Penn State is just on another level when it comes to wrestling.

Always a dominant program, the Nittany Lions just cleaned up not only this season, but Thursday through Saturday at the NCAA Division I tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Nittany Lions captured their 11th national title under coach Cael Sanderson, and 13th in program history. Penn State scored 172.5 team points in the tournament, the most in NCAA history. The Nittany Lions also had the largest margin of victory (Cornell was second with 72.5).

Six wrestlers made the finals Saturday night, and four took home titles, including Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, who both became just the sixth and seventh wrestlers, respectively, to win four national titles. One of the others to do that was coach Sanderson at Iowa State.

Eight wrestlers were All-Americans. 

It was pure dominance for Penn State. 

But the storyline has to be Starocci

Starocci injured his knee late in the dual-meet season, and medically forfeited twice in the Big Ten tournament earlier this month. That hurt his seeding in the national event, but the ninth-seeded Starocci beat two previous national winners in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

“Everyone wants their hand raised on Saturday nights, but it starts on Monday mornings,” Starocci told ESPN in an interview. “That Olympic gold medal is what I want. That’s my focus. It’s all good here, everyone yelling your name, but Monday, it’s back to work.”

After Starocci beat Ohio State’s Rocco Welsh 2-0 in the 174-pound title match, he unraveled his massive brace and would not confirm if it was a torn anterior cruciate ligament. 

But he had something going on. 

“It was hard,” Starocci said. “Twelve days ago I was on crutches. I just had to wrestle.

Starocci has another year of eligibility remaining, but Brooks only had one match left in his collegiate career.

The top seed at 197 pounds, Brooks won a 6-1 decision over second-seeded Trent Hidlay of North Carolina. So, Brooks made the most of it. He had a takedown in the first period for a 3-0 lead. Brooks had an escape in the second to go up 4-0, and Hidlay was called for stalling to make it 5-0.

Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet won the 285-pound title with a 13-3  major decision over Michigan’s Lucas Davison. Penn State’s Levi Haines defeated Arizona State’s Jacori Teemer 5-0 at 157. 

Beau Bartlett (141) and Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) also made the finals but finished as runners-up. 

Freshman Tyler Kasak (149) finished third, and Bernie Truax (184) was fifth. Both also earned All-American status. 

Only two Nittany Lions were eliminated in the wrestlebacks, thus not finishing in the top eight— 125-pound freshman Braeden Davis and 133-pound sophomore Aaron Nagao 

Again, Penn State has always been a dominant wrestling program, but this season has been that and more, capped by its performance at nationals.

The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten tournament, and had five conference winners, and nine wrestlers placing in the top eight. 

Penn State went a perfect 12-0, and were ranked first in the nation for most of the season. 

This could be the best team in program history, and one of the best teams in the history of the NCAA.