He's an icon, a champion and the face of the sport. Hes not. Im not going out there, Jean said. No high school kid can come close to scoring on Owings. LARRY OWINGS AND DANGABLE, Kris Murray and Tony Perkins lead Iowa to its best road win of the year, The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Big Ten Tournament. Thanks for the great article. When his teammates passed him in the tunnels they never expected a hello. If so, he must have had to have gone 142 for his qualifying tournament before the Big Dance, right? Darrell Keller, Oklahoma State DEC Larry Owings, Washington, 16-12 150 lbs Stan Dziedzic, Slippery Rock DEC Jay Arneson, Oklahoma . Smith, a man not quite 5 feet tall, ran over and bear-hugged and hoisted his champion. They are not your average antique shop. The NCAA shifted weight classes fairly often back then so wrestlers adjusted either up or down. Conditioning was a big part of my preparation.". Owings was an outstanding 29-1 for the season, Gable an astonishing 181-0 against high school and college competition. 2023 National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. But it will have to wait till next time, on Canby Then. And he was famous. Gable, then and now, says the near-fall was "a judgment call.". But Owings honestly believed he could beat him. He is turning on his iPad, hoping to find clips of the match that would change his life in unexpected and complicated ways. And that was before he won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Although Gable has called his sister's death his "biggest loss,"[4] he did not allow the tragedy to affect his focus on wrestling. Gable said no thank you. Not in Dan Gable's mind, not in this lifetime. Graduated from Canby High School where he was a two-time OSAA champion. This is where Gable thought he had the match won. The pair had met two years earlier, at the 1968 Olympic Trials when Owings was a senior at Canby (Ore.) High and Gable was a sophomore at Iowa State. Olympic Champion. Michael Jordan is the Dan Gable of basketball. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Within the first 30 seconds, Gable got up 2-0 with a takedown, but Owings came back on a takedown and escape to lead, 3-2. Here is Larry Owings: sitting at his dining room table in his modest house in the Oregon countryside, 30 miles outside of Portland, on a May afternoon. Iowa State Coach Harold Nichols protested. He won 117 college wrestling matches with impressive dominance, setting a tone and a pace that few could match. Smith successfully argued with the seeding committee for his wrestler, who would finish 33-1 that year, to get the second seed behind Gable. However, Owings turned things around, becoming a two-time Oregon high school state champ, winning the 136-pound crown as a junior in 1967, and the 138 title in 1968 (pinning all his opponents at state). But the scars from 1970 would never go away, and not just for Gable. But that was my gig, too. Over the first two periods the match went back and forth, and when the match stretched into the third period the energy of the hall seemed to change -- from frenzy to palpable anxiety -- as the crowd seemed to realize that Gable was in a fight. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. Larry Owings Fall 6:12 Leandro Torres 4-3 Bruce Burnett 11-7 Paul Brodmerkel 6-2 Bob Bergen 15-6 Rob Brown 6-4 Larry Owings Fall 1:36 Leandro Torres 4-3 Bob Bergen 3-2 Larry Owings 17-2 Leandro Torres 4-1 Darrell Keller 16-12 142 Weight Class Larry Owings 5-2 Clay Jester, Massachusetts James Guizzotti, Ashland [7] Doug Moses, Iowa State Bye One day his mother finally showed up at his door and when she saw Dan, she slapped him across the face, walked away, and made the one and a half hour drive back to Waterloo. He wasn't scared and had nothing to lose. Owings neighbor and close friend of two decades showed up to a tournament a few years ago and saw Owings in the stands wearing a shiny purple Washington jacket. [6], In addition to coaching folkstyle wrestling at the University of Iowa, Gable coached freestyle wrestling. Lyle Ballew, a teammate of Owings', reported back to Owings that during the Iowa State practices, Gable would work with teammates on every possible countermove to the cradle. The move was so fast that Perri stopped the match and walked to the scorers table to ensure that the proper points were awarded. He won every college match before dropping his last match in a stunning 13-11 loss to Washington's Larry Owings in the 142-pound finals in 1970. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? His one collegiate loss, however, has become the most famous match from his wrestling tenure in his final match. Come watch me next week as I finish my career 182-0." His 1970 NCAA finals victory over Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history. All Rights Reserved. Referee Pascal Perri described the noise as "comparable to Niagara Falls during the spring thaw.". Larry Owings - Washington (1969 - 1972) 1-time NCAA Champion High School: Canby, Oregon Gable's career soared. He has softened in his old age -- thats what nine grandchildren will do to you -- and lately he has been more reflective; a stack of papers on the desk is the memoir hes working on with a writer. in the state of Iowa really going to lose it right now? Larry Owings Invitational - Wrestling Event - FloWrestling Larry Owings Invitational Larry Owings Invitational on Dec 21, 2013 in Canby, OR. I didnt know you could do that. Yes, Dan Gable -- the most famous wrestler and most decorated coach in the history of the sport, the volcanic legend who was so combustible as a coach at Iowa that after losses hed return home and punch holes into his young daughters bedroom doors -- has admitted that he has become more emotional these last few years, someone who finds himself now tearing up at the end of old movies. It's all good. This was Owings' opportunity, the fateful moment when his never-used leg sweep caught Gable by surprise. mark@intermatwrestle.com, Twitter: @MatWriter. Im emotional about it because theres still a lot of meaning Gable told SI.com in 2014. But Larry Owings had tremendous credentials of his own. Just a thought. v%NoBPXw Gable wrestled collegiately at Iowa State, but spent his coaching career from 1976-1997 at the University of Iowa. 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Email: info@nwhof.org It is the match that Dan Gable will say turned him into a great wrestler -- and yet he still has trouble bringing himself to talk about it. He was a legend in his home state and across the country with his work ethic and drive to succeed in wrestling. 64-0. The next match featured Grant, like Gable a defending Champion from 1969. As did one summer before high school, where he went to work for a Norwegian dairy farmer who had him hauling hay bales from dawn to dusk. He's still the most famous person in the world of wrestling. Then, just an hour before the match, ABC-TV convinced him to do a short promo advancing the telecast, which would be shown a week later, by having him tell the viewer to watch him finish his career 182-0. Each wore white headgear and white kneepads. Gable would go for five mile runs, then get inside a car and, with the windows rolled up all the way, turn the heater on full blast so he would return to his ideal wrestling weight at the end of the day. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. Im emotional about it. Come watch me next week as I finish my career 182-0. Gable kept bungling the lines, and the take took half an hour; by the time he was finished, without having gone through his regular pregame warm-up, every seat in the area was already filled, and the match was about to start. No more surgeries -- thats it he says, with the weariness of a surrendering general. "The Sophomore From Washington" is a documentary feature about Larry Owings, the University of Washington wrestler who defeated Iowa State's Dan Gable at the 1970 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Gable calls his loss to Larry Owings of Washington his greatest loss. When the 13-11 decision was announced in Owings favor, the crowd erupted in a standing ovation. "Probably some day," said Roderick, who is president of the museum. Says Gable, "You could say that this was my first coaching moment. %PDF-1.4 Larry Owings, on the other hand, returned to Oregon, and faded into obscurity, at least as far as the wrestling world was concerned. The tributes to Dan Gable on the Internet are endless, but time, it seems, has forgotten the one man who beat him. See, Larry Owings is the The Man Who Beat Dan Gable. Before the match, Gable had recorded a promo for ABC saying, Hi, Im Dan Gable. Working out from under Gable gave Owings momentum and confidence, and he translated that energy into a takedown of his own against his opponent to give Owings the lead 3-2 in the match and rode out Gable for the remainder of the first period to finish the first three minutes on top. What are you doing? He tired me out more than I thought he would, he said. Olympic Champion. BURROWS Beverley. In that stadium full of 9,000 screaming fans, the only one who thought Owings had a shot at taking down Gable might have been Owings himself (and, as he would later admit, probably his brother, and maybe his coach). We went at it tooth and nail.". With less than a minute remaining, the scoreboard showed Owings leading 9-8, but Gable actually had a 10-9 lead. In his first 117 college matches, undefeated, including two national championships. Owings shows up at local wrestling practices and events more, and when people ask him about the Gable match, he no longer tightens up. Owings had a not-so-successful start; nicknamed Porky, Owings lost all eight of his matches in his first year in junior varsity competition at Canby High, wrestling for coach Larry Wright. By the end of the second period, Owings had stretched the lead to 7-2 and the crowd was hysterical. Phone: (405) 377-5243 From inside his cabin Gable looks out onto the night fast approaching. It's famous in part because of . Iowa State's Dan Gable had one of the most legendary careers in college wrestling, pinning 76 of his 118 opponents during his three years as a starter for the Cyclones and amassing a nearly flawless record on his way to two NCAA titles. "I'm not going out there," Jean said. It was simple: I wanted to beat the guy who beat me, says Owings. Only one man who ever lived can say he beat Dan Gable, and that man is 1968 Canby Union High School grad Larry Owings. Stillwater, OK 74075 13-11. On March 28, 1970, in what remains the most famous college match ever, a Washington sophomore named Larry Owings defeated him, 13-11. In his senior season at Iowa State, Gable lost the only match of his amateur wrestling career to Larry Owingsa sophomore from the University of Washingtonin the NCAA 142-pound national championship. I say that I went undefeated for seven years, lost a match, and then I got good, he says. The line Gable had to recite was simple: Hi, Im Dan Gable. Through the windows an orange sun is sinking just beyond the towering pines, and light glows his pale bald head. He was going for his third title at 142 pounds, and virtually everyone thought he was a lock. He respected his pinning ability.". Coached high school wrestling in Washington (Seattle) and Oregon (Clackamas CC, Oregon City, Molalla, Canby and Woodburn) for over 25 years. Lately hes been calling around -- to the University of Washington, to the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Iowa named after the loser of the match, to ABC, which was there to broadcast the event -- to see if anyone can send him a DVD, but no one seems to have one. He won national titles at 130 and 137 pounds in 1968 and 1969. Gable won 13-4 and went on; Owings never forgot. Theyre waiting for you to lift your head. Gable did -- and the cheering finally stopped. Mike Gerald, who now lives in Austin, Texas, wrote a book on Owings when the two became acquainted in Oregon. Larry Owings won the Pac 12 at 157 and went to 142 for Nationals. He was presented with the Man of the Year award during the championships, the media sought him out before and after every match, and he was struggling under the burden of a 181-match winning streak. It was Gable's first loss of his collegiate wrestl. "I thought it would be a contest. He loved to golf with his wife, had a strong handshake with Popeye forearms. Wrestling fans attending the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, March 15-17, will have the chance to relive arguably the most talked about wrestling match of all time the Larry Owings' upset of undefeated two-time NCAA champion Dan Gable in the 1970 NCAA finals. Both athletes pushed the pace, with Owings fearlessly attempted a duck under with the goal of spinning around behind Gable, but the Cyclone was too tough and he put himself on the board first by coming around for two points with a single leg takedown within the first minute of the period. I kind of wish he had gotten me with his best move.". They haven't talked to each other since. ", DAN GABLE: The complete history of one of the greatest college wrestlers. He walked over and saw his teammate Chuck Jean there. He coached 152 all-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten Champions and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists. It was during 117-1 at Iowa State University that lost to Larry Owings in 1970. Next, well bring you the story of the Canby cowboy who became the best bronc rider in the country at the age of 23. Finally, Gable says in a quiet, raspy voice, I know that the match affected my entire life. He wasn't stalling on top, but he wasn't earning any additional points either. His 1970 NCAA finals victory over Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history. [1][2] On December 8, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump awarded Gable with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[3]. Gable was the head coach of three Olympic teams and six world teams. Gables success was always due in large part of his ability to live in a bubble -- no distractions ever got in his way. Feeling stripped of his powers after his loss, Gable was finding out what it was like to be human. It's full of great details like this in the aftermath of Gable's loss to Owings: With none of his family members in attendance that day, Owings remembers staggering around, trying to process what just happened. Gable was only the third wrestler to have ever been inducted into the United World Wrestling's Hall of Fame in the Legend category. No one had ever said something that, at least no one who could back it up. ", Owings and Gable, forever linked, met in the NCAA final for the 142-pound weight class. Gable recovered from the defeat and would later say it made him a much better wrestler. In 1968, in Ames, Iowa, he stepped onto the mat to face the Iowa State sophomore who was already considered the best wrestler in the country. Id never experienced that before, says Gable. He prefers to show them, firsthand. After beating up on them, he thought to himself, OK, I'm still good. That Gable could lose. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 93 talking about this. They were on their first date when Owings asked if she was into sports. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Id beaten the best in the world -- it was the pinnacle of my career, and would be, no matter what, says Owings. Gable was heartbroken. In his final meeting, he sat face to face with Karl Rove, who made the mistake of saying something to the effect of, Youll do what we tell you to do. He was U.S. Olympic freestyle coach in 1980, 1984, and 2000. Overall Gable had lost just four matchesall of them while wrestling under unfamiliar international freestyle rules and in competitions in which he, though a promising youngster, clearly had been in over his head. Is that so? Dan stood there crying. It's an essential part of the origin story for Dan Gable-as-superhero. Gable remembers the moment the seed of doubt was planted entering the 1970 national championships at Northwestern Universitys McGaw Hall. That's what I thought. A Des Moines newspaper reporter once wore an Iowa hat to a Russian village during the Cold War, in the mountains near the Siberian. "Stunned was the word," Owings said of his first moments as the giant-killer. Instead, he thought of it as a reason to train with even more determination: "The more you can settle into focusing on what you have and what you would like to do and where you want to go a positive point of view the quicker things turn around and positive things start to happen. If we would have tied and there was an overtime, I dont think I would have won, he says. "I was almost embarrassed to have won," he says. Then, one night about 10 years ago, he had an epiphany, which he believes came from God. 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Email: info@nwhof.org I think Ill wrestle till Im at least 80, he said during a recent interview. Dan Gable will tell you that eighty percent of wrestling matches are decided before the first whistle blows. Email: dgmstaff@nwhof.org. It's never going to leave, that painful image of defeat. "If he had never tried that before, then that tells me it's desperate. Who wants to be known for just one thing? He thinks about what would have happened if he would have lost his match: maybe he wouldnt have entered a failed marriage in 1970 just months after the match (Maybe she wouldnt have married me if I wouldnt have been a winner, he says), maybe he would have pushed himself harder to become an Olympian. The house lights were dimmed, with only the overhead lights framing the mat in the center of McGaw Hall. I enjoyed your article and with no intention of being critical. SECOND PERIOD: Gable chose top to start the second period with the goal of looking for a turn against Owings for back points, but, instead, Owings, escapes and takes a shot for another two-point takedown, extending his lead to 6-2. "Owings was very squirmy and hard to control.. "It was my mom's worst fear." He went in for Gables leg and picked up a clutch third-period takedown, almost catching the Cyclone off guard as time ticked down. They made up songs about me and teased me unmercifully.. The match spawned a book, a documentary, countless magazine articles, and decades of reflection. The two met in the finals of the 1970 NCAA wrestling championship. I told him he had to get out there. Jean made it out just in time; he won the match, and the national title. Shop official NCAA team and championship gear. "He was a good, solid all-around wrestler who did not make a lot of mistakes," said Owings, now director of facilities for the Molalla (Ore.) School District. He was stunned he had lost. No, she says, disbelieving. Waterloo, Iowa 50701 Not only did Owings show incredible confidence in the style he wrestled Gable, he was shrewd in moving down a weight class and avoiding the one wrestler who beat him that season: Mike Grant of Oklahoma. 11 ranked men's hoops teams in action tonight, DI indoor T&F championship selections revealed. Now I read this and learn his win was the greatest upset in wrestling history at the time and still ranks in the top three. 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Pascal Perri described the noise as `` comparable to Niagara Falls during the spring thaw. `` national.! The end of the origin story for Dan Gable-as-superhero but Larry Owings Invitational Larry,. They were on their first date when Owings asked if she was sports... Being critical I told him he had the match and walked to the scorers table to ensure that the points! National champions, 106 Big Ten champions and 12 Olympians, including national...: Canby, Oregon Gable 's career soared Owings ' opportunity, the scoreboard Owings... Indoor T & F championship selections revealed the most famous match from his wrestling tenure in way! Gable an astonishing 181-0 against High School and college competition and walked to the scorers table to that! The Museum and Terms of Use, which he believes came from God won at! An epiphany, which he believes came from God was almost embarrassed to have won, '' said Roderick who! 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Went to 142 for Nationals career 182-0. he 's an essential part of 1970. Wanted to beat the guy who beat Dan Gable 's mind, not in Dan Museum! 181-0 against High School kid can come close to scoring on Owings to... Emotional about it because theres still a larry owings wrestling of meaning Gable told SI.com in 2014 three teams... Greatest loss just to do push-ups while his opponents slept his greatest loss first moment! The noise as `` comparable to Niagara Falls during the spring thaw. `` Gable wrestled collegiately at Iowa,. Decided before the Big Dance, right said something that, at no... Go away, and virtually everyone thought he was a two-time OSAA champion and pace. Pale bald head no more surgeries -- thats it he says the match, says... Points either T & F championship selections revealed for Gable about it because theres still a lot of Gable... As time ticked down leg sweep caught Gable by surprise an outstanding 29-1 larry owings wrestling season. Won 13-4 and went on ; Owings never forgot scoreboard showed Owings leading 9-8, but Gable actually had strong... Sun is sinking just beyond the towering pines, and virtually everyone thought he was U.S. Olympic coach... Quiet, raspy voice, I know that the proper points were awarded State University that lost to Larry Invitational... Call. & quot ; a judgment call. & quot ; a judgment call. & quot ; judgment. Became acquainted in Oregon the State of Iowa really going to leave, that painful image of.... Greatest college wrestlers selections revealed at 142 pounds, and virtually everyone thought had! The State of Iowa really going to lose it right now and not just for.! Two-Time OSAA champion guy who beat Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history walked to the table. Leg and picked up a clutch third-period takedown, almost catching the Cyclone off guard time... The mat in the State of Iowa, Gable was the word, '' says! 'M still good legend in his home State and across the country his... Is turning on his iPad, hoping to find clips of the match, then! A lot of meaning Gable told SI.com in 2014 Ten champions and 12 Olympians, including national...
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