Arizona State’s Anthony Robles celebrates his national title. Tony Rotundo photo.

PHILADELPHIA – The next step in life for Anthony Robles is a career as a motivational speaker.

And oh what a story he has to tell.

“Believe in your dreams,” Robles said early Saturday night, “and anything is possible.”

Robles didn’t let being born without a right leg stand in the way of pursuing his dreams. And teammate Bubba Jenkins didn't let anything stand in his way either.

The Arizona State seniors achieved their lifelong dreams by earning dramatic finals victories on a memorable night at the NCAA Championships before a sellout crowd of 17,687 fans Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Robles downed defending champion Matt McDonough of Iowa 7-1 to win the title at 125 pounds before Jenkins cradled and pinned unbeaten freshman David Taylor of Penn State in the 157 finals. Jenkins was an NCAA runner-up for Penn State in 2008.

Robles, who placed fourth and seventh in this event the last two years, received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd following his breakthrough win in the finals. He was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.

“I have dreamed about this moment for so long, stepping up on that stage, and wrestling in the finals,” Robles said. “I’ve been praying for that moment. I felt super confident out there. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do this. It’s been a great ride.”

Second-ranked Penn State, which clinched the team title in Saturday’s first session, finished with 107.5 points. Penn State won its second national title, after also winning in 1953. The Nittany Lions crowned a champion in sophomore Quentin Wright at 184.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “It’s just a gutsy performance from some real tough kids and that’s what it takes. These guys, they’re young, but talented and aggressive. They created a lot of expectations for themselves. Then they had to deal with it. We’re the national champs and that’s something to be really happy about.”

Top-ranked Cornell finished second with 93.5 points. Big Red sophomore Kyle Dake (149) won his second NCAA title. Cornell was second for the second straight season, matching its best-ever finish.

“We obviously wanted to win it,” Cornell coach Rob Koll said. “But you know, we had five All-Americans, a school first. It was the first time we ever beat Iowa. It was the most points we’ve ever scored in this tournament. I have to be thankful. We have a great group of kids.”

Third-ranked Iowa, winners of this event the last three years, finished third with 86.5 points. The Hawkeyes lost eight starters off last year’s team and started the season ranked No. 11 nationally.

“We earned what we got,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “I think we underachieved. That’s how much I believe in our guys. It stings, man, it stings to finish third.”

The top-seeded Robles used an early takedown and tilted defending champion and No. 2 seed Matt McDonough to his back twice in the first period en route to an 8-1 win in the 125 finals. McDonough, a sophomore, lost for only the third time in college. Robles finished the season 36-0. He became Arizona State’s ninth NCAA champion and first since 2003.

“I had a lot of butterflies going out there,” Robles said. “It was huge to get the first takedown. I relaxed after that and was able to calm down. It was all business after that.”

Robles, from Mesa, Arizona, said he read a stack of letters a third-grade class from Georgia had sent him to provide inspiration before this tournament. Robles’ feats have been chronicled all week on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

“I didn’t get into the sport for the attention,” Robles said. “I wrestle because I love wrestling. It inspires me when people leave me messages on Facebook or write me letters. If my story can inspire someone or help change somebody’s life for the better, that’s an honor for me.”

Jenkins, a past Junior World champion in freestyle, transferred to Arizona State from Penn State this season and entered this tournament as the No. 4 seed at 157. He became ASU’s 10th NCAA champion.

Jenkins trailed 1-0 in the second period when he locked the third-seeded Taylor, the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, in a cradle and turned him to his back for the stunning fall. An excited Jenkins leaped into the arms of his coaches as the crowd went wild.

“I heard a quote that said, ‘It’s better to be lucky than good,’” Jenkins said. “And I can tell you right now they should call me Lucky instead of Bubba. Because I saw something and I looked at it, and I got lucky to pin David.

“He’s a great wrestler. David is a machine, but I found ways to break it and disassemble it.”

Jenkins said he had extra motivation to beat Penn State because of how he and Sanderson parted ways. He was asked if the match was personal.

“Not toward David, definitely toward Cael,” Jenkins said. “He didn’t think I was good enough or the right kid to win it at that weight class or any weight class. I wanted to go 149, but he had other ideas. And he got rid of me. One man’s trash is a whole country’s treasure.”

Dake is halfway to becoming just the third four-time champion in NCAA history. Dake controlled Penn State’s Frank Molinaro in the top position, piling up a whopping six-plus minutes of riding time in a dominating 8-1 win.

“This year, I was more relaxed and I wasn’t as tired out there because I had done it before,” Dake said. “I knew what to expect. I just stayed calm, went out there and wrestled my best match.”

The ninth-seeded Wright, a Big Ten champion, downed No. 2 Robert Hamlin Lehigh 5-2 in the finals. Wright came on strong when it counted most after struggling most of the season with a shoulder injury.

“I want to cry. I’ve been dreaming about doing this since elementary school,” said Wright, from Wingate, Pa. “It’s a great feeling. It hasn’t hit me yet.”

Top-seeded Nebraska senior Jordan Burroughs became the first two-time NCAA champion in Husker school history after scoring on an array of double-leg takedowns to down No. 3 Tyler Caldwell of Oklahoma 11-3 in the 165 finals.

“It’s definitely an honor to be the first one to win two national titles at Nebraska,” said Burroughs, from nearby Sicklerville, N.J. “There have been a lot of great wrestlers who have come through our program. I feel like I’m setting my own standard for a lot of young guys coming in that are real hungry. So that record might not last long.”

Top-seeded Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State recorded two quick takedowns en route to an 8-4 win over No. 2 seed Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State in the 133 finals. Oliver, a sophomore from nearby Easton, Pa., wins his first title after placing fourth last year.

Oliver (29-0) becomes Oklahoma State’s 134th NCAA champion.

“I don’t even think it has all set in yet,” said Oliver, a Junior World bronze medalist. “I just know it’s been a great journey, and it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Fourth-seeded Dustin Kilgore of Kent State trailed No. 2 Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State 5-1, but kept fighting and caught Foster on his back for a fall with four seconds left in the second period in the 197 finals.

“He was pushing the pace hard,” Kilgore said. “As soon as I saw him get tired, I knew right then I had to push myself twice as hard because I wanted it and I got it.”

Kilgore, a junior, became Kent State’s first national champion.

“This is the best feeling ever,” Kilgore said. “This is going to help out with recruiting so much and this is going to help us build such a good team. The coaches we have are phenomenal. They’ve helped me through everything.”

Michigan’s top-seeded Kellen Russell capped a 38-0 season with a 3-2 win over No. 3 seed Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly in the 141 finals. Russell, a three-time Big Ten champion, placed seventh in this event two years ago before redshirting last year.

Russell became Michigan’s 21st NCAA champion.

“It feels amazing,” said Russell, a junior from nearby High Bridge, N.J. “It’s a great honor to even compete for the University of Michigan. To win a national title, I feel like I’m able to give back a little bit to them. It’s great to win nationals so close to home.”

Top-seeded Iowa State senior Jon Reader completed an unbeaten season after defeating No. 7 Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford 10-3 in the 174 finals. Reader becomes ISU’s 68th NCAA champion.

“I had an embarrassing tournament last year,” Reader said. “I had some obstacles I had to overcome. I spent a lot of time last summer training with Trent and Travis Paulson, who are both World Team members. They’re my big brothers and my mentors, along with my coaches. They helped prepare me to win this tournament.” 

Top-ranked Lehigh heavyweight Zach Rey earned a tough 2-1 win over No. 3 Ryan Flores of American in the finals. Rey, a junior, had lost to Flores in the EIWA finals two weeks ago, but finished 3-1 against Flores this season.

Rey trains with 2008 Olympian Steve Mocco at Lehigh. Rey made the U.S. University World Team last year.

“Mocco brought a whole new level to my conditioning,” said Rey, from Hopatcong, N.J. “Nobody else in the country works with a guy as good as I do every day. He’s one of the best in the World. Working out with Steve made me tougher. He taught me to hand fight, use my strength, use my power and use my size against other opponents. It helped me big time.”

American’s Mark Cody was named National Coach of the Year after leading his team to a fifth-place finish. Penn State’s Ed Ruth won the Gorriarian Award for the most falls in the least amount of time.

The NCAA tournament set a six-session attendance record with a total of 104,260 fans in Philadelphia. The previous record was 97,334 fans in 2009 in St. Louis.

The NCAA Championships return to St. Louis next year.

TOP 10 TEAMS
Penn State 107.5, Cornell 93.5, Iowa 86.5, Oklahoma State 70.5, American 65, Arizona State 62.5, Minnesota 61, Lehigh 58.5, Boise State 57.5, Wisconsin 54.5.

FINALS MATCHES

125 POUNDS
No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) dec. No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa), 7-1

133 POUNDS
No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State), 8-4

141 POUNDS
No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) dec. No. 3 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly), 3-2

149 POUNDS
No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State), 8-1

157 POUNDS
No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) pinned No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State), 4:14

165 POUNDS
No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) dec. No. 3 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma), 11-3

174 POUNDS
No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) dec. No. 7 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford), 10-3

184 POUNDS
No. 9 Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), 5-2

197 POUNDS
No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) pinned No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State), 4:56

285 POUNDS
No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Ryan Flores (American), 2-1