Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands previews the upcoming NCAA Wrestling Championships. Cody Goodwin, cgoodwin2@dmreg.com
My earliest memory of the NCAA Wrestling Championships was in 1999. Dad and I watched the finals together. Stephen Neal won the heavyweight title over Brock Lesnar on a takedown in the first period. The announcers kept pronouncing it “less-NAR.”
I was only 6 years old then, still new to the sport. Had no idea that Minnesota would’ve won the team crown if Lesnar had won, that Neal would win a world gold medal later on. No clue that Cael Sanderson won his first title that season.