PHILADELPHIA – His persistence and skill, and the people who now support him, helped Iowa grad student Stephen Buchanan finally achieve the ultimate milestone for a college wrestler.

Buchanan won the 197-pound NCAA Championship on Saturday night, defeating Penn State’s Josh Barr, 5-2.

Buchanan, the No. 2 seed, used a second-period takedown and a third-period escape, along with a riding time point, to end up on top of the podium.

“You know, you get to the semifinals twice and you get denied by it, and you have to make the journey back the next morning,” Buchanan said. “And you don’t want to wrestle those two matches, but you do, and you pull through. You’re still left with this bittersweet feeling in your stomach, in your mind. You come back the next year and the same thing happens to you.

“And you finally get on a new team. And you’re placed around people who will pour into you, who teach you the little things that make the biggest differences. And you get on that stage, and you use the things that they taught you to win, it means the world. I mean, the work that I put in, just the amount of time that people put into me, it means the world.”

The Loyal, Wisconsin, native is the first national champion at 197 pounds in program history since the NCAA implemented the current weight class configuration in 1999. Buchanan’s individual national title is the 86th in program history and the 14th under head coach Tom Brands.

Buchanan started his career at Wyoming before transferring to Oklahoma.

He finished third at 197 pounds at the 2024 NCAA Championships as a Sooner and third as a Cowboy in 2022.

“Awesome, love it, can’t say enough,” head coach Tom Brands said. “He’s a grateful guy, so I think he has the right perspective about it for sure. The way it was done is a tribute to a champion. The way that he did it, the way he goes about his daily business is a tribute.”

Buchanan finishes his season 26-1 and his career as a four-time All-American.

Iowa also had two runner-up finishers in Drake Ayala at 133 pounds and Michael Caliendo at 165 pounds.

Penn State claimed its fourth consecutive team title, finishing with a tournament record 177 points.

Iowa finished fourth in the team standings with 81 points.

Editor’s note: hawkeyesports.com contributed to this report.