ST. LOUIS -- Phil Davis pumped his arms, ripped the straps off his white singlet and then, after the referee raised his arm recognizing him as the 197-pound NCAA champion, he ran full speed -- past rowdy Penn State fans who chanted his name -- into the tunnel of the Scottrade Center.

There, in the darkness alone, Davis finally broke down. On his knees, with his head in his hands, the Nittany Lion senior captain wept. Finally -- he was a national champion.

Davis beat Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak, 7-2, to capture his first title in his last collegiate match. Like the celebration that followed, the match was vintage Davis -- pinpoint takedowns, flawless counters and domination from the top position. When he talked to reporters afterward, for maybe the first time in his career, Davis was speechless.

"Oh man," Davis said with a grin, pausing for almost 10 seconds. "I think that gets it. It was that good. ... It all came together so fast and came together just about perfect."

Davis racked up a 5-0 record from Thursday morning to Saturday night. He outscored his opponents 29-7 and posted a quick pin when he put Bakersfield's Riley Orozco on his back in 1:47. On Friday morning, Davis became Penn State's fourth four-time All-American. He finished his senior season, 26-1.

Before Saturday, Davis' best finish at nationals was second his sophomore year. Last season, his campaign ended with a disappointing fifth-place finish at the NCAA tournament.

Davis said he was "wound up" long before all three of those losses. He said he might have psyched himself out.

Saturday night it was different.

Minutes before the title match, Davis stalked the dimly lit hallways of the arena in sweatpants and a hoodie -- the hood pulled low over his head, covering his eyes. He walked past other wrestlers giving interviews, past media trailers and equipment and past practice mats. He was unusually quiet, eyes fixed, while his headphones blasted music.

After some warm-ups with former Lion heavyweight Aaron Anspach and some shadow routines, Davis said he was as ready as he could have been.

Usually Davis does shadow drills with himself before matches. To make it seem like the title match was no different from any other, Davis simply used his imagination.

"[I was] imagining I was in my bedroom like it was no big deal, trying to take some of the tension off myself. I'm a very anxious person and I think maybe that might have done the trick."

Penn State wrestling coach Troy Sunderland was the first to congratulate Davis, embracing his senior in the tunnel.

Sunderland slapped Davis' butt and proudly proclaimed, "National champion! No doubt!"

"I'm so proud of him," Sunderland said. "He's a Pennsylvania product and he's done a great job. Our staff's done a great job developing what he brings -- with his own athleticism and the gift he's been given."

Davis' talents weren't as obvious when he attended Harrisburg High School. He never won a district championship, let alone a state title. After his teammates huddled around him Saturday and congratulated their leader, sophomore Dave Rella described the impact Davis' leadership has had on him -- especially with Davis coming to Penn State without many accolades.

"Davis is a great role model for all of us," Rella said. "This whole season he's trained smart, he's just put the time in and finally it came true for him. This year he wasn't letting anything get in his way. He put 110 percent into it and got everything he wanted."

Davis will leave Penn State with the eighth-most wins (116) in school history. He will leave many memories behind as well. Perhaps the biggest one is the one he's created for himself.

But the usually flamboyant senior was humble when asked how he would like to be remembered by fans.

"It's really hard to say," Davis said. "If I had to pick anything I'd just say, positive all the time, good attitude.

"Maybe a showman. Maybe a little bit of a showman."

From her seat, a few rows up from the floor, Davis's mother got the best view of her son, the showman, the champion, running at breakneck speed toward the tunnel after his match. She smiled like only a mother could as she watched her son finally accomplish the goal that had eluded him for so long.

Snapping photos and cheering with the small contingent of Penn State fans, Arbie Davis was excited, but just as calm as Phil was moments before when he was riding out Michalak.

"He wanted this so bad and I'm just so happy to see him get it," Arbie Davis said. "Oh my goodness. I remember him as just a little bitty baby and to see him now, to accomplish this goal, something he really wanted, it's so exciting."