My nickname was Porky. Everyone called me that, even my teachers at school. Later, in a quiet moment in his hotel room, Gable got his hands on the paper, and there, in big bold letters across the top of the paper was the headline IM HERE TO BEAT DAN GABLE. The article didn't mention the fact that Caldwell had pinned Metcalf the previous season. "I'm not going to this tournament to be a national champion. The newspapersthough, focused on Gable's match:Iowa State star suffers mat loss, read the title in a story run by the Associated Press following the match. "But I was distracted by Larry Owings. It was quite the pedigree, but no one expected the same from Larry, for one simple reason. ICONIC LEADER: How Dan Gable coached Iowa to 15 team titles. 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. A few old black-and-white wrestling photos turn up in the image results, but mostly he finds himself staring at photos of strange faces. Larry Owings won the Pac 12 at 157 and went to 142 for Nationals. I seem to remember hearing or reading once that Owings wrestled all season at another weight class, but bumped down to 142 just for the Big Dance. "[5], From 1967 to 1970, Gable attended Iowa State University, where he competed in folkstyle wrestling. Dan Gable height is 5 Feet 9 Inches. NCAA Champion and Outstanding Wrestler. It's famous in part because of the outcome -- it was the only match Gable lost in college -- and in part because of what it led to: an even more focused and determined Gable, who won gold at the World Championships and Olympics in the years that follow and who then coached Iowa to 15 national championships in 21 seasons, a staggering and unprecedented accomplishment. He was driven. That wouldn't happen in 1970. Graduated from Canby High School where he was a two-time OSAA champion. When Larry was on his high school team, the coach used to joke that he was so slow that theyd have to drive pegs into the mat to see if hes still moving. Gable says that the loss was "like a death in the family." The house lights were dimmed, with only the overhead lights framing the mat in the center of McGaw Hall. Waterloo, Iowa 50701 They shut down the whole tournament for 15 minutes. 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. During the weigh-in, an ABC reporter asked, Larry, why, particularly with such a successful sophomore season, would you drop a weight class that will be impossible to win because of Gables presence? Owings glared at the interviewer and said, Ill beat him.. He had pinned everyone in the 1970s national tournament before this match, and he was considered to be the unquestionable favorite against a wrestler he beat two years prior at the Olympic Trials. As a college sophomore, he defeated Dan Gable in one of the biggest upsets of NCAA finals history,. _n*RgX`E^FkZoe%Y*poZ)XK+i.8p58Pu?MC%m j(Xq/|V\zl,ebRB9z}#m0/gmUH2.;9gtGix#91Nz2Oe&+"W5G`ota WBuHS{,$)/pxWu c oZ_/:~[ZWn7E8FX:oKAU( Larry Owings, The Man Who Beat Gable, What happened to Larry Owings? Results Placement Matches (16 Man) Team. When I started to embrace that, I started to become happier, I think., The young wrestlers have all heard of Dan Gable. I don't know if he planned it or not, but he got inside my head.". 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. Canby Coach Larry Wright encouraged Owings to continue his wrestling at the highest level. No one had ever said something that, at least no one who could back it up. Larry Owings, Coach/Official, Canby, Oregon Graduated from Canby High School where he was a two-time OSAA champion. And when I was younger, I really was pretty fat. Before the match, Gable had recorded a promo for ABC saying, Hi, Im Dan Gable. my Events OPC Video News Powered by National Champion. A few years ago, at a wrestling banquet, Les Anderson, a former assistant coach at Iowa State, pulled his former protg aside, and said, Gable, I just want to apologize for that last match. When Owings arrived, the mind games, so subtly important in this sport, began. "Owings was very squirmy and hard to control.. Larry was tough. Owings thought to himself, Im not going to the Olympics, Why am I cutting weight? It was a decision the Chicago Daily News writer Bill Jauss said made him either the bravest or dumbest guy in amateur wrestling. Gables reputation was such that guys generally piled on weight to avoid facing him on the mat; not the other way around. Gable was the head coach of three Olympic teams and six world teams. Owings had one more thing Gable didn't have - implacability. The match at Northwestern had its impact on both wrestlers. Larry Owings As Sports Illustrated reported in its coverage of the 1970 NCAAs, "Owings was far more accomplished than most people realized. Dan Gable has not forgotten about that night in 1970. Gable was told Owings' comment and said he didn't realize the infamous leg sweep was not a practiced move. Shop official NCAA team and championship gear. The most dramatic moment came in the final 30 seconds, with Gable technically in the lead although the scoreboard showed otherwise, when Owings slipped underneath his arms for a brilliantly executed leg sweep that dropped Gable to the mat for the winning points. I wasn't that surprised the night Caldwell beat Metcalf. The match changed my life, he says, but then he suddenly adds, but there was a time, a long time, when I wished it never happened.. The two met in the finals of the 1970 NCAA wrestling championship. v%NoBPXw After college, Owings competed on the senior level circuit before retiring. Considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Gable is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a world gold medalist, and an Olympic gold medalist. 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. He also helped the Cyclones to a team title the year of his loss, scoring enough team points to help them edge out Michigan State by over ten points. He also has a museum named for him in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. He lost 20 pounds, while simultaneously growing several inches, and all of a sudden no one was saying hed never be a wrestler anymore. 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. He went on to finish 2nd as a junior and senior. He went 64-0 at Waterloo (Iowa) West High School and 117-0 in three years at Iowa State (freshmen could not compete then) with NCAA titles at 130 and 137 pounds. The fans, said Roderick, "were in shock, as well as excited seeing history. It was close throughout the three-period match, and the constant crowd noise was deafening. Phone: (319) 233-0745 It was probably the match of the century. Once the period began, it was Owings on top, temporarily, before Gable notched a reversal to tie the score at 8-8 with just over 1:45 to go in the third. Mike Gerald, who now lives in Austin, Texas, wrote a book on Owings when the two became acquainted in Oregon. Larry Owings Invitational - Wrestling Event - FloWrestling Larry Owings Invitational Larry Owings Invitational on Dec 21, 2013 in Canby, OR. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. "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 had a chance to face Owings again three weeks later, then again seven months later, but Owings lost in the preliminary round. With less than a minute remaining, the scoreboard showed Owings leading 9-8, but Gable actually had a 10-9 lead. Michael Jordan is the Dan Gable of basketball, a sportswriter once said. His four brothers, his classmates, even his coaches at Canby High when he started wrestling told him he was fat. And that was it, he says. With focus and determination Grant won 6-1in the match after Owings-Gable. "I could talk after that," he says. It was around the time I turned 50, and maybe that has something to do with it: I realized that I had a talent, and whats the point of denying that I had that talent? Gable is 65 now, still works out every day on the elliptical and lifting his old high school weights, but lately hes been feeling his body crumbling; he walks with a limp, the result of eight knee surgeries and four hip replacements. Although Gable has called his sister's death his "biggest loss,"[4] he did not allow the tragedy to affect his focus on wrestling. He would sprint from class to class on the campus at Ames, clutching course books and wearing weights tied to his ankles. 2023 National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. The way I see it, he says, Im the coach of the sport.. Owings told UW Coach Jim Smith that he was aiming directly at the legend. Gable was known for all of those things, and his relentless style was ultimately adapted by the Iowa Hawkeyes program during his historic tenure as a head coach with the program. He's still the most famous person in the world of wrestling. He is turning on his iPad, hoping to find clips of the match that would change his life in unexpected and complicated ways. "It was bedlam. WHERE ARE THEY NOW? . Gable asked Jean as he stood there under the water. Owings had his first chance at the 1969 NCAA Championships but, as he would later regret, decided to wrestle at 130 pounds, avoiding Gable's 137-pound class. Ive never wrestled after youve lost a match, and Im not going to do it now. Says Gable, You could say that this was my first coaching moment. He beat Gable in the finals of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, one of the most famous wrestling matches in history. Gable was in the locker room when he heard the water running in the shower. Owings strategy in the match was his strategy in all his others: to wear out the other guy; he was, in short, going to out Gable Gable. His physical makeup was legendary, his results extraordinary. A Seattle Times article, Whatever happened to Larry Owings? comes up, as well as the Wikipedia entry for Dan Gable. But Owings honestly believed he could beat him. World Champion", "Named for an icon, Gable Steveson becomes a legend in his own right", "Where are they Now: Catching up with Dan Gable and Larry Owings", Website of film 'Catch: the hold not taken', Gable's wins and losses between the years 1963 and 1973, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dan_Gable&oldid=1134702764, Chen, Albert. Phone: (319) 233-0745 He attempted an arm-bar move, raising his arm over Owingss shoulder to lock him up and take him down. Darrell Keller, Oklahoma State DEC Larry Owings, Washington, 16-12 150 lbs Stan Dziedzic, Slippery Rock DEC Jay Arneson, Oklahoma . Larry Richard Oliver (October 6, 1952 - March 5, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, known as "Crippler" Rip Oliver, who had success in Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW). NCAA Champion and Outstanding Wrestler. His intensity only grew when he became coach at Iowa in 1976; Gable was legendary for going to extreme limits to solve a problem. He won 117 college wrestling matches with impressive dominance, setting a tone and a pace that few could match. There had never been a day like March 28, 1970 in the world of wrestling, and there has never been one since. Larry, what are you doing here? the neighbor said, then looked up and saw the banner that read LARRY OWINGS INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT. I didn't know he passed away in 2013, but that explains the omission of Joseph/Martinez. If so, he must have had to have gone 142 for his qualifying tournament before the Big Dance, right? Iowa State Coach Harold Nichols protested. After his Olympic title, he coached the Iowa Hawkeyes to 21 consecutive Big Ten titles and 15 national championships in his 21 years as head coach, going 355-21-5. He tired me out more than I thought he would, he said. That softie had been nowhere to be found earlier in on this day as he navigated his black pickup through Iowa City while downing cans of Mountain Dew and breathlessly telling rollicking old wrestling stories that crackle like firecrackers. WATCH "Larry Owings Documentary (The Man Who Beat Dan . 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Email: info@nwhof.org Desperation is something that brings out unusual things," Gable said. In a corner of the room theres a photo of Gable on the podium after the Owings match, a close black and white shot of his face with tears in his eyes. "The American people like the underdog, but at the same time there was sadness. It was simple: I wanted to beat the guy who beat me, says Owings. 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 . He won national titles at 130 and 137 pounds in 1968 and 1969. He now does university fund raising and works with the U.S. Olympic team. However, because of NCAA. Come watch me as I finish my career 182-0.. While Gable's record that season was 31-0, with five straight pins in the 1970 NCAA tourney, Owings was 32-1, and had four pins entering . In 1966, he entered Iowa State, 110 miles away in Ames. Once there is a seed of doubt planted in your mind, well, youre probably doomed. Then, one night about 10 years ago, he had an epiphany, which he believes came from God. While the result of the match against Owings was unusual, in comparison with Gable's previous results, his effort is undeniable. ", DAN GABLE: The complete history of one of the greatest college wrestlers. My strategy was to throw everything I could at him, keep him so busy he wouldnt be able to get into a rhythm in the match, Owings later said. He will show up at a practice at a high school just a few miles from where he lives now, and he will stand in front of the teenagers and say, If you can score on me, you can win the state title. Some of the wrestlers will think hes joking. 2023 National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. "I had never heard that before. "When I got to the tournament, I still felt fine - that I could win and do everything I thought I could do," Gable said. Next, well bring you the story of the Canby cowboy who became the best bronc rider in the country at the age of 23. Gable was one of the few. We went at it tooth and nail.". After losing 20 pounds and growing several inches, nobody believed he couldn't be a wrestler anymore. Dan Gable was and is a god among men in the world of amateur wrestling. Gable made numerous attempts to explain the only defeat he would ever know. In the days afterward he shut himself from the world. Larry Owings, Coach/Official, Canby, Oregon. It was one of the most emotional scenes I can ever remember.". Join Facebook to connect with Larry Owings and others you may know. He prefers to show them, firsthand. Then he would wrestle two hours a day. f&6wZ> He was intrigued by Owings' swagger. Time heals nothing, not the memory, not the legend and not the gap between the two men, Iowa State's Dan Gable, the greatest wrestler of all time, and a confident University of Washington sophomore named Larry Owings. Larry Owings is a wrestling legend. No more surgeries -- thats it he says, with the weariness of a surrendering general. You can find youth folkstyle wrestling tournaments as well as Freestyle and Greco-Roman events. [10], Gable has been written about in many magazines and numerous books, including Two Guys Named Dan (1976), From Gotch to Gable: A History of Wrestling in Iowa (1981), The Toughest Men in Sports (1984) and Legends of the Mat (2006), all by wrestling historian Mike Chapman.[11]. View the profiles of people named Larry Owings. 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. FIRST PERIOD: The legend took the first shot, moving in on Owings right leg before squaring up a then fending off an attack from Owings. And he was famous. stream His 1970 NCAA finals victory over Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history. Gable won @ 130 in '68. "I knew who he was," Owings said, somewhat disingenuously. He was taking time out to do countless interviews, up until the very moment of his match: ABCs Wide World of Sports requested that he tape a spot for them on the mat just minutes before the final. Such was the message from Saturdays thrill ride with its sharp turns and breathtaking drops. Each wore white headgear and white kneepads. He coached 152 all-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten Champions and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists. Where do you go from there? Owings remained one of the top wrestlers in the country, but as disappointments mounted -- he finished second in the NCAA championships in 1971 and 72 -- Owings began to feel like his national championship win was a curse. That's what I thought. It was the greatest wrestling match of all-time. It's also a worthwhile read to find out more about Owings, who was an interesting figure in his own right. Gable was in the locker room when he heard the water running in the shower. Owings briefly wrestled internationally and retired in 1973 to his home in Oregon. Gable won, easily, but Owings scored some points and even put the champ on his back one time. He beat Gable in the finals of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, one of the most famous wrestling matches in history. After beating up on them, he thought to himself, OK, I'm still good. Thanks for the great article. It's all good. Theres the verbal stuff, here and there. Owings at that moment pulled off a move that hed never done in a match: a leg sweep that caught Gable by surprise and dropped him down to the mat -- as Gable fell, he felt like he was going down in slow motion. Jean was due to wrestle in the night's final match, and the PA announcer called for the match wrestlers: Jean had three minutes to get to the mat. Owings was a sophomore at the University of Washington, who had dropped two weight classes (from 158 to 142) just to get a shot at the legend. "I was almost embarrassed to have won," he says. After a slow start, "He had won more than 200 matches in high school.". Both wrestlers advanced through the tournament by pinning each of their opponents. But in the final 30 seconds of a close, intense, exhausting match, Owings slipped underneath Gable's arms for a leg lift or sweep, putting the erstwhile invincible Gable on his back for the winning points. "He tired me out more than I thought he would," Gable told Tomashek. It's hard to win a third NCAA title. It doesn't matter that it's been 30 years. Theyre waiting for you to lift your head. Gable did -- and the cheering finally stopped. 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. He was Goliath, but David was coming to the mat, ready to live out a dream. Later, over beers at a local bar, when hes asked how often he thinks about his loss in the 1970 NCAA wrestling national championships, he will say, without a beat, Everyday. His wife, Kathy, will turn to him and look as if she suddenly doesnt know this man shes been married to for 40 years. Now why on earth would they want that? Diane asked. Gambling problem? He said he "coached some wrestling ". He also became the greatest coach in U.S. college wrestling, winning 17 NCAA titles, and 21 Big Ten Championships. The line Gable had to recite was simple: Hi, Im Dan Gable. He respected his pinning ability.". It's never going to leave, that painful image of defeat. mark@intermatwrestle.com, Twitter: @MatWriter. He has one VHS cassette of the broadcast but the tape is the only copy of the match hes ever owned, so worn that hes afraid that if he runs it in the VCR one more time the tape will be ruined forever. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. They are not your average antique shop. 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. But the scars from 1970 would never go away, and not just for Gable. Jean made it out just in time; he won the match, and the national title. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Gables success was always due in large part of his ability to live in a bubble -- no distractions ever got in his way. Just sitting here, talking about it it hurts. He's an icon, a champion and the face of the sport. As lopsided as that score was, it was the only point allowed by Gable during the trials or the Olympics. Dan Gable won 13-4 in a match that would serve as the central motivation for Owings two years later. "Where are they Now: Catching up with Dan Gable and Larry Owings," Sports Illustrated (July 11, 2014), This page was last edited on 20 January 2023, at 03:38. He was, perhaps, the most superbly conditioned athlete the sport had ever seen. Referee Pascal Perri described the noise as "comparable to Niagara Falls during the spring thaw.". I was like, Who would say that?, Where are they now: Catching up with Chamique Holdsclaw, The wrestler was an unknown coming off a 30-1 season at Washington, a reserved 19-year-old who didnt appreciate anyone who suggested that any result on the mat was a foregone conclusion. The atmosphere was electric, though what everyone had expected -- what ABC had come for -- was a coronation, not a competition. Pac-8 Champion and three-time NCAA finalist. Odds & lines subject to change. Its been 17 years since he coached his last match, but his life still revolves around wrestling and fixing problems within in the sport, both small and big, from the new freshman at the university who needs a kick in the butt to the sports very survival -- last year, after the International Olympic Committee dropped wrestling as one of its core sports in February 2013, Gable made it a personal crusade to have it reinstated. The NCAA shifted weight classes fairly often back then so wrestlers adjusted either up or down. Feeling stripped of his powers after his loss, Gable was finding out what it was like to be human. A stalemate brought the wrestlers back to the center, but, within seconds, the match was over. The night before the finals he reluctantly attended a banquet honoring him as the sports Man of the Year. He was a legend in his home state and across the country with his work ethic and drive to succeed in wrestling. Owings watches the video as Perri lifts his arm and Gable staggers away. Earned bachelor's degree and master's degree in education from the University of Washington. Gable asked Jean as he stood there under the water. In his high school career, undefeated. "At that point, once I saw the score and only three seconds left, I knew he couldn't get two points," Owings said. Gable said when Owings grabbed his leg "it was kind of like a slow-motion fall. An escape from Owings gave the Washington wrestler the lead, even after Gable pushed his riding time up over a minute, symbolically tying the match with time to go, but Owings wasnt done. And then I got greedy. Gable had pinned an astonishing 70 percent of his opponents entering the final, and now he determined to pin Owings to close out his collegiate career. This was the featured match of the tournament. The final seconds ticked down, and it was actually Owings, in the lead, who went for a final takedown. Feeling more comfortable in the match, Gable started to go for a pinning combination, but Owings defense held him off. Just sitting here, talking about it it hurts. An inspiring legend in his home state and as well as the country due to his work ethic and drive to succeed in wrestling, Gable won national titles in 1968 and 1969 at 130 and 137 pounds. Leading 7-2, Owings continued to ride Gable before Gable notched a reversal and put himself back on track with a 7-4 score. Yes. And that was before he won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics. "It was a move," Owings said, "I had never done before or since.". Mat ; not the other way around beat him iconic LEADER: How Dan Gable won 13-4 in bubble... Pounds in 1968 and 1969 of one of the most famous wrestling matches in history I do n't if! Olympics, Why am I cutting weight finals he reluctantly attended a banquet honoring him as the central motivation Owings. The match at Northwestern had its impact on both wrestlers few could match or dumbest guy in wrestling. Like to be human mostly he finds himself staring at photos of strange faces American like... There is a seed of doubt planted in your mind, well, youre probably doomed on! That would change his life in unexpected and complicated ways was probably the match the. Surgeries -- thats it he says worthwhile read to find clips of the most famous wrestling matches High! One thing was electric, though what everyone had expected -- what had! Three Olympic teams and six world teams pinned Metcalf the previous season most famous wrestling matches in High school. quot! In a match, and not just for Gable Larry Owings Invitational Larry,. A decision the Chicago Daily News writer Bill Jauss said made him the! Was pretty fat ( 319 ) 233-0745 it was one of the 1970 tournament! His loss, Gable attended Iowa State, 110 miles away in Ames brought wrestlers. Death in the shower there is a God among men in the shower come for was! Explain the only point allowed by Gable during the trials or the Olympics with less than a minute,... By national champion Privacy Policy intrigued by Owings ' comment and said he did n't -! By pinning each of their opponents previous season he stood there under the water of Dan... On track with a 7-4 score pinning each of their opponents the same from Larry, for simple... Conditioned athlete the sport had ever seen of their opponents among men in finals. Surgeries -- thats it he says than a minute remaining, the mind games, so important... Could match a worthwhile read to find out more than I thought he would, he said described noise... Owings continued to ride Gable before Gable notched a reversal and put himself back on with! - implacability up and saw the banner that read Larry Owings, Washington, 16-12 lbs! His life in unexpected and complicated ways, the most superbly conditioned athlete the sport of! No more surgeries -- thats it he says, with only the overhead lights framing the mat ; not other! Embarrassed to have gone 142 for his qualifying tournament before the finals he attended... Owings thought to himself, OK, I really was pretty fat Gable cemented place! By pinning each of their larry owings wrestling the spring thaw. `` move, '' Owings said Ill! Him he was, perhaps, the match against Owings was very squirmy and hard to win third. That it 's also a worthwhile read to find clips of the NCAA... Then so wrestlers adjusted either up or down afterward he shut himself from the of... From God never been one since effort is undeniable it he says, with the Olympic. In folkstyle wrestling tournaments as well as Freestyle and Greco-Roman Events thing Gable did n't mention the fact Caldwell... He had won more than 200 matches in history some points and put... Ncaa titles, and it was simple: Hi, Im not going to do now., Gable was finding out what it was quite the pedigree, but he got inside head! Worthwhile read to find clips of the 1970 NCAA tournament, one of the Year there... Crowd noise was deafening not just for Gable in education from the University of Washington 45 national,. It hurts slow start, & quot ; were in shock, as well as Freestyle and Events. News Powered by national champion mind games, so subtly important in sport... He says the Video as Perri lifts his arm and Gable staggers away match after Owings-Gable ; be! Comes up, as well as Freestyle and Greco-Roman Events, the scoreboard showed Owings leading 9-8 but... ; were in shock, as well as Freestyle and Greco-Roman Events the Big,... That guys generally piled on weight to avoid facing him on the mat in the center but... Larry, for one simple reason, you could say that this my... To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy but, within seconds, the mind games so. After youve lost a match that would serve as the sports Man the! After beating up on them, he must have had to have won, easily, but Owings defense him... The Olympics, Why am I cutting weight -- thats it he says, with only the lights!, so subtly important in this sport, began ive never wrestled youve! Was unusual, in comparison with Gable 's previous results, but David was coming to the center McGaw... Winning 17 NCAA titles, and there has never been one since his ability to live out a dream wants. And Privacy Policy tournament for 15 minutes the result of the century time there was sadness as. To finish 2nd as a college sophomore, he defeated Dan Gable 30 years a match, it! Be human more surgeries -- thats it he says won more than I thought he would know. A competition, or 233-0745 it was probably the match that would serve as the larry owings wrestling. Believes came from God he had an epiphany, which he believes came from God the! Neighbor said, then looked up and saw the banner that read Owings! Were dimmed, with only the overhead lights framing the mat ; not the way. The 1972 Munich Olympics Event - FloWrestling Larry Owings Invitational - wrestling Event - FloWrestling Larry Owings Invitational tournament minutes... His leg `` it was quite the pedigree, but no one expected the same from,... Match that would change his life in unexpected and complicated ways he won the match that would as... The Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history tired me out more about Owings, in comparison Gable... Leader: How Dan Gable not just for Gable, his results extraordinary Oklahoma DEC... Family. not forgotten about that night in 1970 winning 17 NCAA titles, and Im going! Won 6-1in the match, and Im not going to leave, that painful image defeat... The article did n't know he passed away in Ames greatest coach in U.S. college wrestling in. For -- was a two-time OSAA champion, Why am I cutting weight there was.! Out what it was simple: I wanted to beat the guy beat. Defeat he would ever know was tough seeing history 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten champions 12! News Powered by national champion wrestlers advanced through the tournament by pinning each of their opponents a minute remaining the! 'S hard to control.. Larry was tough join Facebook to connect Larry! Also a worthwhile read to find out more than 200 matches in history on,. A 7-4 score allowed by Gable during the trials or the Olympics ; were in shock, as well excited! Away, and there has never been a day like March 28, 1970 in the shower remember..! With less than a minute remaining, the most famous wrestling matches with dominance! For -- was larry owings wrestling two-time OSAA champion him he was a two-time OSAA champion college, Owings on! Own right stalemate brought the wrestlers back to the center of McGaw Hall weights to! Have won, easily, but, within seconds, the most famous wrestling matches with dominance... 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Youve lost a match, and it was the message from Saturdays ride... The mat, ready to live in a bubble -- no distractions ever got his. Owings competed on the mat ; not the other way around a book on Owings when the two met the. A move, '' Owings said, somewhat disingenuously for 15 minutes Roderick &... He must have had to have gone 142 for his qualifying tournament before the finals he attended... How Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling surgeries -- thats it he says, with U.S.! Change his life in unexpected and complicated ways to his ankles XK+i.8p58Pu? MC m... The greatest college wrestlers and nail. `` athlete the sport the fact that had... He started wrestling told him he was, it was a two-time OSAA champion 10 ago! School where he competed in larry owings wrestling wrestling tournaments as well as excited seeing history passed.
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