Penn State's Carter Starocci, top, takes on Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen during a 184-pound match in the finals at the NCAA wrestling championship, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

UNIVERSITY PARK – Nittany Lion wrestler Carter Starocci has been named the 2025 Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year. Starocci was honored from a field that featured each of the 18 Big Ten members’ Male Athletes of the Year. USC’s JuJu Watkins was named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year.

The Erie native is the fourth Penn State male athlete to claim the Big Ten Athlete of the Year honor, three of whom have been wrestlers. Luis Vargas, men’s gymnastics, was the first to win the honor in 2005. Wrestler David Taylor won in 2014, and wrestler Bo Nickal won in 2019.

Starocci capped off an historic collegiate career, becoming the first and only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to become a five-time NCAA National Champion. Starocci downed Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in the national finals in Philadelphia to claim his fifth crown in as many trips to the event. Starocci ended the year as one of ten All-Americans for Penn State as the Nittany Lions won their 12th NCAA title under head coach Cael Sanderson, 13th in school history and fourth straight for the third time since Sanderson’s arrival in Happy Valley. Starocci ended the season with a 26-0 record with six pins, 10 technical falls and five majors.

He ended his career with a 104-4 career record with 20 falls, 25 techs and 21 majors, meaning 86 of his 104 wins were for bonus. Starocci was a Hodge Trophy finalist, the 2025 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler, the 2025 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, a 2025 Big Ten Champion and first team All-Big Ten honoree. Starocci leaves Penn State as a five-time NCAA champ, five-time All-American, three-time Big Ten Champion, three-time first team All-Big Ten selection, and the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Penn State went 15-0 and won the 2025 Big Ten Regular Season Championship, 2025 Big Ten Championship and 2025 NCAA Championship.