Penn State’s Carter Starocci 2nd in Hodge Trophy voting to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson
Jim Carlson
Carter Starocci, Penn State’s wrestling star, finished second in the Dan Hodge Trophy voting to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson. The Hodge Trophy is considered the Heisman of college wrestling, awarded to the most dominant wrestler of the season.
Key Points
– *Voting Results*: Wyatt Hendrickson received 30 first-place votes, while Carter Starocci secured 26. Hendrickson also won the fan vote, receiving 16,001 votes out of 32,961 verified fan votes.
– *Performance*: Hendrickson’s remarkable season included an NCAA title win over Gable Steveson, a two-time Hodge winner and Olympic champion. Starocci, on the other hand, became the first and only five-time NCAA champion.
– *Controversy*: The voting results sparked debate among fans and wrestlers, including UFC star Bo Nickal, a Penn State graduate and 2019 Hodge Trophy winner. Nickal expressed that the award should go to the best wrestler in the NCAA, suggesting Carter Starocci was the top contender ¹ ².
Reaction
– *Micah Parsons*: Dallas Cowboys superstar and Penn State alum Micah Parsons took to Twitter, expressing his disappointment with the voting results, calling it “absurd” that Starocci didn’t win.
– *Bo Nickal*: Nickal tweeted that the Hodge Trophy should go to the best wrestler in the NCAA, emphasizing Carter Starocci’s dominance ².
