After a thrilling, 7-6, victory on Dec. 8 against Lehigh, the seventh-best 174-pounder in the country was busy doing what he often does after home meets. He was quickly surrounded by posters to sign and people to greet.

Amid the spotlight, a short older woman made her way to the center of the crowd, looking up to her 6-foot grandson with admiration. James Yonushonis bowed down and asked, "Was that one good for you?"

"No" hasn't been an answer Yonushonis has ever heard from a member of his family.

They have seen him turn into a hard-working All-America wrestler and a remarkable human being.

As a 70-lb. third grader, Yonushonis placed third in his first tournament, and that's all it took to get him hooked. His parents, Mary Ellen and Jim Yonushonis, were happy to see their son partake in a sport that brought him happiness and so much more.

"When he wanted to wrestle as a little guy, I thought it was great," Jim said. "I know how much character it develops and what it does for a young person."

The character certainly began to grow, and so did Yonushonis' love of wrestling. At the end of elementary school, the Philipsburg native realized what he needed to truly commit to the sport.

David Caslow first met Yonushonis in the early stages of his career. Caslow was a teacher and the wrestling coach at Philipsburg-Osceola High School -- Yonushonis' alma mater. The young grappler would beg Caslow to use his training room out of season to hone his skills for upcoming tournaments.

Starting in high school, going the extra mile became second nature to Yonushonis. At first he was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, wrestling and baseball. In ninth grade, he quit baseball to devote more time to wrestling during the off-season.

"In high school, during football season, we'd play on Friday night, and Saturday morning I'd be in a different part of the state for a wrestling tournament," Yonushonis said. "I knew that's one of the things I had to do to be good enough to come to Penn State."

The extra motivation pushed Yonushonis to an 89-25 career record, two county championships, and two placements in the PIAA championships by the end of his high school career.

Yonushonis' numbers in high school were not spectacular, but they still lured several recruiters by his junior year. Yonushonis looked at other schools besides Penn State, but only for insurance. "Just in case," as Mary Ellen put it.

"I checked out some other schools that I was being recruited for," Yonushonis said. "But I think in my heart, Penn State was always where I sort of dreamed about wrestling.

"I remember watching the coaches that are here now wrestling for Penn State. When they called to recruit me, it was sort of like I was talking to some guys that I've looked up to already."

One of those coaches was assistant coach Dave Hart, who wrestled for the Nittany Lions in the early 1990s. Unlike many other college coaches, Hart and the rest of the staff knew how important it was to have a man like Yonushonis on the team.

"I don't think the wrestling world really cared all that much because he wasn't the most highly recruited guy," Hart said. "But I really wanted him.

"I had an article of when he committed to Penn State up on my desk a couple of years after that, because he really stuck out in my mind, the way he worked."

Yonushonis knew early that he wanted to be an All-American, he said. He quickly learned that it would take more than a couple of months to come through on that aspiration.

He landed a spot in the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman, but the feelings of accomplishment quickly dissolved. Success would have to be accompanied by some obstacles.

"I was hoping to jump on the team and be that instant success and be that guy who is a four-time All-American," Yonushonis said. "Toward the end of the year, I had some setbacks. I tore my ACL, but I really just wasn't wrestling good enough yet."

After Yonushonis went through surgery and six months of rehabilitation, his wrestling was still not up to par. He was losing in very close matches -- the toughest being an overtime loss that kept him from competing in the NCAA tournament.

"It's just right there, a close situation," Yonushonis said. "If I get a takedown instead of giving up a takedown, that's the difference in the match. I couldn't make it happen. It was like a wall I couldn't seem to break through."

That wall came crashing down the following year.

In reality, there was not one thing that changed for Yonushonis his junior year. It was a complete makeover, of sorts, for his mindset and wrestling style.

He pushed himself harder on that mat and made improvements that he thought he needed, he said. During the offseason, Yonushonis made at least one trip to the Olympic Training Center, which offered him new workouts, stiffer competition and some new techniques.

Besides his work ethic, Yonushonis attributes a lot of his success to God.

"My faith helped me grow a lot emotionally and mentally on the mat," Yonushonis said. "It helped me to break through that barrier.

"I like to look at lives of different saints, ones that have maybe been persecuted in the past because of their faith. It's something that requires a lot of toughness to be devoted to that kind of cause, and I feel like I can identify to that."

Whether he incorporated his faith to his confidence or inspiration, it worked.

Yonushonis went from a 14-19 record to a 24-9 season with several honors and awards last year. He wasn't losing the one or two-point matches anymore, and his confidence improved significantly.

His advancements earned him a spot in his first NCAA championship. Yonushonis began the tournament with a win against an unranked wrestler, but suffered a 6-4 loss to No. 8 Travis Frick of Lehigh in his second match. Losses and disappointments were things he learned to deal with.

He did -- and learned to use them to his advantage, in a big way.

Yonushonis won three straight matches in the consolation bracket, earning him an eighth place finish and All-America status.

"But I was still upset because I lost a match earlier in the tournament," Yonushonis said. "Losing that one match was the thing that motivated me to keep fighting in the consolation matches."

Although he wasn't completely ecstatic at the time, Yonushonis still sees the honor as his proudest. All of his coaches and family members shared the sentiment.

"He probably exceeded our expectations by becoming an All-American last year," head coach Troy Sunderland said. "All of the coaches in the country at the NCAA tournament said to me, 'Whatever you guys did with Yonushonis was a great job.' "

His turn-around season has led to more success this year, with an invitation to the NWCA All-Star Classic in November, where he came away with an upset victory.

He is currently ranked No. 7 and boasts a 24-3 match record. He leads the Lions in wins, and he is undefeated in the Big Ten.

His teammates look up to him for a lot more than his success on the mat, however. His peers named Yonushonis one of three captains for his drive and accomplishments.

"He's a good leader, and he leads by example," coach Hart said. "When he sees something, he's not afraid to say it. He's the perfect team member. He's somebody some of the young guys look up to, and he's also someone that we can set aside as an example of what hard work can do."

Last semester, dedicating time to wrestling was difficult because of his demanding student teaching schedule. His ability to still find time to practice and commit to wrestling was no surprise to anybody. The balance between curricular demands and wrestling just added to the list of examples of Yonushonis' dedication to the sport of and his other goals in life.

Everyone has taken notice of that, and they have shown their respect through added cheers and attention Yonushonis receives at home matches.

He says he tries to block out the noise at Rec Hall, but people have told him he receives the loudest cheers. After home meets, friends and admirers form the largest group on the floor around him.

"It's neat to think after a match, all these people care about me, and all these people are here to see a wrestling meet," Yonushonis said, showing a little bit of embarrassment. "It's fun to be able to give back when kids come up and want autographs. It's not like they're going to be worth anything one day, but sure [I'll sign it]."

Out of that group, there are always familiar faces for Yonushonis. One of those faces belongs to Ed Hill, Yonushonis' uncle, who has been one of his biggest supporters.

"It was a heck of a thing to see him wearing a Penn State varsity uniform," Hill said. "To see one of our family on the mat, varsity for Penn State ... nothing like it, nothing like it. There are no other incredible feelings, besides maybe my daughters being born."

Hill has become a staple at Penn State wrestling events, and Yonushonis admits to hearing his uncle's advice and encouragement during matches.

"My uncle is such a die-hard Penn State fan," Yonushonis said. "For him, me wearing the blue and white, it's like I'm a saint or something like that. He's just the wildest fan ever."

For the entire family, it was easy to travel across the state to see Yonushonis compete in high school competitions, but the demands of following a college schedule made that more difficult. Nevertheless, distance never deterred the Yonushonis family.

When Yonushonis competed in the Reno Tournament last year, his family was there. When he competed in Midwest schools such as Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, they were there. Last year's NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City? They were there. The NWCA All-Star Classic in Dallas this year? They were there.

"It's harder to not be here," Mary Ellen said. "It's so much fun to watch him, and when you're not here you kind of feel like you're missing it. When I told him we were flying out to Dallas, I think he thought, 'Well they must think I'm going to win. If they're all going to fly and pay airfare, maybe they think I'm going to win.' I think it helps him to think we believe in him, which we do."

After about 13 years of wrestling, Yonushonis and his family will be dealing with a new life after the wrestling season and graduation. Yonushonis has not made concrete plans for the future, but right now he wants to pursue wrestling until his body has reached its limit.

"It's definitely going to be a difficult thing afterward," Yonushonis said. "As long as my body is healthy, I want to keep wrestling as much as I can. My goals are to be a world champion, be an Olympic champion. These feel like far-off goals right now, but when I was in high school, being an NCAA All-American seemed like a far-off goal too."

Other options for Yonushonis include pursuing the education field. He would like to return to his high school and take over for Caslow, who also taught social studies. Another possibility is the priesthood, which is a "big step of faith" he has spent some time thinking about.

"I don't think many people think about the priesthood, and they don't realize they might be called there," Yonushonis said. "They just assume the rest of the world is getting married, and that's what they're supposed to do. I think that both the married life and the priesthood are things that God calls us to. For me, I just want to listen to God's call. If that's the priesthood, then that's what I'll be. If it's the married life, then that's what I'll do too. I'm going to be happy to serve God in whatever way he calls me."

After all the meets, once the autograph seekers have dispersed, Yonushonis meets with Father Boniface Hicks, someone who has offered spiritual guidance and support.

"James is a great guy and has been a great friend," Hicks said. "I want to support him on the drive to becoming a national champion. It's exciting also to be part of that."

Everyone who has and continues to support him believes that Yonushonis is a spectacular wrestler who has a genuine shot at taking the top place in the country for his weight class in March.

Fellow All-American Phil Davis has practiced alongside Yonushonis for three years, and believes in what his teammate could do come the NCAA championships.

"He's going to shock some people this coming March," Davis said at this year's wrestling Media Day. "He's just the type of guy that is going to fight from whistle to whistle, and he's going to do some real good things."

His spirit and personality have brought a lot of inspiration to a lot of people. Whether it's through his wrestling, faith, or dedication and passion for life, Yonushonis has had an effect on many lives.

"I'm very proud of James," Caslow said. "It's a privilege to know and have been associated with people that I admire, and James is certainly an admirable person and not just because of his wrestling. Because of his character, his personality, and his will to make this a better world.

"He'll live life with the same passion he always has, and he'll pass that contagious energy and love of life on to other people."

Although his accomplishments will live on in the Penn State record books, when asked how he wanted to be remembered by his teammates, Yonushonis mentioned nothing about his success.

"I hope to be remembered as somebody who is a hard-working wrestler, somebody who was a leader with his actions," Yonushonis said. "I hope my actions, my work ethic, dedication would inspire other wrestlers and my teammates. By the guys that were around my weight, hopefully I'll be remembered as the guy that nobody wanted to wrestle."

His wrestling career at Penn State will soon come to a close, and family and friends will have their last chance to give him the loudest cheers on Sunday's Senior Day meet.

Wrestling is just a part of Yonushonis' life, but it showed everybody, including himself, what kind of person he really is.

"Even if you ask some of his coaches, he's what wrestling is all about," Hill said. "He's the epitome of doing it for the love of the sport.

"It's been a great experience. I'm going to miss it, but I'm not going to miss the butterflies next year. It's been a heck of a ride for a guy from Philipsburg that I don't think anybody really, really counted on to be a Penn State captain and an All-American. He shocked a lot of people, but we always knew it was in his heart. We're really proud of him, but he's earned it."