Wrestling / U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials -- Gable Says Lone Loss Made Him Dominant Champion

Dan Gable understands the deeper meaning of the phrase "suffering a defeat." Unbeaten in 181 straight high-school and collegiate wrestling matches, he will never, ever forget the one painful, dreadful day he lost.

It was the last college match for the legendary Iowa State wrestler, the final in the 142-pound division of the 1970 NCAA championships, an event he had won as a sophomore and a junior. His opponent: Washington sophomore Larry Owings.

"I got behind 8-2, then went ahead 11-9, then with 20 seconds left he put a four-point move on me and that was it," Gable said. "It was crushing."

Gable, in Seattle as part of the USA Wrestling coaching staff for the U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials today and tomorrow at the Seattle Center's Mercer Arena, says the loss left him devastated, but ultimately made him a better competitor and a perceptive coach.

"There was a lot of pain in that loss," said Gable, 50. "It took me about a month to get over it. My mother finally had to pull me out of it by giving me a long lecture. She kind of slapped me around a little bit.

"Without that loss, though, I would have been a champion, but I wouldn't have been as dominant a champion as I became after it," he said. "I made changes to my stance, my training, my technique, my thinking. That loss alone virtually made me rise to a new level of excellence. I became a wrestler that I didn't even know I could become."

Gable wrestled 21 more times after the loss to Owings. The two met again in the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and Gable prevailed. "I was still scared when I faced him two years later," he said, acknowledging that the setback even caused him nightmares. "It felt better to win."

Gable won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games at 149 pounds. He then established himself as one of college wrestling's greatest coaches, winning nine straight NCAA titles for Iowa (from 1978 to 1986). Gable says he and Owings have spoken a few times since their matches. "There's still an edge between us," he said. "As you get older and want to remain competitive, you need an edge. I don't have anything against him personally. I just wish I would have won that match."

Owings, 49, is a facilities director for the Molalla School District near Portland. After his stunning upset of Gable, he placed second twice in the NCAAs. He coached at Chief Sealth from 1972-75.

"It was a great honor to beat him," Owings said. "Dan Gable is a great wrestler and a great coach; they just don't come any better. It just happened that I caught him on the right day. I think his concentration might have been a little off that day."

NOTES

-- Nearly 70 matches were contested in this morning's opening session at Mercer Arena. One interesting outcome: In the 167.5-pound class, Brian Dolph beat Brandon Slay 1-0. Dolph was one of Slay's assistant coaches at Penn for much of Slay's collegiate career. Slay had beaten Dolph 3-2 at a tournament in February. . . . Preliminary-round winners (in eight weight classes) will be determined tonight in matches at 7; those winners face their division's current national champion in a best-of-three showdown tomorrow. Match 1 is at noon; matches 2 and 3 at 7 p.m.

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Current National Champions.

119 (54 kg) Lou Rosselli Edinboro, Pa. Two-time national champion ('95-'96); 1996 Olympian; 1997 World Cup champ.

127.75 (58 kg) Terry Brands Iowa City, Iowa Three-time national champion ('94, '97, '99); 1993 and '95 world champion.

138.75 (63 kg) Cary Kolat Bethlehem, Pa. World championships silver medalist, 1997; bronze in '98.

152 (69 kg) Lincoln McIlravy Iowa City, Iowa Three straight national titles; three-time NCAA champion ('93, '94, '97).

167.5 (76 kg) Joe Williams Iowa City, Iowa First-time national champion; three-time NCAA champion ('96-'98).

187.25 (85 kg) Les Gutches Corvallis, Ore. Four-time national champion; twice NCAA champ; seventh at '96 Olympic Games.

213.75 (97 kg) Dominic Black Colorado Springs, Colo. First-time national champion; 1995 World Cup champion.

286 (130 kg) Stephen Neal San Diego First-time national champion; two-time NCAA champion ('98-'99).

Top six finishers in eight weight classes at U.S. Nationals (April 30-May 1, Las Vegas) qualified for this event. Others entered via a petition process.