As an Athlete Troy Steiner Showed Wrestling is the Best TEAM Sport

              Many devout wrestling fans who remember the 1993 NCAA Division I wrestling championships will likely recall a high-scoring match in the 142-lb finals where a talented Iowa freshman named Lincoln Mcllravy beat Fresno State’s Gerry Abas by a score of 16-15.  More people will assume that Iowa Hawkeyes probably won the team title that year.  Few will know about the sacrifices made by Troy Steiner to help Iowa win that team championship.

                In 1992, Steiner won the 142-lb NCAA title outscoring his opponents 53-2, which included three shut-out technical falls, an early match default, and a decisive 8-2 victory over Oklahoma State’s Chris Owen.  The following year, midway through the season, Steiner cut down to 134 pounds to compete three.  Why did Steiner, the defending national champion at 142 lbs, decide to cut to 134 pounds during his senior year?  

His coach, Dan Gable, wanted him to.  

            In Gable’s book Coaching Wrestling Successfully, Gable writes that he believed that Iowa’s chances for a team title would be better if he pulled Mcllravy out of redshirt and added another tough guy to the line-up.  I doubt Gable did this because he thought Mcllray was better than Steiner.  He probably did it because he knew Steiner would make the cut to 134, and that Steiner would do better at 134 than whoever was previously in the line-up.

                In the end Gable was right, while Mcllravy was successfully disposing of opponents in the 142-lb bracket, Steiner was literally wreaking havoc at 134.   Two shut-out technical falls and an early match default put him into the semifinals where he lost a heartbreaking 8-4 decision to Penn State’s Cary Kolat. 

                I cannot even comprehend how Steiner must have felt.  This is a guy who scored 85 points against eight opponents while only giving up two points in NCAA tournament matches going back to the previous year.   When you lose in the semifinals in wrestling, you want to just be done.  Any consolation victories would be pretty hollow if you had already won the championship.  Nobody cares about third or fifth place. You don’t often see the second or third place guy on the award stand with a smile.  Gracious? Yes.  Happy? Not so much so.

 Unfortunately, in wrestling you don’t win silver—you lose gold.

Nevertheless, Steiner won two more matches for his team in the consolation bracket to finish third as an individual and help propel the Iowa Hawkeyes to yet another national team title.  

While I don’t know Troy Steiner personally and he wouldn’t know who I am, I remember watching him in college.  I was impressed with his soft-spoken manner in interviews and the quiet intensity he possessed.  So the story of his sacrifice has had a profound influence on how I view myself as a team player in whatever organization I am in.  Unfortunately, I have a long way to go to be a more self-sacrificing team member.  Like many people, my motives have a strong dose of “What’s in it for me?”

Steiner is not alone.  There are many unsung heroes in wrestling.  We could do a better job of telling their stories.  If you think about it, most of the stories we tell about wrestlers are of guys whose personal sacrifices culminated in them achieving a personal goal like winning a state or national championship.  I think we often miss opportunities to recognize the contribution of the guy who saves precious team points by doggedly fighting to avoid getting pinned or finishes a match he will likely lose because he has an injury.

What we say to athletes doesn’t effectively communicate that wrestling is probably more of a team sport than basketball, baseball, or football.  

Compare the difference a Lebron James makes on any basketball team or the influence a Heisman trophy candidate quarterback has on an otherwise average football team’s win-loss record.  (If you don’t believe me, see where Boise State football will likely be ranked next year after they graduate Kellen Moore.)  Now imagine a wrestling team with one national champion in the line-up.  Although the guy can probably get six points for you in every dual meet, there is a limit to what he can do.  It really is a team effort. 

I’m not trying to disrespect what we consider to be team sports; I am only emphasizing that wrestling is much more of a team sport than we often consider it to be.

With a new wrestling season upon us, wrestling fans who want to be inspired should pay close attention to what is happening behind the scenes in the lives of the wrestlers.  I hope the coaches will make a continued effort to publicly recognize team players.  And I encourage all wrestlers to remember that there are guys like me our here who you inspire for more than just your wins and championships.

Thank you Troy Steiner.  And thank you to teammates and athletes whose work ethic and dedication have inspired me.