National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

March 3, 1997

Division I

Iowa braces for home-state defense

Event: 1997 Division I Wrestling Championships.

Overview: Iowa coaching legend Dan Gable, who has coached the Hawkeyes to 14 titles, may be taking a bow before an anticipated record crowd at the championships at Northern Iowa -- right next door to where he grew up. With all-session tickets sold out months ago, the tournament may be the most interesting one in years, in terms of both individual and team races ... With returning two-time champion Lincoln McIlravy (back from a redshirt year to prepare for the Olympics), Iowa once looked to be a lock for its third team title and sixth in the last seven years. But ever since Oklahoma State (18-0 with four meets left) stopped the Hawkeyes, 21-13, to win the Cliff Keen Dual Meet Championship, the crystal ball has clouded. "We've put ourselves in position to make a run for it," said Cowboys coach John Smith, whose team last won in 1994. The Cowboys have no defending champions, although 167-pound Mark Branch (23-0, nine falls) won in 1994 as a freshman. Two sophomores, 118-pound Teague Moore (21-1) and 126-pound Eric Guerrero (21-1), give Oklahoma State a lead-off combination that builds momentum ... Iowa should enjoy a home-mat advantage at the UNI-Dome. McIlravy (14-0) sat out the loss to the Cowboys because of dizziness caused by a concussion he suffered in practice. Mark Ironside (21-0, 10 falls), who was second last year at 134 pounds, has ascended to the top spot in the class. Defending 158-pound champion Joe Williams (21-0) also returns. Following an operation, Gable is expected to be back at matside in Cedar Falls, near his hometown of Waterloo ... Other returning champions include Clarion's Sheldon Thomas, Lock Haven's Cary Kolat, Chris Bono of Iowa State, Penn State's Kerry McCoy, Tolly Thompson of Nebraska and Oklahoma's John Kading.

Field: A total of 330 wrestlers will compete for 10 individual championships. The team champion is determined by adding the team points scored in those matches.

Dates and site: March 20-22 at Northern Iowa.

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1905); request numbers are 1704 for bracket/schedule, 5335 for list of qualifiers (available no earlier than March 10) and 5336 for updated brackets and team scores. Championships results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org during the event. Results will be published in the March 31 issue of The NCAA News.

Television coverage: Highlights of the championships will be telecast on ESPN2 at 11 p.m. (Eastern time) March 24 and 11:59 p.m. March 26 on ESPN.

Championships note: Northern Iowa last hosted -- and won -- the meet in 1950.