Former NCAA Champion Carter Starocci took a shot at Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo’s wrestling strategy, claiming the same hasn’t paid off well. This comes amid Caliendo’s controversial reaction to Penn State’s Mitch Mesenbrink’s offer for a handshake at the champions podium after Mesenbrink’s victory.
Mickey Caliendo squared off against Mesenbrink during the NCAA D1 finals this past weekend, and Mesenbrink grabbed the win by a technical fall. The win was celebrated all over as Mesenbrink took forward Penn State’s dominating legacy ahead. Caliendo seemed upset and chose not to shake the winner’s hands, causing mixed reactions from the community all over.
Carter Starocci took to social media, responding to an analytical debate on the topic, and did not hold back his critical views of Caliendo’s game plan, deeming it low IQ. While giving a sarcastic response to the handshake fallout with a strong-arm emoji, Carter also went on to comment on how the Iowan did not make any specific adjustments over nine bouts and did not have the perfect strategy in the finals as the match progressed.
The final match saw Mesenbrink dominating most of the fight. During the final round, Mesenbrink was put in the referee’s position, however, as Caliendo went in for the control, Mesenbrink scored a reversal, thereby grabbing victory.
A former Nittany Lion himself, Starocci has had a dominant run on the mat, winning five NCAA Championships and making a major contribution to Penn State’s team wins under Cael Sanderson.
Mikey Caliendo Snubs Handshake As Mitchell Mesenbrink Creates a Legacy
Mitchell Mesenbrink attained the national championship this past weekend, beating Iowa’s Mickey Caliendo at 165 lbs, thereby becoming a back-to-back champion. During the post-fight podium share, Mesenbrink made the rounds, greeting every athlete, however, as he reached out to Caliendo, the Iowan responded with a stoic stare, refusing to engage.
The wrestling community gave a strong reaction to the incident, with many siding with Mesenbrink for upholding the sportsmanship, while others have tried to be consolable to Caliendo’s reaction, attributing it to the potential end of his title pursuits.
With this win, Penn State has booked a bigger space for itself in the history books as the most dominant wrestling program, alongside the head coach, Cael Sanderson, who gets to enjoy 13 NCAA titles under his wing.
Read more:
Carter Starocci Predicts When Oklahoma Can Threaten Penn State for NCAA Team Title
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