Every March the best college wrestlers in the country, get together for the NCAA Wrestling Championships! This tournament is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work for these young men, and only one (in each weight class) can be crowned champion.
This year’s tournament takes place March 21-23th, in Kansas City, Missouri, at the T-Mobile Center.
In this article we will discuss last year’s 174 lb champion and who the top contenders are for this season.
2023 Champion: Carter Starocci was the 2023 NCAA Champion for Penn State. Carter pinned Mikey Labriola of Nebraska in the finals, putting an exclamation point on his dominant season. That was Carter’s 3rd straight championship.
This Year’s Contenders:
Carter Starocci is back and looking for his 4th NCAA title, and the way he has been wrestling this year, I would be surprised to see anything less. Carter is currently 12-2 on the year, and barring injury, he is the man to beat.
Other Contenders: This is Carter’s weight to lose, however there are two other NCAA Champions in the bracket that need to be taken seriously.
Shane Griffith of Michigan was a 3X New Jersey State Champion in high school and is also a 2021 NCAA Champion. He is currently ranked 3rd in the nation and has a 14-3 record. Another championship calibaliar wrestler that is battling injury.
Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech was a 2019 NCAA Champion, and is currently 15-0 on the year. He is incredibly hard to take down and a tough out for anyone he wrestles. Mekhi is ranked 2nd in the country and placed 4th at last year’s NCAA tournament. With Carter and Griffith injured, Mekhi may have a case for his second NCAA Championship.
Dark Horse Contenders:
Edmond Ruth of the University of Illinois was a 2X state champion in high school going 105-1. He is currently 22-2 on the year and ranked 7th in the country. He has a unique blend of speed, strength, and technique, that make him difficult to defeat. He is also the reigning Big 10 Champion.