"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. The YouTube video cuts to black. No high school kid can come close to scoring on Owings. Canby Coach Larry Wright encouraged Owings to continue his wrestling at the highest level. After college, Owings competed on the senior level circuit before retiring. 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. NCAA Indivdual Champions. It was probably the match of the century. 4 0 obj 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. He lost only once, in the final match of his final season at Iowa State University. The scorer had not seen the near-fall signal because a TV cameraman had jumped in the way, so Perri stopped the match to explain. Owings got four points for the move -- two for the takedown, two for exposing Gables shoulders to the mat. "You can't put someone in because of one match. How Tall Is Dan Gable? "[5], From 1967 to 1970, Gable attended Iowa State University, where he competed in folkstyle wrestling. National Champion. [1][2] On December 8, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump awarded Gable with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[3]. I had it, says Gable. Just a thought. In the days afterward he shut himself from the world. Im emotional about it. Waterloo, Iowa 50701 In the final match of his illustrious career with the Cardinal and Gold, Gable suffered what is considered one of the biggest upset losses in college wrestling history, dropping to Larry Owings of . When Owings arrived, the mind games, so subtly important in this sport, began. I remember asking him what he did in Colorado. So I went up to 149, he says, and I told myself that hed beat me, and everybody will leave me alone. It was not a contest: Gable won 7-1. Of the century. Wrestling is just two people out there -- anyone can be beat, anything can happen. Owings had dropped two weight classes to wrestle in Gables class at 142 pounds. Thats the way Owings prefers it. The final seconds ticked down, and it was actually Owings, in the lead, who went for a final takedown. The teasing was merciless and nearly crushed him, but it also fueled him to drop the weight and spend extra hours in the gym, and by his senior year he was the best wrestler in the state, competing in national tournaments and Olympic trials. 2023 National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. The crowd edged forward. Gable recovered from the defeat and would later say it made him a much better wrestler. 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. Really? His 1970 NCAA finals victory over Dan Gable cemented his place in wrestling history. He coached 152 All-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten champions, and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists. As a college sophomore, he defeated Dan Gable in one of the biggest upsets of NCAA finals history,. my Events OPC Video News Powered by 93 talking about this. He was intrigued -- Dan and Kathy went to Washington to have a series of meetings at the White House. Dan Gable has not forgotten about that night in 1970. Is that so? In 1991, Gable was awarded with the Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award by Cauliflower Alley Club. Gable was given a four-minute standing ovation during his introduction as the ceremonies stopped. He won national titles at 130 and 137 pounds in 1968 and 1969. It made him want another crack at the legend, but he wouldnt have a chance until that final round of the 1970 national championship at the Northwestern University fieldhouse in Evanston, Ill. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. When I was a high school student I turned to. Not in Dan Gable's mind, not in this lifetime. I didnt know you could do that. Owings will forever be in the history books because of this match, and the lesson from this moment is that anything can happen in the NCAA finals. [6], From 1971 to 1973, Gable competed internationally in freestyle wrestling. 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. 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. 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. (I mean, why not, right?). Gable said when Owings grabbed his leg "it was kind of like a slow-motion fall. Before the match, Gable had recorded a promo for ABC saying, Hi, Im Dan Gable. No, she says, disbelieving. 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. Through the windows an orange sun is sinking just beyond the towering pines, and light glows his pale bald head. That's what I thought. At the 1972 Games, in particular, Gable won all six of his matches without giving up a point. "GABLE FALLS!" screamed the banner headline in the next day's Des Moines Register. It was simple: I wanted to beat the guy who beat me, says Owings. Facebook gives people the power to. He holed himself up in his room, he didnt talk to anyone, he didnt even return his parents phone calls. "It was bedlam. Olympic Champion. The most comprehensive list of wrestling tournaments all in one place. With less than a minute remaining, the scoreboard showed Owings leading 9-8, but Gable actually had a 10-9 lead. Gable asked Jean as he stood there under the water. Does all that happens without the loss to Owings? He was interviewed by a Chicago newspaper about his chances against the invincible one, and Owings didn't demur. He could't believe he was the one affected by his opponent's reputation. It was during 117-1 at Iowa State University that lost to Larry Owings in 1970. I cant remember anything that happened in the last 40 seconds and when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw he led 13 to 9, I couldnt believe it.. 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 didnt wipe the floor with Gable; that would have been impossible. ", DAN GABLE: The complete history of one of the greatest college wrestlers. But the scars from 1970 would never go away, and not just for Gable. The house lights were dimmed, with only the overhead lights framing the mat in the center of McGaw Hall. "He was in excellent condition. I got bumped down a seed at Nationals in 72 because the winner of the regionals 1 weight above me dropped down for Nationals. A sophomore had beaten the giant. "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. In this conversation, we talk about Owings' childhood, high school career, and the match with Gable. Only one man who ever lived can say he beat Dan Gable, and that man is 1968 Canby Union High School grad Larry Owings. The promo never ran. Wrestling was already fading in his life when he met Diane, the woman who would become his second wife. It's an essential part of the origin story for Dan Gable-as-superhero. In his first 117 college matches, undefeated, including two national championships. Maybe Larry Owings is the only thing that is keeping that part of him alive. He was, perhaps, the most superbly conditioned athlete the sport had ever seen. "I'm not going out there," Jean said. 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. He prefers to show them, firsthand. Larry was tough. Really?. Open daily. But Owings has a prominent spot in the Hall, with a large picture of the match and some mementos. Owings wore a black singlet with white trim, while Gable was in cardinal and gold. Yes. And thats something that still pisses me off , Owings and I, we have an interesting relationship, that I just have never lets just say weve never become close, he says. He now does university fund raising and works with the U.S. Olympic team. The pins were accomplished by Owings' best move, an inside reverse cradle that left his opponent unable to escape. 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Email: info@nwhof.org <> After retiring as the virtually undisputed greatest wrestler in the history of the sport, he decided to go ahead and become its greatest coach. The night before the start of the tournament, a teammate asked if hed seen the front page of the Chicago Tribune sports section. WA Death Notices. The result, though unexpected, put the crowd of 8,500 on its feet throughout the match and gave them [the athletes] a shattering ovation when it ended, per the New York Times. 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). That makes it worse now from my point of view. Leading 7-2, Owings continued to ride Gable before Gable notched a reversal and put himself back on track with a 7-4 score. He was Goliath, but David was coming to the mat, ready to live out a dream. Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations, 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue "I was almost embarrassed to have won," he says. The fans, said Roderick, "were in shock, as well as excited seeing history. He beat Gable in the finals of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, one of the most famous wrestling matches in history. To understand the legend of Larry Owings, you must first understand the legend of Dan Gable. CACCAMO Rita. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Dan Gable vs. Larry Owings: FULL 1970 NCAA title match at 142 pounds, I know that the match affected my entire life. How about a nod to the wrestler Owings so very wisely avoided. No more surgeries -- thats it he says, with the weariness of a surrendering general. 2014. "The American people like the underdog, but at the same time there was sadness. What bothered him was how he was always introduced to the room, but now, it almost makes him proud, the words, Larry Owings. Smith successfully argued with the seeding committee for his wrestler, who would finish 33-1 that year, to get the second seed behind Gable. Darrell Keller, Oklahoma State DEC Larry Owings, Washington, 16-12 150 lbs Stan Dziedzic, Slippery Rock DEC Jay Arneson, Oklahoma . Given that Gable -- by his own admission in the piece -- still isn't truly over that loss and that it still lights a fire in him well, I'm gonna say that that loss was perhaps the best thing that ever could have happened to Gable -- and, by extension, Iowa wrestling. 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. Owings watches the video as Perri lifts his arm and Gable staggers away. He was going for his third title at 142 pounds, and virtually everyone thought he was a lock. The next match featured Grant, like Gable a defending Champion from 1969. At Iowa State, he became an NCAA Division I national runner-up and two-time national champion. 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