Penn State wrestling star Carter Starocci has given insights of his conversation with Donald Trump following his historic NCAA title win.
After becoming the first-ever five-time national champion, Starocci immediately approached Trump, who attended the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia on Saturday.
On Monday, Starocci revealed that Trump not only offered him inspiring words but also gave him a gift during their meeting inside the arena.
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“(He told me) ‘You’re one of my favorite wrestlers to watch in the world. I love your tenacity. I love your interviews’,” Starocci told Fox News.
“Then I told him I appreciated his persona as well. I told him the story, too… (I said): ‘When I was warming up, they made it a little hard for me because you’re the big dog’ and he laughed, and then he gave me a nice coin to recognize me.”
Starocci, the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championship Outstanding Wrestler, had met Trump before their recent encounter.
“When I heard he was coming, I kind of figured I was going to go over there and say a few words to my man,” he continued. “Because I’ve met him before, so having him in the house is always special.”
Starocci grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, with two siblings, his father, Christopher Starocci, who is Italian-American, and his mother, Starla Speed, who is Black. His father inspired his his competitive, passionate side, while he took his caring, loving side comes from his mother, he said in 2022.
He found wrestling was better for him than team sports.
“If teammates aren’t doing good or if they are slacking off, that’s going to affect the results,” he said. “I’m the most competitive person in the world, so I didn’t like that part. In wrestling, I could always control my own destiny.”
Before attending Penn State, Starocci schooled at Cathedral Preparatory School in his hometown. He was a four-year letterman and team captain, winning the state championship as a junior and senior.
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