Wrestling fans have been treated to a special era of Black wrestling success over the last four years at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, a sport with deep roots in Black history.
2021
In 2021, wrestling returned after the 2020 Pandemic, and 10 NCAA champions were crowned in St. Louis- 5 of them were Black.
Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State (133 lbs.), David Carr of Iowa St. (157 lbs.), Carter Starocci of Penn State (174 lbs.), Aaron Brooks of Penn State (184 lbs.) and Gable Steveson of Minnesota (285 lbs.) all won titles and jump started this historic era in Black wrestling history.
Less than three months later at the Pandemic-delayed Summer Games in Tokyo, Tamyra Mensah-Stock made history by becoming the first African-American woman, and second American woman overall (Helen Maroulis, 2016 Rio Games) to win Olympic gold when she defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu in Women’s Freestyle 68kg.
A few days later, Steveson etched his name in the record books by becoming the fourth African-American wrestler to win Olympic gold after rallying from a 5-8 deficit with 20 seconds remaining to defeat Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili 9-8.
That fall, Steveson returned to the campus at the University of Minnesota and prepared to defend his NCAA title while Bravo-Young, Carr, Starocci and Brooks did the same.
In October 2021, Morgan State announced it was reviving its once dominant wrestling program after a 24-year hiatus and was hiring Kenny Monday, the first African American wrestler to win Olympic gold (1988), as the team’s head coach. This year, the Bears became the sole DI HBCU wrestling program in the country.
2022
Five months later at the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Detroit, four Black champions defended their titles.
The Nittany Lions’ Bravo-Young was a back-to-back champion at 133 lbs. His teammates, Carter Starocci (174 lbs) and Aaron Brooks (184 lbs) also defended their 2021 titles.
Joining them was Steveson, who not only defended his title but also closed out one of the most impressive and dominant careers in NCAA history, which included a 52-match win streak.
Iowa State’s David Carr took third.
Overall, there were 7 Black finalists. This included the four champions, Kizhan Clarke of North Carolina (2nd at 141 lb), Quincy Monday of Princeton (2nd at 157 lb) and Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech, who finished second to Penn State’s Carter Starocci at 174 lbs.
2023
Tulsa hosted the 2023 Championships, which was fitting as the home of Black Wall Street produced Black wrestling success.
For Penn State, wrestlers Starocci and Brooks defended their titles once again, Bravo-Young took second at 133 lbs and heavyweight and 2x All-American Greg Kerkvliet took second at 285 lbs, helping the Nittany Lions win the national title.
But Tulsa gave fans much more Black history to celebrate.
David Carr moved up to 165 lbs and took second place.
Quincy Monday, who was born in Tulsa, finished behind him in third. He also made history by becoming Princeton’s first Black All-American wrestler and one of only four Tigers with two top-three NCAA finishes.
New Jersey native, 3x All-American and the 2019 NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Wrestler Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech, who made history in 2019 by winning the NCAA 165 lbs. title and becoming Virginia Tech wrestling’s first individual national champion, took fourth.
3x All-American Michael McGee from Arizona St. took third at 133 lbs behind Bravo-Young.
That brings us to Saturday night’s 2024 NCAA wrestling championships.
2024
First, 285 lbs Greg Kerkvliet won his first NCAA title and became a 4x All-American.
Then David Carr won his first 165 lbs title, making him a 2x NCAA Champion (157 lbs in 2021 and 165 lbs in 2024), a 4x Big 12 Champion and a 4x All-American.
Following him was Carter Starocci, who not only defended his 174 lbs title, but also became a 4x All-American and the sixth wrestler in NCAA history, and first in Penn St. history, to win four titles.
Closing out the night was Aaron Brooks, who won his fourth NCAA title, this time at 197 lbs. (his previous three were at 184 lbs.). The now 5x All-American became the seventh wrestler to win four titles and the second from Penn State to do so. He also won the NCAA DI award for most dominant wrestler.
The title defenses by Starocci and Brooks, according to USA Wrestling, marked the first time that two wrestlers won their fourth NCAA title at the same tournament.
Arizona State’s Jacori Teemer placed second at 157 lbs.
The victories by Brooks, Starocci and Kerkvliet also helped Penn State win its third straight NCAA title, its 11th in 13 years. The Nittany Lions also set a new tournament record with 172.5 points, 100 points more than runner-up Cornell.
Carr will join Brooks, Starocci and Kerkvliet at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, April 19-20 at Penn State for the chance to head to Paris this summer. Joining them will be Quincy Monday.
In a sport where, according to the NCAA Demographics Database, only 6% of men’s DI wrestlers in 2022 identified as Black, it would only be fitting to see more Black wrestling success at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, which of course is the City of Brotherly Love.
