NCAA Wrestling : Iowa Wins Ninth Title in Row; Fullerton Wrestler Takes Sixth

IOWA CITY, Iowa â€”  Iowa wrestling Coach Dan Gable got a ride on the shoulders of newly-crowned national champions Duane Goldman and Marty Kistler on Saturday after the Hawkeyes won their ninth consecutive NCAA Wrestling Championships and crowned a record breaking five national champions.

Iowa’s team total of 158 points shattered the record of 155, set by the Hawkeyes in 1983, and also created a record for margin of victory. Oklahoma finished second, with 84.75 points, 73.25 behind the Hawkeyes.

Oklahoma State finished third with 77.25. Iowa State was fourth with 71. Penn State was fifth with 47.25.

“Unbelievable,� Gable said of the performance of his eight wrestlers.

“It’s the best crown, the best title I’ve won. It’s at home and it’s record-setting. It might never happen again.�

Meanwhile, Ardeshir Asgari, who was the first wrestler from Cal State Fullerton to advance as far as the semifinals, finished sixth in the 158-pound division. He lost a consolation match, 2-0 in overtime, to Johnnie Johnson of Oklahoma Saturday, then Asgari defaulted because of injury to Iowa’s Royce Alger, who finished fifth.

Asgari finished with 35-7 season record. He lost his semifinal match Friday to Ohio State’s Jude Skove, who earned the only upset of the finals. Seeded No. 6, Skove decisioned No. 1 Greg Elinsky of Penn State, 5-2.

But Iowa made sure this was not a day for upsets.

Goldman, a three-time runner-up at 190 pounds, electrified the crowd by capturing the crown with a 5-4 win over Oklahoma’s Dan Chaid, the defending champion.

Kistler, last year’s champion at 158, won the 168-pound crown with a 15-3 superior decision over Oklahoma’s Mark Van Tine and was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.

Kistler, the No. 1 seed at 168, won his early rounds by scores of 14-6, 21-8 and 20-4.

The senior from Riverside, Calif., said he thought all year long that Iowa had one of its best teams ever this year.

Iowa’s 1983 team had four national champions--a record until this tournament.

Iowa’s ninth consecutive team title ties an NCAA record. The only other teams to win nine straight NCAA titles are Southern California in track (1935-43) and Yale in golf (1905-13).

Also taking first for the Hawkeyes were Brad Penrith (126), Kevin Dresser (142) and Jim Heffernan (150).