Having gotten knocked down in the final seconds of the national championship fight and having sustained a chipped tooth in an earlier bout, Penn State boxer Mory Diane still had a reason to smile.

In Reno, Nev., last weekend, Diane won the championship at 175 pounds, and also won the Most Outstanding Boxer Award at the tournament.

"Loosing the tooth is just a price you have to pay," Diane said. Diane won handily in each of the three fights he fought but was unsure about how he did in that third bout.

"I felt like I won, but I didn't know because it always seems like the judges are rooting for Army," Diane said. "During the fight, I was sure that I was winning, but I was very anxious to see the outcome."

Diane gave himself a small reason to be even more disquieted before the decision, as he was knocked down in the waning seconds.

The fact that he won despite being felled is even more of a tribute to how well Diane fought on his last day of fighting, according to Penn State boxing coach Ed Davis.

"Mory fought eight perfect minutes," Davis said. "That is the best that young man will ever fight in his life."

Diane went about the entire weekend of pugilism using different tactics against every boxer he fought, as he knew they would be studying tapes of his previous fights.

His path to a championship lead him into the ring against two fighters he had lost to earlier in the season, including the Army boxer who had defeated him at regionals.

Diane was at the top of his game throughout the tournament, as he was fighting with quickness and power. In two instances, his litheness left even left him behind his opponent.

Diane's approach both in the ring and between rounds was unorthodox.

"People keep saying that he fights with an unorthodox style. Well you know what that style is called? It's called good," Davis said.

The religious Diane also spent time in between rounds praying, although he sought out the help and inspiration from above and those that had helped get to that moment.

"When I was in there, I just asked for everyone's help ... everyone I had ever encountered." Diane said. "And it wasn't just me in the ring either. It was different. It's hard to explain, but I was being pushed."

Diane will truly leave the sport as a champion, as the end of his collegiate boxing career will also mark the end of his fighting career all together. He plans to graduate next fall with a degree in civil engineering.

"I kept telling myself while I was in there that I have to leave on a good note," Diane said. "All of these juniors can come back next year and compete, but this is my last chance."

Diane had the praise of his coach as he left the ring for the final time.

"I am justified in saying that Mory Diane is the best collegiate boxer in the country right now," Davis said.

After a season of training and advice, Diane rewarded his coach with the trophy he received for being named the tournament's top fighter.

The other two fighters who made the trip to Reno saw early exits. Joe McDonald (185 pounds) lost to the eventual champion and Ian McGroarty (147 pounds) lost to the runner up in his weight class.

Each of the two will be back next season to vie for a title, and each of them knows that they have areas in which they must improve.

"I feel like I am more skilled than the rest of the guys there," McGroarty said. "It is just a matter of conditioning. That's the reason I lost. I just gassed out."

McDonald, too, saw ways to improve his style.

"I have learned a lot this year, so I am just going to find a gym and go there a lot and work on my movement," McDonald said.

The highlight of the weekend, however, was undeniably Diane's win.

"When I was in there, I felt like I was at the bottom of a huge container of water with all of my opponents, and we were just in there to see who came up for air first," Diane said. "I am just glad I could hold my breath."

Davis had his own take on the win.

"He was focused like a laser in there. Mory is a Nittany Lion. He has lion's blood running through his body. And when he was in there, boy did he roar."