BLOOMSBURG -- John Yankanich, a fifth-year senior, seemed destined to vanish into obscurity after wrestling season.

A second-string walk-on for the Lions, he had only finished fourth in regionals in high school -- not what most consider Division I material. Prior to the 1989-90 season, he had wrestled in only one dual meet.

This season he had been a filler when injuries plagued the upper weights, wrestling in three different weight classes -- 167, 177 and 190.

But in a matter of two days, Yankanich became the hero of Bloomsburg's Thomas Field House when he captured the Eastern Wrestling League title at 158 by defeating Lock Haven's Jeff Karam, No. 5 in the nation.

This unknown, who took a career record of 18-18 and a sixth-seed into the tournament, had just knocked off the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 seeds to win not only a trip to nationals, but also the Outstanding Wrestler award.

For the first time in EWL history, a sixth-seeded wrestler claimed a championship.

"This is the best time of my life," Yankanich said.

It seemed to unlikely even for Hollywood. A wrestler who barely edged his way into the tournament, defeating starter Mark Verratti in wrestle-offs with two one-point victories, and then handling some of the nation's top wrestlers. No one really believed it, except himself.

"When I came here I expected to win," he said. "That's the only way you can enter a tournament. If you don't believe in yourself than you shouldn't be out there. I have too much pride to think I'll possibly lose. My competitor is just another man."

Yankanich said he found the secret to winning in his confidence. He realized after training and conditioning for four years and not reaching his goals that his problem was his mental attitude.

"I ran 210 days in a row, I was wrestling all the time, I worked out as hard as I possibly could, and it came to down to wrestle-offs and I burned out," Yankanich said. "What I was lacking, what I didn't figure out until last spring, was it's confidence between now and the rest of my years here.

Yankanich took his hard work and his confidence into the EWL tournament, but his dream almost ended in the first round.

With his sixth seed, Yankanich faced West Virginia's Dave Onorato (19-9-1), the weight's third seed. Although Yankanich used a single-leg to score first, Onorato built a 6-3 lead in the middle of the second period. Yankanich escaped and took down Onorato at the end of the second period to tie it 6-6.

Yankanich owned the third period. Starting down, he quickly escaped for a point, added a takedown for another two, and rode Onorato for the rest of the period for a riding-time point.

The win set up a match with Cleveland State's Matt Peters, second-seed in the tournament. Peters struck first, taking down Yankanich for a two-point advantage. Yankanich came back with an escape and a takedown of his own to lead 3-2 at the end of the first.

In the second period, the only scoring came from Yankanich, who escaped to increase his lead to 4-2.

Peters tied Yankanich with a reversal in the beginning of the third, but Yankanich escaped and shot a double leg for two more points. Peters escaped at the end of the period to narrow the gap to 7-5, but was unable to take Yankanich down. Riding time gave Yankanich an 8-5 victory and a place in the finals.

This set up the battle with Karam (26-4-1). Although most believed it would end here, Yankanich kept his confidence.

"I'm going to win," he said the night before the match. "Right now I'm not thinking about the match."

He held Karam at bay in the first period, and it ended scoreless. The second period started with Yankanich reversing Karam for a two-point lead. Karam escaped in the third period, but a double-leg by Yankanich sealed his victory.

"I knew when I stepped on the mat I was going to win," Yankanich said. "There wasn't a doubt in my mind."

"It's just like a Cinderella story," Coach Rich Lorenzo said. "Here's a young man who has spent five years in the program and has done everything you have asked from him."

Yankanich came to Penn State with the goal of being a national champion, a goal he still has. From the early years it must have seemed very distant, walking into an environment surrounded by state champs.

"When I came in, I really sucked. I was terrible," he said. "My technique was really bad."

"John said, 'I got the dream of being an All-American, Coach,' " Lorenzo said. "And I'll tell you, there's been a lot of days when none of us really believed him, but John never lost that hope and I can't say enough for him."