Penn State senior Mark McKnight thought his collegiate wrestling career was over after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Big Ten wrestling tournament.

A South Fayette High School graduate who wrestled at Chartiers Valley through a co-op program between the schools, he was granted a reprieve by the Big Ten Conference coaches. He was one of two wild cards selected to participate in the NCAA Division I tournament.

"When I lost in the consolation for seventh place, I was heartbroken," McKnight said. "I sat in the locker room and realized that my college career was probably over. I was fortunate enough to get a wild card.

"At that point, I decided not to look back. I didn't want to have that feeling of regret and have my season end that way. I just set my sights on becoming an All-American. I knew it was my last chance and I wanted to make the most of it."

And that's exactly what McKnight did. He capped a successful collegiate career by placing fourth at 125 pounds in the NCAA tournament over the weekend at St. Louis' Scottrade Center.

"I'm relieved," said McKnight, who posted a 6-2 record during the three-day tournament. "I have been there before and this is long overdue. I know the feeling of losing. This is definitely better than losing."

McKnight entered the tournament with a less-than-stellar 13-9 record, so it was no surprise that he was not among the top 12 seeds. It was especially frustrating for McKnight, who recorded 88 victories in his first three years of collegiate wrestling.

"I'm the king of being inconsistent," McKnight admitted. "It's not due to my athletic ability and my talent. That's not the question. It's myself. The only person who can beat me is me. I have beaten myself a lot this year, but I have also helped myself grow."

Penn State coach Troy Sunderland used a strange, but effective strategy with McKnight after his disappointing showing at the Big Ten tournament. He actually told McKnight to stay away from the practice room.

"We didn't kick him out," Sunderland said. "We said, 'Don't go to practice. Go clear your mind.' We knew he had the ability. We tried every other scenario from the hard training to the repetition drills.

"He's a free spirit and sometimes free spirits need to clear their minds. It worked out for him."

Six of McKnight's eight matches were against seeded wrestlers. He opened with a 5-1 win against Oklahoma State's Tyler Shinn, the No. 12 seed, then lost, 5-2, to No. 5 seed Charlie Falck of Iowa.

That meant McKnight would have to win three consecutive bouts in the consolation bracket to become an All-American. He moved within striking distance with a 6-2 win against UC-Davis' Marcos Orosco and a 7-3 victory against Edinboro's Eric Morrill.

His next opponent was No. 6 seed Gabe Flores of Illinois.

"It didn't help that I was 0-3 against Flores, and 0-2 in the round of 12," said McKnight. "The odds were certainly not in my favor. I just tried to relax and concentrate on what I had to do."

McKnight avenged his previous losses to Flores with a 5-4 double-overtime victory.

"I knew if I controlled the pace and pushed Flores that it would make him uncomfortable," said McKnight. "Pushing him into the double overtime is what allowed me to be successful. My training certainly paid off in that match."

McKnight made his All-America experience even more memorable by recording two more victories against seeded wrestlers in the consolation bracket. He registered a 3-1 overtime victory against Old Dominion's James Nicholson, the No. 10 seed, then avenged his loss to Falck with a 7-5 victory in the consolation semifinals.

"I was looking for redemption," said McKnight, referring to the win against Falck. "He knocked me out of the winners bracket. I was fortunate to have a second chance. It's always good to beat an Iowa wrestler."

McKnight closed out his collegiate career with a 6-3 loss to Nebraska's Paul Donahoe, the defending champ and No. 3 seed, in the consolation for third place.

"Mark is a four-time national qualifier," said Sunderland. "That's something to be proud of. It was great to see Mark end his career as an All-American."

McKnight made his first two NCAA appearances while attending the University of Buffalo. He advanced to the round of 12 both seasons, but fell one win short of All-America status. He transferred to Penn State after his sophomore year, sat out one year, then posted a 2-2 record in last year's tournament, which left him two wins short of placing.

McKnight was one of four Penn State wrestlers who earned All-America status, as the Nittany Lions placed third in the team standings, behind Iowa and Ohio State.

Penn State had two entries in the finals, but only one captured a gold medal. Senior Phil Davis won the 197-pound title, while sophomore Bubba Jenkins finished second at 149.

Davis (26-1), who is only the fourth four-time All-American in Penn State history, made his second title appearance in three years and claimed his first title with a 7-2 win over Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak in the 197-pound final.

McKnight had a 130-12 record for the Char Valley Colts and was a three-time PIAA place-winner. He placed second in 2001, third in 2002 and first in 2003.