UNI Dual
- Thread starter Primetime26
- Start date
Ironically, there is some truth to that.
If not exactly then, within a couple of years after, Iowa State was on top of the wrestling world. As it is today, Oklahoma State then had the best long-term record; but Iowa State, especially with the more recent success, was unquestionably second (with a lot of second place finishes).
Oklahoma was pretty high up too, unquestionably third, and I think UNI is one of the few other programs with a national team title. UI in the pecking order was rising but for a long time probably about where ISU is today (top 10 or near top ten finishes, but again, rising). The dual meet series is so lopsided, not just due to UI's success; but because similar to football, they didn't wrestle each other for a long time. Then, once they started again, UI was better and Gable was a/their coach, and they wrestled twice each season for many years.
But back in the late 1960s, and early through the mid-1970s, including the 1972 Olympics, Iowa State temporarily moved ahead of OSU. And the US, ahead the Russians, or if not, at least experienced their greatest success. And FWIW, that 1972 (and 1976) team included two native Wisconsinites, ISU's Ben Peterson, and his brother John, each bringing home one Gold and one Silver (Ben winning in 1972, and John in 1976).
To go back and look at the historical record; however, at that time, I think one would find more than once Iowa State won a national team title but didn't win the conference.
That that time period, and before, is within the living memory so many still today, is a big part of why ISU fans have been so disappointed, and have found it so hard to temper their expectations. It is great to see a couple nice recruiting classes, but obviously disappointing to see the dual meet results and lack of progress. I don't know what is going on, and there are always some successes here and there. I do know wrestling is so physically demanding that if you are not at the top of your game both mentally and physically, you are often not going to win, no matter how good you are.
ISU has a long history of success. Hopefully someone can build on that.
Last edited:
Basing current expectations on what happened 40+ years ago is probably not a good idea anywhere.
I'm not. I'm talking about expectations as they were just after that and the long, slow decline. It would be somewhat similar to Iowa today, and in more recent years before that.