It wasn't the way the defending national champ should start.
Senior Matt Valenti, defending last year's title at 133 pounds, was down 0-2 after a takedown by Oklahoma State's Coleman Scott in the first round of the finals.
But as the whistle sounded to restart play after a reset in the second period, Valenti wiped doubts from anyone's mind that he would be able to repeat his national title, shutting out Scott for the rest of the match.
A takedown, reversal and a minute-plus of riding time later, the score was 4-2 and Valenti was once again crowned the champion on Saturday night during the NCAA Championships held at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
"It's just as sweet as it was last year," he said. "A national title is a national title. The second one is nice, just as nice as the first, and it's just a great feeling."
And for the first time this year, Penn can claim to be home of a national-title winner.
"I think that when we have accomplishments like Matt's, it's really truly the program's success," coach Zeke Jones said of his win. "We all share in that success, the University shares in the success."
The senior's journey to the top was through a deep weightclass - one that included nine All-Americans. No. 2 Valenti was saved from facing the No. 1-seeded Nick Simmons in the finals. Scott, at No. 4 knocked off Michigan State's Simmons, 4-3, during the semifinal round.
"I could have cared less [about who I faced]. ... That wasn't going to affect me or how I wrestled," Valenti said. "Would I have liked to wrestle Simmons in the finals and beat him? It would have been nice, but I'll take the win over Coleman Scott."
In Valenti's own semifinal round, he defeated Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly to advance to the championships.
And in the final, after scoring a takedown and gaining the escape point, and the cushion of a riding-time point, Valenti wrestled the rest of the bout conservatively.
Scott jumped off the whistle with a last-minute effort after a reset in the third round, but Valenti - who had members of his family, including his father and brothers, scouting Scott before the match - held him off for the win.
"I don't think I can say I wrestled better [than last year], but the results were the same so I can't complain," Valenti said.
Penn sent six wrestlers to the weekend tournament and three made it past the first round.
Senior Matthew Herrington made the quarterfinals to become Penn's second-deepest competitor, losing to Pittsburgh's Keith Gavin before bowing out in the wrestlebacks with an ankle injury.
Valenti leaves with a 137-21 career record - and the Quakers' all-time wins record.
He also becomes just the second wrestler in Penn history to repeat as a National Champion; Dick DiBatista, Penn's other two-time champ, won back in 1941 and 1942.
"I'm very proud to represent our program and very proud to represent our school out here," Valenti said. "To be considered with some of the greats that have been in the history of our program is an honor."
Now Valenti has gone from aspiring to that honor to having it for himself.
