Penn State wrestling: How to watch Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Greg Kerkvliet at the NWCA All-Star meet Tuesday
A trio of All-Americans will represent Penn State wrestling at Tuesday night’s NWCA All-Star match in Austin, Tex. The Flo Wrestling event matches up 30 of the best male and female wrestlers in the country in one star-studded, 15-match extravaganza.
Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team is sending 174-pound and 184-pound defending national champions Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, respectively, in addition to two-time NCAA placer and heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet.
The outcomes won’t count against the wrestlers’ records but will play a role later this year.
“If you’re a competitor, every match is the same, whether it counts or not; I mean, it always counts, right?” Lions coach Cael Sanderson said last week.
“As we’ve seen in the past, the coaches use these matches for seeding of the national tournament. They did that to Mark Hall a couple of years back. The people going are competitors; everyone’s a competitor. Again, it’s about growth and, win or lose, we’re gonna get better and figure things out and make progress in all areas. It should be a great event, we’re excited to go for high-level matches and it will be exciting to see where we’re at.”
Here’s everything you need to know before tonight.
What time does the action begin?
Wrestling starts at 8 p.m. on FloWrestling. A subscription is needed to access the live stream. Click here to learn more. Based on the bout order, the first Penn State wrestler will likely not take the mat until at least 8:45 unless there are pins or technical falls early in the card, which feels unlikely.
184-pound preview: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)
It’s important to note that this event will not follow the same schedule that most meets do. Matches are mixed up by weight class and will jump around a bit.
Aaron Brooks will be the first Penn State wrestler up on the card. The two-time NCAA champion who seeks his third this season will face Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen. The Lion has already beaten him twice in college. He scored a 6-4 win in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and then topped the Panther 3-2 at the Collegiate Duals last season.
Brooks will be favored to win again. But, another close bout is expected.
285-pound preview: Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) vs. Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)
This is the event’s penultimate match. It pits two wrestlers who know each other well against each other. Cassioppi has now beaten Kerkvliet three times in college. The Hawkeye scored a 9-0 win in the 2021 Big Ten tournament. He then picked up victories by a 6-4 count in sudden victory during last season’s Big Ten tournament and also won the dual meet matchup between the two 7-2.
“It’s just not even the head-to-head, I just think, overall, Greg’s getting better and better,” Sanderson said last week. “He’s just very physically talented and he’s been working really hard and has been very committed. He wants to be the best in the world and that comes through small steps, and that’s what we’re seeing out of him.”
Kerkvliet will not be favored to win this bout. But, doing so would lead to an enormous confidence boost. That said, Sanderson would undoubtedly remind his heavyweight that it’s not about what he does in November but rather how this prepares him for March, regardless of the outcome.
174-pound preview: Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. Mehki Lewis (Virginia Tech)
This is the final bout and the headliner of the night. It’s a rematch of last year’s NCAA final, which saw the Lion beat the Hokie in tiebreaker two with riding time to break a 5-5 tie. It was simply an outstanding match, and there is no reason to believe this one will be any different. Both wrestlers continue to improve and should put on a show in front of the fans.
Starocci is favored. But, a tight bout is expected.
