schedule hasn’t bothered him too much.

“I just have to be ready every single match. If there’s a match today, tomorrow, next week you just have to be ready,” he said. “It’s knowing when it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”

Part of this level of discipline is being able to take the disappointments as they come — namely, Starocci’s sole loss against Indiana’s Donnell Washington — and to focus on what’s important: competing as best you can, as much as you can.

“I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve matured a lot over the season,” he said. “As the season went on, yeah, I took that loss, and it stung a little bit. But I learned a lot of lessons through that, and at the end of the day, it’s not about wins and losses, it’s about how you compete.”

Starocci’s maturity centers around his goal to be successful in both the Big Ten Tournament as well as the national tournament. Last season, he boasted an impressive undefeated 19-0 record that was, unfortunately, cut short by the coronavirus cancellations.

This season, he’s giving everything he’s got.

“I’ve been making improvements everywhere,” Starocci said. “In every match, there’s always room to grow. I feel like I just need to keep working hard and keep listening to my coaches on what to do and keep getting better. March is around the corner, so that’s the goal.”