Carter Starocci, Jess Mruzik Named 2024-25 Penn State Athletes of the Year

Penn State athletics revealed their men’s and women’s athletes of the year for the 2024-25 season on Monday.

After a historic year for the athletic program that saw multiple national titles and remarkable runs in several other sports, a pair of national champions won the recognition, as wrestling’s Carter Starocci and women’s volleyball’s Jess Mruzik were awarded the honor in their final collegiate seasons.

Starocci was part of Penn State wrestling’s historic national championship season, going 26-0 with six pins, 10 technical falls and five major decisions, coming in second in Hodge Trophy voting to Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson. He finished his college career with 104 victories, three Big Ten titles and an NCAA-record five individual national championships.

Starocci had previously been named Penn State’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2023.

Mruzik was named an All-American and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player as Penn State women’s volleyball finished their season 35-2 with the program’s eighth national championship. Transferring to Happy Valley prior to 2023-24 after three years at Michigan, Mruzik finished her career with more than 2,000 kills, 1,000 digs, 250 blocks and 100 aces.