OKLAHOMA CITY -- Anyone who talked to Jeff Prescott about wrestling over the last 12 months knew that he wanted one thing: to become only the second Penn Stater in history to win two national titles.

That's exactly what Prescott did Saturday night as he scored a 2-0 decision over Iowa's Chad Zaputil. From the outset it was obvious that Zaputil wasn't strong enough to take Prescott down, let alone keep him there. Instead, the junior played the waiting game. It didn't work. Two stall calls in the first period gave Prescott a 1-0 lead. Prescott took the down position in the third and quickly escaped for the winning margin.

At best the match was uneventful. At worst, it was boring. The lack of action, though, resulted from Zaputil's exclusive focus on defense. It seems that he remembered well last year's 14-0 humiliation in the 118-pound final. Needless to say he didn't want it to happen again.

"I don't know if I'd say (it was) tougher," Prescott said. "It's hard to wrestle someone who's out there standing around. But a win's a win. It's the national title. I'll take it."

Considering the situation, Prescott gave a stellar performance, Coach Rich Lorenzo said.

"Jeff prepares himself in practice everyday for all kinds of situations," he said. "Tonight was hard fought mainly because of the way Chad chose to wrestle. He tried to slow down the match and hope that Jeff would make a mistake. Under the circumstances, Jeff wrestled the perfect match."

Despite the loss, Hawkeye Coach Dan Gable praised his wrestler's ability to stick to the game plan.

"One heck of a job neutralizing Prescott's offense," he said. "There was big progress from last time. A lot of credit goes to Prescott for keeping openings to a minimum."

A three-time All-American, Prescott (30-1) said that his opponents this year acted like their matches were for show and tell, not wrestling.

"It's been frustrating all year," he said. "People don't want to come out and wrestle. They wanna keep it close so that they could say that they were close with Prescott. But that doesn't win matches. It's winner take all."

With Zaputil wrestling impressively -- one technical fall and three major decisions on the way to the final -- an upset wasn't out of the question. Prescott, though, received some key advice before the match.

"I just wanted him to know that he beat him twice before badly," Assistant Coach John Fritz said. "He broke him and when you break someone before you can do it again. I told him that it might be a little harder this time around, that he would have a mental block from being broke before. And you saw it. He wrestled so defensively that he didn't leave anything for himself."

Even though Prescott had recorded a fall, technical fall and major decision in his matches leading up to the final, he had looked tense, Lorenzo said.

"I don't know if he stepped it up," he said. "There's more pressure on him this year. He's wrestling a little tighter in his technique."

The Olean, N.Y., native ends his Lion wrestling career with a 15-2 NCAA mark, including 10-0 over the last two seasons. Prescott is a three-time Eastern Wrestling League champion and the Lions' ninth three-time All-American. He is also fourth on Penn State's all-time NCAA list in wins and his winning percentage (.882) is second.

Everybody who watched Prescott on the mat consistently saw one thing: focus.

"Jeff was very focused from the beginning," Fritz said. "He was determined. He wanted his second title so bad. Jeff's developed into an all-around great person. There were times when I don't think academics were that important to him but he got the degree and the title."

The last two years, Prescott has been a rock at 118, and for most of this season at 126. A tri-captain during those times, he posted a record of 52-2, including a 16-0 tournament mark. The senior concluded his career by winning his last 17 matches.

His collegiate career now over, Prescott wants to pursue another goal -- to make the U.S. Olympic team.

"I'm gonna try and make 14.5," he said. "I'm at 17 right now so I have a little more to go."