- Carter Starocci secures unprecedented 5th NCAA title at 184 pounds
- Wyatt Hendrickson ends Steveson's 70-match streak with last-minute takedown
- Penn State claims 12th team championship with record 177 points
- Nebraska achieves best-ever finish with 2 individual champions
- President Trump attends finals for second consecutive NCAA tournament
The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships concluded with seismic shifts in collegiate sports history at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. Penn State's Carter Starocci rewrote the record books by becoming the first athlete to win five national titles, edging Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen 4-3 in the 184-pound finale. The victory capped a 22-0 season for Starocci and extended Penn State's team championship streak to four consecutive years under coach Cael Sanderson.
Oklahoma State heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson delivered the night's most shocking result, scoring a takedown against Olympic champion Gable Steveson in the final 20 seconds to secure a 5-4 victory. The Air Force transfer became the first wrestler to take down Steveson all season, ending the Minnesota star's 70-match win streak that included two previous NCAA titles. Hendrickson's post-match celebration with former President Trump highlighted the political figure's continued engagement with collegiate wrestling.
Penn State's dominance reached new heights as the program became only the second in history to produce 10 All-Americans in a single season. Mitchell Mesenbrink's 165-pound championship victory over Iowa's Michael Caliendo contributed to the Nittany Lions' record-breaking 177 team points, surpassing their previous best of 172.5 set in 2023. The performance reinforces Penn State's wrestling program as the gold standard in collegiate athletics.
Nebraska emerged as the tournament's surprise contender, finishing second with 117 points – their highest placement in program history. Ridge Lovett (149) and Antrell Taylor (157) claimed individual titles, marking the Cornhuskers' first dual champions since Jordan Burroughs' 2011 victory. This Midwestern resurgence signals potential challenges to the Eastern wrestling power structure in coming seasons.
The championships underscored three critical trends in modern collegiate wrestling: the growing impact of transfer athletes (7 finalists), increased parity across weight classes (5 first-time champions), and wrestling's expanding political visibility. With television ratings up 18% from 2023 and seven matches decided by single points, the sport continues to gain mainstream traction through dramatic competition and celebrity involvement.