Most people know the story about Liberty wrestler Jake Gunning. Going from a first time wrestler in the program as a freshman that struggled through an 0-23 inaugural campaign to a district and regional champion his senior year, Gunning's story is a rare feat in today's wrestling community, as well as in today's me-first sports world.

But all of that doesn't really matter to Gunning anymore, because, quite frankly, it can't. The University of Buffalo wrestler has been in upstate New York for the past several weeks, getting his grind on the collegiate scene, and Gunning will be the first person to tell you that the past doesn't matter in his present situation.

"My story is cool and it's something that young wrestlers can learn from," he said, "but nobody cares about that up here. This is a whole new level of wrestling and I feel like I'm a freshman in high school all over again."

Gunning is probably right about the nostalgia of his high school days, but the Bethlehem Press certainly cares, which is why he is Liberty's Male Athlete of the Year for 2014.

After a winless freshman campaign, where he labeled himself a "chubby ninth grader," Gunning blossomed into 92 victories over the next three years, finishing last season 40-5, along with the aforementioned district and regional gold medals, as well as a third-place finish at the PIAA 3A wrestling championships in Hershey at 220 pounds.

His 40 wins in a season set an all-time record for most in a season at Liberty, where he capped off his senior year with First-team Lehigh Valley Conference and First-team District 11 honors.

All from someone who took his lumps in Jody Karam's program and stuck with the sport.

"I did work very hard and pushed myself to limits I didn't think I was capable of," said Gunning. "Now, I'm basically back to where I started. It's tough rolling around with these college guys. It's crazy how I can relate things now to what I was going through four years ago. I'm back to baby steps again."

As the wrestling cycle has come full circle for Gunning now as a freshman in college, he knows that he can look back at his struggles over the years at Liberty and find ways to push through them currently at Buffalo.

Gunning plans to red-shirt his freshman season to polish his skills and develop the ferocity needed to be a heavyweight wrestler at the D-I level.

His weight is up to 245 pounds and he only plans to get bigger, as the strenuous regimen for the Buffaloes will hopefully forge him into a champion at the next level one day.

"At Liberty, coach Karam called the wrestling room the D-I room," Gunning said. "I can admit that going through those practices was hard as hell, but the workouts here in college are mentally intense. I've been here for a month and it's been tough. There have been times where you just want to go home, but I know I can work through it."

He knows because he's already done it before. As rare the situation was for Gunning to experience such a wrestling whirlwind over his four year at Liberty, that journey may actually prep him better for the collegiate world than wrestlers who grow up in the sport as repeat champions.

All the draining mental wars Gunning went through his freshman year to where he is now, demonstrates an individual with the moxy of a bull. Or in this case, a Buffalo.

People can look at athletes and witness the ease they may have in their respective sport, but nobody truly understands the sacrifice that goes into the end product.

Jake Gunning is not only a true role model for young wrestlers, but also one to all young athletes, who think showing up to practice and games is merely enough.

From 0-23 to D-I wrestler is proof that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.