Carter Starocci of Penn State and Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa compete at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Round one to Carter Starocci. The four-time NCAA champion for Penn State defeated returning NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa in sudden victory overtime to punctuate an eventful night of wrestling at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic.
The 184-pound showdown at Rec Hall was a match of positioning and patience. Starocci and Keckeisen dueled to a 1-1 stalemate at the end of regulation, both men earning an escape point. The only difference in the match to that point was negligible, Starocci escaping in seven seconds compared to Keckeisen’s 35-second escape time.
In the two-minute sudden victory period, it was Starocci who controlled the center of the mat, doing well with his underhook tie. Starocci fought through a lengthy finish from an outside single leg attempt to end the match, 4-1, with 27 seconds left in overtime and send the Penn State faithful home on a positive note.
Starocci bumped up from 174 pounds where he has won the last four NCAA tournaments and came into the season ranked No. 1 at 184 pounds. Keckeisen is the reigning 184-pound national champion and has finished in the top three of the weight class the past four years.
Another Nittany Lion made the decision to bump up in weight and declared themselves a top contender with an impressive win on Saturday night. Levi Haines, last year’s NCAA champion at 157 pounds, took out No. 3 Cade Devos of South Dakota State, 7-0, to solidify his No. 2 ranking at 174 pounds. Haines looked every bit his normal self up two weight classes.
Also picking up wins for the top-ranked Nittany Lions were No. 2 Shayne Van Ness at 149 pounds and No. 4 Tyler Kasak at 157 pounds, both of whom are past third-place finishers at the NCAAs. Van Ness put it on No. 3 Ty Watters of West Virginia with a 16-4 major decision win. Kasak emerged with a controlled, 4-2, win against No. 5 Peyten Kellar of Ohio.
The 141-pound NCAA finals rematch between Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez and Penn State’s Beau Bartlett had a similar tenor to their previous matches. Mendez scored the only takedown of the contest as time expired in the first period. The two traded escape points in the second and third periods to give fans a familiar 4-1 score between these rivals, the same tally as their Big Ten and NCAA finals from last year.
West Virginia’s fourth-ranked Peyton Hall picked up the only fall in the men’s division. He countered a single leg from Stanford’s Hunter Garvin and scrambled his way to a pin on the edge of the mat in 5:54 to take the 165-pound contest.
Wartburg’s Massoma Endene dominated Derek Blubaugh of Indianapolis, 12-1, in a unique 197-pound contest between NCAA champions from the lower divisions. Endene is a two-time NCAA Div. III champion and recently represented Team USA at the U23 World Championships in men’s freestyle. Derek Blubaugh was a NCAA Div. II champion last year and is a three-time finalist.
Other individuals bagging momentum-building wins at college wrestling’s preeminent kickoff event were Stephen Little of Little Rock at 197 pounds, Taye Ghadiali of Campbell at 285 pounds, Jore Volk of Wyoming at 125 pounds and Lucas Byrd of Illinois at 133 pounds.
In addition to the 11 men’s matches contested on Saturday evening, five women’s college matches were held to start the event with a NCAA versus NAIA theme featured. A full recap of the women’s division can be found here.
Archived matches and complete results from the NWCA All-Star Classic are available at FloWrestling.com.
2024 NWCA All Star Classic | State College, Pa., November 16
Men’s Results
197 lbs. – No. 1 (DIII) Massoma Endene (Wartburg) maj. dec. No. 1 (DII) Derek Blubaugh (Indianapolis), 12-1
197 lbs. – No. 6 Stephen Little (Little Rock) dec. No. 9 Zac Braunagel (Illinois), 2-1, TB
285 lbs. – No. 8 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) dec. No. 3 Nick Feldman (Ohio State), 8-3
125 lbs. – No. 2 Jore Volk (Wyoming) dec. No. 5 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State), 8-2
133 lbs. – No. 6 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) dec. No. 2 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock), 1-0
141 lbs. – No. 2 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Beau Bartlett (Penn State), 4-1
149 lbs. – No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 3 Ty Watters (West Virginia), 16-4
157 lbs. – No. 4 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Peyten Kellar (Ohio), 4-2
165 lbs. – No. 4 Peyton Hall (West Virginia) fall No. 8 Hunter Garvin (Stanford), 5:54
174 lbs. – No. 2 Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Cade DeVos (SDSU), 7-0
184 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), 4-1, SV
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