Penn State Wrestling: How to Vote for Penn State's Hodge Trophy Finalists

Penn State's Carter Starocci and Mitchell Mesenbrink are two of three finalists for the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler.

Penn State wrestler Carter Starocci celebrates winning the 2025 title at 184 pounds at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Penn State wrestlers Carter Starocci and Mitchell Mesenbrink are two of three finalists for the 2025 Hodge Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top college wrestler. Starocci and Mesenbrink join heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State as the finalists for the award, sponsored by WIN Magazine and Culture House. Fans can participate in voting for the award.

Starocci achieved a landmark victory Saturday at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, becoming the first five-time winner in NCAA Division I wrestling history. Starocci defeated Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen 4-3 in the 184-pound final to complete a season in which he went 26-0 with 22 bonus-point victories.

Starocci went 5-0 at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, finishing his career with an unprecedented 25-0 record at nationals. Starocci allowed just one takedown through the entire season.

Mesenbrink capped his perfect season by defeating Iowa Mike's Caliendo 8-2 in the 165-pound final. Mesenbrink (27-0) led the nation in bonus-point win rate (88.9 percent) and technical falls (18). Mesenbrink won his five bouts at the NCAA Championships by a combined score of 64-10. He allowed one takedown this season, to Michigan's Bean Mantanona in the Big Ten tournament, and eventually won that bout by technical fall.

Hendrickson punctuated his perfect 27-0 season by upsetting two-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson 5-4 in the heavyweight final. Henrdrickson had a bonus-win rate of 81.5 percent, pinning 13 opponents, including three at the NCAA Championships.

Starocci was voted the outstanding wrestler of the NCAA Championships after defeating Keckeisen, the returning champion, in the 184-pound final. Hendrickson, Mesenbrink and Starocci entered nationals ranked first, second and third in the NCAA's most dominant wrestler standings.

Fans can vote for the Hodge Trophy through March 28. The winner will be announced March 31. Penn State's Aaron Brooks is the defending Hodge Trophy winner. Penn State wrestlers have won seven Hodge Trophies since the award was inauguraged in 1995: David Taylor and Zain Retherford are two-time winners, while Bo Nickal and Kerry McCoy each won once.

Penn State claimed its fourth straight NCAA wrestling title with 10 All-Americans, eight of whom finished in the top 3 at their weight classes. The Nittany Lions totaled a record 177 points, breaking their own record of 172.5 in 2024.