[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 42 (Friday, April 3, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       UNIVERSITY OF IOWA WRESTLING TEAMS WINS NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, when many think of Iowa, they 
think of people with spirit, discipline, and a good old-fashioned work 
ethic. When sports enthusiasts think of Iowa, they think of superior 
college wrestling.
  Two weekends ago in Cleveland, Ohio, for the fourth consecutive year, 
for the 7th time in the past 8 years, and for the 16th time in the last 
21 years, the University of Iowa won the college wrestling national 
championship. Two weeks prior, for the 25th consecutive year, Iowa won 
the Big Ten Conference Championships. Individual titles were won by 
Mark Ironside, Jeff McGinness and Joe Williams and three other Iowans 
became All-Americans by placing second.
  Imagine the attention a school would get if it won two, three or four 
consecutive NCAA basketball tournaments. Yet the University of Iowa's 
dominance in NCAA wrestling has become almost routine. Nevertheless, 
this year's victory was anything but routine. Because this year, Iowa 
won without its legendary coach, Dan Gable, who took the season off and 
is contemplating retirement.
  As many know, Dan Gable is the world's most notable ambassador for 
the sport of wrestling. Gable grew up in Iowa and compiled a 64-0 high 
school record. He attended Iowa State, where he was 118-1, and went on 
to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics in Munich in 1972. He won the 
Olympic tournament without allowing an opponent to score a single point 
against him.
  Gable then went on to coach at the University of Iowa and win 15 
national championships in his 21 years as coach. In doing so, he 
coached 9 consecutive national championships from 1978-1986 which is an 
NCAA record for all sports. Incidently, that streak was broken by Iowa 
State University who placed 6th this year in Cleveland.
  Though he is largely unheralded outside of amateur athletics, his 
formula for success is as simple as it is difficult--hard work. Gable 
once said, ``Like anything in life, it's not hard to be the best. It is 
as simple as outworking the opponent.'' His motto is ``Hard work solves 
anything.'' But Gable didn't just say the words, he lived them. And he 
demanded his wrestlers live them as well.
  Following Gable's 1971 Gold Medal victory in the World Championships 
in Bulgaria, he celebrated by taking a long run. For most, that was a 
time to relax, to enjoy your success. For Dan Gable it was an 
opportunity to get one practice ahead of any opponent he might face in 
the upcoming 1972 Olympic Games.
  The notion of work and preparation is almost second nature in an 
agricultural state such as Iowa, where folks understand that you cannot 
harvest what you do not sow. That's why the other secret to the success 
of Iowa wrestling is that most of its wrestlers are Iowans. Seven out 
of the ten wrestlers that Iowa qualified for nationals are from the 
state of Iowa.
  Furthermore the second-place team, Minnesota, a suburb of Iowa in 
wrestling terms, is coached by a former product of Iowa wrestling. And 
the coaches of Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana are former Iowa 
wrestlers. Iowa's new coaches, Jim Zalesky, Lincoln McIlravy, Tom 
Brands and twin-brother Terry Brands collectively won 10 NCAA 
individual titles while wrestling for Dan Gable.
  Gable once said the biggest benefit of sports is that ``* * * it 
teaches an athlete to deal with adversity and adversity builds 
character.'' Perhaps, the greatest testament to Iowa's character is 
that they won a National Championship without Dan Gable. No one would 
have wanted that more than Gable himself.
  Former NFL-great Frank Gifford commented, ``Dan Gable is the most 
dedicated athlete I have ever known.'' The impact of his dedication 
prevails even in his absence, as the tradition of Iowa's wrestling 
dominance marches forward. Old-fashioned hard work still lives in Iowas 
and it still works for Iowa.
  My congratulations to Iowa wrestling--the National Champions again!

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