KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team crowned four individual champions at the 2024 NCAA Championships in Kansas City's T-Mobile Center on March 23. Penn State, which clinched its 11th team national championship under head coach Cael Sanderson on Friday night, welcomed two new NCAA champions to the fold and added its first two four-time NCAA kings.
Penn State won the team title with 172.5 points, 100 points ahead of second place Cornell. Michigan was third with 71.0. The Nittany Lions leave Kansas City with eight All-Americans, four NCAA champions including its first two four-timers in Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks.
The Nittany Lions now have 59 NCAA champions, 38 since Sanderson's arrival as head coach. Starocci and Brooks became school's first four-time NCAA champions. At the conclusion of the tournament, Brooks was named the 2024 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler and the 2024 NCAA Championship Outstanding Wrestler.
Penn State's 172.5 points set a new NCAA record, breaking the old mark of 170 set by Iowa in 1997. The Nittany Lions crushed the margin of victory between champion and second place, winning by 100 points (breaking the mark of 73.75 set in 1986 by Iowa.
The Nittany Lions went 4-2 in the finals and leave Kansas City with a 45-9 overall record. Penn State collected 35.0 bonus points off 11 majors, eight tech falls and six pins.
With this year's championships in the books, Penn State now has 59 NCAA individual titles spread among 37 individuals. Since 2011, Penn State has the most individual titles in the nation (Penn State 38, Cornell 14, Oklahoma State 10, Ohio State 10, Iowa 7). The Nittany Lions have had 56 NCAA finalists and own a 38-18 record in the national finals. Since 2011, Penn State has won then of 11 of 13 NCAA team championships (no tournament in 2020).
The Nittany Lions have won 12 NCAA titles overall with 11 coming under Sanderson (third most in history). Penn State won four-straight titles in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and again in 2006, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Nittany Lions have now won three straight again, 2022, 2023, 2024. Penn State also owns a championship from 1953. Sanderson's 15-year head coaching ledger for team finishes at NCAAs since arriving at Penn State is as follows: 2010 (9th), 2011 (1st), 2012 (1st), 2013 (1st), 2014 (1st), 2015 (6th), 2016 (1st), 2017 (1st), 2018 (1st), 2019 (1st), 2020 (no tourn.), 2021 (2nd), 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st), 2024 (1st).
The Nittany Lions added eight All-Americans to their ledger, bringing the school's total to 254 all-time (91 under Sanderson). Its six finalists is also a school record. Sanderson has now led his teams to 11 NCAA titles, equaling Oklahoma State's E.C. Gallagher's 11. Dan Gable of Iowa has 15. Penn State's 12 overall team titles is third all-time in NCAA history as well. Since 2011, Penn State is 56-8 in the national semifinals as well, an .875 win percentage.
Read the full details of the 2024 NCAA Championships here.