Torn ACL? No biggie. Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis won an NCAA wrestling title with one

The Legend of Yianni.

It sounds like a feature film, but that's what the wrestling career of Hilton graduate Yianni Diakomihalis already is — legendary. It gained another chapter this week. An MRI on Tuesday revealed that the knee injury he suffered in last weekend's NCAA quarterfinals was, in fact, a torn anterior cruciate ligament. It didn't stop Diakomihalis, of course. The Cornell University rookie went on to win two more matches on that bum knee and capture the 141-pound title in Cleveland.

MORE: Diakomihalis wins NCAA Division I wrestling title for Cornell

He is just the 19th wrestler in NCAA history and second from tradition-rich Cornell to do so as a true freshman.

"Mind over matter," Diakomihalis said Sunday morning. "I knew I was lying to myself. I knew something was wrong but I believed it enough and I kept telling myself: 'It doesn’t matter. Just grit it out, do whatever you’ve got to do.' "

He plans to have surgery on Thursday in New York City and targets September for his return. Diakomihalis, who turns 19 on April 11, was out of action for a similar amount of time during his senior year at Hilton. Two elbow injuries cost the four-time Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Wrestler of the Year a shot at winning a fifth state crown.

As of last year, only seven boys had ever won four state titles. Diakomihalis ended his high school career with a mark of 243-3. He went 38-1 this season at Cornell. Jaydin Eierman of Missouri handed him his only loss on Dec. 30 in the South Beach Duals, but Diakomihalis avenged that in the NCAA semifinals.

"I wanted that one so bad. The Eierman loss, at the time, felt like the worst thing ever but I think I got so much better because of that," Diakomihalis said.

After the quarterfinal win over two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil, Diakomihalis was evaluated by a doctor and told something was "loose but stable," inside his right knee with his ligaments.

The diagnosis was torn meniscus cartilage. No biggie, he thought. Diakomihalis knew he could handle that.

"But then he evaluated me the following day and I remember looking at (the team doctor) right in the eye and he looked super worried and his face got pale," Diakomihalis recounted, then repeated what he told the doctor.

"Don’t tell me what it is," he said. "I don’t care. Just tell me it’s my meniscus."

So, that's what they went with and Diakomihalis gutted out the pain.

"When the painkillers wore off it was pretty painful but as the weekend went on I think I got used to it. It kind of went away. I’m a big believer in mind over matter," he said. "I just convinced myself that it’s not a big deal, you're fine.

"(The doctor) explained it to me later, when he was doing the ACL test on my knee, there was no resistance. It was just like, not there, that’s why he was so freaked out by it."

But Diakomihalis never freaked and won the title in dramatic fashion, too. The No. 3 seed used a four-point cradle in the final seconds to defeat No. 1 Bryce Meredith of Wyoming and win a stunning 7-4 decision.

After recovering, he'll set his sights on repeating as NCAA champion in 2019 and then the Olympics. "I think I can do it in 2020," he said.

Think? That may just work. After all, for Diakomihalis it's mind over matter.

JDIVERON@Gannett.com