He won 117 college wrestling matches with impressive dominance, setting a tone and a pace that few could match. "If he had never tried that before, then that tells me it's desperate. In the days afterward he shut himself from the world. It's never going to leave, that painful image of defeat. 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. But now it is late afternoon, and Gable is sitting at a desk in the cabin behind his house that is his place of refuge, and his throat has closed. In "Larry Owings Documentary (The Man Who Beat Dan Gable," filmmaker Kaden Christiansen shares the story of Washington Athletics' Larry Owings, who is famously known for his upset of undefeated two-time NCAA champion Dan Gable of Iowa State Wrestling in the 1970 NCAA Wrestling finals. He beat Gable in the finals of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, one of the most famous wrestling matches in history. The final seconds ticked down, and it was actually Owings, in the lead, who went for a final takedown. 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. 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 had won more than 200 matches in high school." His results were extraordinary. It is the match that Dan Gable will say turned him into a great wrestler -- and yet he still has trouble bringing himself to talk about it. Waterloo, Iowa 50701 I told him he had to get out there. Jean made it out just in time; he won the match, and the national title. Im emotional about it because theres still a lot of meaning Gable told, How Dan Gable coached Iowa to 15 team titles, The complete history of one of the greatest college wrestlers, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. "I knew who he was," Owings said, somewhat disingenuously. 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. 11 ranked men's hoops teams in action tonight, DI indoor T&F championship selections revealed. Dan Gable won 13-4 in a match that would serve as the central motivation for Owings two years later. It was during 117-1 at Iowa State University that lost to Larry Owings in 1970. CACCAMO Rita. Is that so? To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Only one man who ever lived can say he beat Dan Gable, and that man is 1968 Canby Union High School grad Larry Owings. 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. Results Placement Matches (16 Man) Team. '@$6. Larry Owings - Washington (1969 - 1972) 1-time NCAA Champion High School: Canby, Oregon Larry Owings. Owings told UW Coach Jim Smith that he was aiming directly at the legend. 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. At Iowa State, he became an NCAA Division I national runner-up and two-time national champion. Their epic match 30 years ago altered the lives of both in ways not anticipated and provided the sport with a story to pass down through generations on the scope of a Biblical parable. After the defeat, Gable won gold medals at the 1971 world championships as well as the 1972 Olympics. We got up, and he offered me his hand and we shook. There was no reason to think that Gable would not cruise through this final match at 142 pounds and end his career with a 118-0 record. Larry Owings, Coach/Official, Canby, Oregon. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Odds & lines subject to change. But I have to admit to this day that match made my career, not only the next two years. Gable, who admitted he was uncharacteristically worn down as the match dragged on, remembered telling himself, "Don't get caught in the cradle. 13-11. Find them on the corner of NW Third and Grant in downtown Canby. "It's the biggest upset ever in the sport, and it's a fascinating story. Larry Owings As Sports Illustrated reported in its coverage of the 1970 NCAAs, "Owings was far more accomplished than most people realized. Gable didnt feel redemption or justice, only a heavy weight lifted: in an unexpected moment of clarity, he realized that all these years hes somehow been partly blaming himself for her death. Leading 7-2, Owings continued to ride Gable before Gable notched a reversal and put himself back on track with a 7-4 score. Gable won, easily, but Owings scored some points and even put the champ on his back one time. Dan Gable was and is a god among men in the world of amateur wrestling. After beating up on them, he thought to himself, OK, Im still good. This was where Owings wanted to be, on the mat in the middle of the action. Owings thought to himself, Im not going to the Olympics, Why am I cutting weight? The basement in the Gable home in Iowa City is full of trophies and trinkets and framed photos in glass cases; Dan Gable calls this part of the house the museum, and every museum must be a complete representation of history. He would drop down two weight classes, from 158 to 142, just to have a shot at Gable at the NCAAs. Not only did Owings show incredible confidence in the style he wrestled Gable, he was shrewd in moving down a weight class and avoiding the one wrestler who beat him that season: Mike Grant of Oklahoma. I didnt know you could do that. The article didn't mention the fact that Caldwell had pinned Metcalf the previous season. Owings went to work on top, forcing Gable into a passive position and generating a stall call against the Cyclone for a point. Larry Owings Invitational - Wrestling Event - FloWrestling Larry Owings Invitational Larry Owings Invitational on Dec 21, 2013 in Canby, OR. Wrestling was already fading in his life when he met Diane, the woman who would become his second wife. Although Gable has called his sister's death his "biggest loss,"[4] he did not allow the tragedy to affect his focus on wrestling. Dan stood there crying. Perri had given Owings two points for the takedown and two for a near-fall, as Gable's shoulders were briefly exposed to the mat. First, though, he has a question about the man who beat him: 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. Overall Gable had lost just four matchesall of them while wrestling under unfamiliar international freestyle rules and in competitions in which he, though a promising youngster, clearly had been in over his head. Gable, then and now, says the near-fall was "a judgment call.". Just sitting here, talking about it it hurts. As a college sophomore, he defeated Dan Gable in one of the biggest upsets of NCAA finals history,. "I had two minutes more riding time, so I was pretty much in control of the match," Gable said. His senior year, he earned a spot on Wrestling USA magazine's 1967-68 High School All-American team. I had it, says Gable. Come watch me as I finish my career 182-0.. He also became the greatest coach in U.S. college wrestling, winning 17 NCAA titles, and 21 Big Ten Championships. He took notice of the young Husky, perhaps more than appropriately. [6], Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson was named after him. He coached 152 all-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten Champions and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists. I say that I went undefeated for seven years, lost a match, and then I got good, he says. Through the windows an orange sun is sinking just beyond the towering pines, and light glows his pale bald head. He grew up the youngest of five Owings brothers, all of them wrestlers; Larry, overweight growing up, was always the least likely of the Owings brothers to go one to become a great in the sport. Stillwater, OK 74075 "Stunned was the word," Owings said of his first moments as the giant-killer. Imagine my surprise when I read of my neighbor/customer's accomplishments in his obituary after he and his wife's (along with others) deaths in a tragic car accident. I got bumped down a seed at Nationals in 72 because the winner of the regionals 1 weight above me dropped down for Nationals. "I thought I could win on riding time when I caught up 8 to 8, Gable told Tom Tomashek of the Chicago Tribune. That number 182 would have included Gable's undefeated high school and collegiate career. stream Owings, who said, "I did not really realize the scope of what I accomplished," never again won the championship, losing in the NCAA finals his final two years. We went at it tooth and nail.". Gable had an undefeated high school wrestling career. Phone: (319) 233-0745 Mike Gerald, who now lives in Austin, Texas, wrote a book on Owings when the two became acquainted in Oregon. What are you doing? Larry was tough. He was stunned he had lost. Owings grew up in the Ninety-One School district, the youngest of five brothers who were all high school wrestling state champions. It was a name I had not come across too much ahead of time, but I began paying more attention to him. [7] After competing sporadically from 1974 to 1975, Gable retired and became a full-time coach. Now nearly 70 but still strong as an ox, Owings is not one to use a blackboard to teach his wrestlers how to do a takedown. I don't know if he planned it or not, but he got inside my head.". "Owings was very squirmy and hard to control.. It was my moms worst fear. Feeling stripped of his powers after his loss, Gable was finding out what it was like to be human. Gable was only the third wrestler to have ever been inducted into the United World Wrestling's Hall of Fame in the Legend category. He was interviewed by a Chicago newspaper about his chances against the invincible one, and Owings didn't demur. Gable calls his loss to Larry Owings of Washington his greatest loss. After college, Owings competed on the senior level circuit before retiring. His career had been one of perfection -- he was 64-0 as a high schooler, a three-time state champion, and 117-0, with two national championships, entering the final collegiate match of his career -- and there was no reason for Gable to be anything other than supremely confident when he arrived with his teammates in Evanston. "You can't put someone in because of one match. It was one of the most emotional scenes I can ever remember.". 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. 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. They were on their first date when Owings asked if she was into sports. All Rights Reserved. Finally, he says, Theres a barrier between us that Im not sure needs to ever go away., 2023 ABG-SI LLC. "But I was distracted by Larry Owings. With focus and determination Grant won 6-1in the match after Owings-Gable. They shut down the whole tournament for 15 minutes. He would sprint from class to class on the campus at Ames, clutching course books and wearing weights tied to his ankles. He was driven. He coached 152 All-Americans, 45 national champions, 106 Big Ten champions, and 12 Olympians, including eight medalists. Phone: (405) 377-5243 He clings to it like a drowning man trying to stay afloat, because he understands what once had defeated him also made him a champion. 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue Stillwater, OK 74075 Phone: (405) 377-5243 Email: info@nwhof.org I didn't know he passed away in 2013, but that explains the omission of Joseph/Martinez. BRENNAN Stacy. Gable was one of the few. Feeling stripped of his powers after his loss, Gable was finding out what it was like to be human. % He's an icon, a champion and the face of the sport. 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. The wrestler would go on to win a national championship. 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. Not in Dan Gable's mind, not in this lifetime. To understand the legend of Larry Owings, you must first understand the legend of Dan Gable. He was intrigued by Owings' swagger. 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. Canby Coach Larry Wright encouraged Owings to continue his wrestling at the highest level. And then, having found a nine-minute YouTube clip titled Gable-Owings, Larry Owings taps the play button, and, with a strange mix of fascination and unease, he leans back in his chair. Owings had one more thing Gable didn't have - implacability. It was quite the pedigree, but no one expected the same from Larry, for one simple reason. Before the match, Gable had recorded a promo for ABC saying, Hi, Im Dan Gable. While at Iowa State, Gable continued his winning ways by capturing three Big Eight Championships, earning All-American honors all three years. I agree with dbestsport that the Marianetti-McIlravey final was a huge upset in the annals of wrestling. It has to be in the top five here. See, Larry Owings is the The Man Who Beat Dan Gable. Gable was given a four-minute standing ovation during his introduction as the ceremonies stopped. The match at Northwestern had its impact on both wrestlers. "He was in excellent condition. in the state of Iowa really going to lose it right now? The night before the finals he reluctantly attended a banquet honoring him as the sports Man of the Year. Coached high school wrestling in Washington (Seattle) and Oregon (Clackamas CC, Oregon City, Molalla, Canby and Woodburn) for over 25 years. Stillwater, OK 74075 How Much Is Dan Gable Worth? It was Gable's first loss of his collegiate wrestl. In his senior season at Iowa State, Gable lost the only match of his amateur wrestling career to Larry Owingsa sophomore from the University of Washingtonin the NCAA 142-pound national championship. Next, well bring you the story of the Canby cowboy who became the best bronc rider in the country at the age of 23. Thanks for the great article. I could talk after that, he says. Dan had a lot of pressure on him. WA Death Notices. Really?. Dan Gable has not forgotten about that night in 1970. Just a thought. This was the featured match of the tournament. Drawing on personal accounts from former Maple Heights wrestlers, nationally known celebrities of the sport like Larry Owings and Bobby Douglas, and the four Milkovich brothers, Kalin draws a . Gable was more exhausted than hed ever been at the end of a match. Instead, he thought of it as a reason to train with even more determination: "The more you can settle into focusing on what you have and what you would like to do and where you want to go a positive point of view the quicker things turn around and positive things start to happen. As lopsided as that score was, it was the only point allowed by Gable during the trials or the Olympics. Well, thats not me, he says, as he reads about the retirement of Larry Owings of Brownwood, Texas. Match after Owings-Gable motivation for Owings two years later not going to leave, that image! Few could match NW Third and Grant in downtown Canby not forgotten about that night 1970... 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Met Diane, the youngest of five brothers who were all high School: Canby, or, Im Gable. Its impact on both wrestlers, Theres a barrier between us that Im not sure needs to ever away.., Hi, Im Dan Gable has not forgotten about that night in 1970 me it 's going., Hi, Im Dan Gable was given a four-minute standing ovation during his introduction as ceremonies. Quite the pedigree, but he got inside my head. `` -... Date when Owings asked if she was into sports focus and determination Grant won 6-1in match... The top five here capturing three Big eight Championships, earning All-American honors three!, one of the regionals 1 weight above me dropped down for Nationals,... National runner-up and two-time national champion put himself back on track with a 7-4.. Go away., 2023 ABG-SI LLC as that score was, '' Gable said and Olympians.
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