Here’s how a current, former Penn State wrestlers fared at US World Team Trials
Penn State had a trio of wrestlers — one current and two former Nittany Lions — compete in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday and Sunday, looking for a spot on the U.S. World Team.
If the wrestler won their weight class, they would get a shot to represent Team USA at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway, Oct. 2-10.
Reigning 174-pound NCAA champion, Carter Starocci was joined by former Nittany Lions Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf in Nebraska. While no Nittany Lions placed first, Starocci and Retherford were able to secure National Team spots with third-place finishes.
Fellow former Nittany Lion David Taylor already secured his spot on the U.S. World Team at 86 kilograms by winning the Olympics in August and receiving an automatic bid. He accepted that bid a few days later.
Starocci beat three-time NCAA champ Nolf, 4-3, for the third-place finish at 79 kilograms. Starocci led the entire match with a takedown and back exposure points, as Nolf secured a passivity point and two pushouts.
Retherford dominated former Nebraska wrestler Tyler Berger, 11-0, in 2:49 of wrestling for a technical superiority win to secure third.
Starocci was kicked into the consolation bracket right away as he dropped his opening match 6-4 to Taylor Lujan. He opened the consolations with a 7-3 win over Branson Ashworth.
Starocci then shut out Pennsylvania native Chance Marsteller, 7-0. He stayed hot with an 8-4 victory over Evan Wick. Starocci made the consolation finals after receiving a forfeit from Isaiah Martinez.
Like Starocci, Retherford opened his tournament with a loss, 2-2 criteria, to Jordan Oliver in the 70 kilograms quarterfinals. In the consolations, Retherford got a bye into the quarterfinals, where he racked up a 10-0 technical superiority on Jarrett Jacques.
The two-time Hodge Trophy winner received a forfeit from Alec Pantaleo in the consolation semifinals after Pantaleo suffered an injury.
Nolf made it to the semifinals by outscoring his opponents 25-4. He opened with a 15-4 rout of Joey Lavallee, and topped Wick 10-0 in the quarterfinals.
Nolf took on 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in the semifinals. The vet in Burroughs outwitted Nolf with counter-attacks in a 5-3 win.
Nolf rebounded with a 10-0 technical superiority win over Mifflin County graduate Hayden Hidlay to make the consolations finals against Starocci.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 2:42 PM.
