I could talk after that, he says. "When I got to the tournament, I still felt fine - that I could win and do everything I thought I could do," Gable said. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The regular season winds downs on the final Sunday before conference tournaments. Gable never lost before he faced Owings in that match, nor after it. It was Gable's first loss of his collegiate wrestl. And that was it, he says. It is the subject of an old wrestling match from 44 years ago that has him go silent. The article didn't mention the fact that Caldwell had pinned Metcalf the previous season. Most have never heard of Larry Owings. Although Gable has called his sister's death his "biggest loss,"[4] he did not allow the tragedy to affect his focus on wrestling. "It just about killed my parents," he says. I was almost embarrassed to have won, he says. What bothered him was how he was always introduced to the room, but now, it almost makes him proud, the words, Larry Owings. 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. It had a tremendous impact on my entire coaching career.". '@$6. He played college basketball for Yavapai College and Oral Roberts University . He just smiled and congratulated me, never once mentioning he was an NCAA national champion! Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. When I started to embrace that, I started to become happier, I think., The young wrestlers have all heard of Dan Gable. Smith would rather have Owings wrestle at 150 pounds. I know that the match affected my entire life. And he was famous. Leading 7-2, Owings continued to ride Gable before Gable notched a reversal and put himself back on track with a 7-4 score. When his teammates passed him in the tunnels they never expected a hello. Gable was only the third wrestler to have ever been inducted into the United World Wrestling's Hall of Fame in the Legend category. 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. 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. That has never bothered Owings. Stillwater, OK 74075 Owings got four points for the move -- two for the takedown, two for exposing Gables shoulders to the mat. It's never going to leave, that painful image of defeat. Referee Pascal Perri described the noise as "comparable to Niagara Falls during the spring thaw.". I had it, says Gable. Gable said no thank you. Earned bachelor's degree and master's degree in education from the University of Washington. Phone: (405) 377-5243 Results Placement Matches (16 Man) Team. In 1966, he entered Iowa State, 110 miles away in Ames. "I've never wrestled after you've lost a match, and I'm not going to do it now." His results were extraordinary. A sophomore had beaten the giant. Owings was an outstanding 29-1 for the season, Gable an astonishing 181-0 against high school and college competition. Really? Owings briefly wrestled internationally and retired in 1973 to his home in Oregon. Gables success was always due in large part of his ability to live in a bubble -- no distractions ever got in his way. "It was bedlam. Owings was the first UW wrestler to win an NCAA title, but what mattered was that he had upset a man the Russians reverently called "The Machine," a man who had won 181 straight matches, 108 by pins. Through the windows an orange sun is sinking just beyond the towering pines, and light glows his pale bald head. _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( And that was before he won gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Now, it was like a burden was lifted. 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. SI digs into the lives of the competitors of one of the most famous wrestling matches of all time. But it will have to wait till next time, on Canby Then. 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. Gable recovered from the defeat and would later say it made him a much better wrestler. Email: dgmstaff@nwhof.org. Let's take a look into the NCAA vault and recap the sequence of events that led to this final collegiate dual and the battle between the Cyclone star and his opponent, Washington's Larry Owings, in 1970. [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]. "(But) I got greedy.". 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). 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. 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. "He (Gable) was dazed and confused. He would mow the lawn of his parents home in Waterloo, on a 100-degree Iowa summer day with double layers of jogging pants to burn calories. "I'm not going out there," Jean said. 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. But Dan Gable, of course, is so much more than one result. Owings nearly escaped, but Gabled rolled him around and nearly put him on his back before Owings persistence paid off and he earned the escape point. So, yeah,go read the article. Is that so? That wouldn't happen in 1970. Jean was due to wrestle in the nights final match, and the PA announcer called for the match wrestlers: Jean had three minutes to get to the mat. He took notice of the young Husky, perhaps more than appropriately. Indeed, from a family of state champion wrestlers, Larry wound up as the best of the bunch, winning the 136-pound crown in 1967 and 141 in 1968. >ZY&k>.w6jI.E]^`OUF2X28U2EaI<5^F:+}TskfpjSiC)s5:V\4jgU3[[8?&JzK'[Iz)MHeqk}\"/y fd8< iqNHh|@bLM(uE'+8 ANqWR%T]t?s6S(t.yuzw,eb`WV(^Q*DYnuQuXUvWy1 kNV*)?I'lf}(+2_{^i|Dd$wIZ)E5AR a5SysmZ5o=~atjtlINH9[fy:y To understand the legend of Larry Owings, you must first understand the legend of Dan Gable. 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. Olympic Champion. "It was a move," Owings said, "I had never done before or since.". He had won more than 200 matches in high 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 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. We got up, and he offered me his hand and we shook. He was, perhaps, the most superbly conditioned athlete the sport had ever seen. They haven't talked to each other since. [6], From 1971 to 1973, Gable competed internationally in freestyle wrestling. % 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 Im not going out there, Jean said. With focus and determination Grant won 6-1in the match after Owings-Gable. No, with his movie star looks and charisma, and a physique that would make Chris Hemsworth jealous, he was legitimately world famous. His voice cracks, his eyes flicker, and suddenly, he goes silent, grasping for words. The match at Northwestern had its impact on both wrestlers. "If he had never tried that before, then that tells me it's desperate. Owings shows up at local wrestling practices and events more, and when people ask him about the Gable match, he no longer tightens up. In that way, he and I were similar. "I had two minutes more riding time, so I was pretty much in control of the match," Gable said. Gable won, easily, but Owings scored some points and even put the champ on his back one time. Canby Coach Larry Wright encouraged Owings to continue his wrestling at the highest level. Was I annoyed? says Owings. Every sport except boxing and wrestling, she said. WATCH "Larry Owings Documentary (The Man Who Beat Dan . That Gable could lose. ALEXANDER Stephen. . In Chicago, though, the bubble burst. In the days afterward he shut himself from the world. He was a legend in his home state and across the country with his work ethic and drive to succeed in wrestling. Dan Gable has not forgotten about that night in 1970. This was the featured match of the tournament. 6LkY/XL6dU1unSo^lR;frWn*"jlj,GW{jEvk\mF4?QxIgT ,z-&T($!a-!68xk After defeating Gable, Owings left the crowd at Northwestern stunned having witnessed wrestling history. Larry Owings's wrestling career was different from Gable's. Growing up with 5 wrestling champs, Larry was told by his siblings he would never be a wrestler even being nicknamed "Porky." Owing wanted to prove them wrong. 2023 National Wrestling Hall Of Fame. 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.. For the first time in history, the two living [] He tired me out more than I thought he would, he said. Feeling more comfortable in the match, Gable started to go for a pinning combination, but Owings defense held him off. "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. I told him I used to wrestle in North Dakota, won a state championship in 1987. Owings watches the video as Perri lifts his arm and Gable staggers away. (I mean, why not, right?). "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. Anything that I can do to help keep these kids away from the video games, and the drugs, the violence and the gangs, Im going to do it.. One competitor already knows hes going to win, and the other knows hes going to lose before either steps onto the mat, Gable likes to say. It would take me years to realize this, but I wouldnt have become great wrestler and a great coach -- a legend in the sport -- without that match. After he left Iowa State, Gable went on to win the 1971 Pan Am games and world championships, he took gold at the Munich Olympics in 1972 without allowing surrendering a single point; he went on to a 21-year coaching career at the University of Iowa, where he led the Hawkeyes to an unprecedented 15 national titles. College career [ edit] Yavapai College (2001-2003) [ edit] Owens averaged 22.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Yavapai College. Two years ago, Gable got the call that Dianes killer had died in prison. After returning to Ames the next day, the first thing he did was ask teammates to wrestle him. He was stunned he had lost. I remember asking him what he did in Colorado. Just a thought. But he was right. Not, like he-was-on-a-Wheaties-box-one-time famous (though he was). Then, one night about 10 years ago, he had an epiphany, which he believes came from God. If so, he must have had to have gone 142 for his qualifying tournament before the Big Dance, right? They said Id never be a wrestler because I was too fat, he recalled, much later. The night before the finals he reluctantly attended a banquet honoring him as the sports Man of the Year. Larry Owings, Coach/Official, Canby, Oregon. I kind of wish he had gotten me with his best move.". He was Goliath, but David was coming to the mat, ready to live out a dream. Gable won @ 130 in '68. While at Iowa State, Gable continued his winning ways by capturing three Big Eight Championships, earning All-American honors all three years. x][w~3sV% $f'$qRUzV[%JVwr|rnNk{-66Y6'{.oO\n.OyR$.`XISdf$fy&!=y67eiPl>M4?~sH^dYyd@oZn.N^~6hPW~nkz9^4Y\,2E /uVMo]BP6wi&$P,s5Gsxp*.&J4X~BHwf=Sx7p&,\/bi,b%_%eR?UM4]AB! 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