Greg Ganske: “it is my privilege to join in recognizing one of the greatest athletes in American history, a wrestler who went through…”

“it is my privilege to join in recognizing one of the greatest athletes in American history, a wrestler who went through college undefeated. I saw another great wrestler, Dan Gable, in his last match in college. Dan was undefeated in high school and college, but fell short in his final match. He used that defeat as motivation and then won the Olympics without a point being scored on him. Big shoes to fill. But Cael Sanderson of the same Iowa State Cyclones as Dan Gable wrestled for has now surpassed Dan's achievements at the college level. The pressure on him was immense. The way he wrestled his last NCAA tournament is a testament to his greatest. He wrestled aggressively but intelligently. He never coasted on a lead. His athletic prowess is awesome. But it is his soft spoken humility, his grace under pressure, his good sportsmanship, his example as a role model for younger kids that make him special to Iowans. He is the Cyclone version of Nile Kinnick, and whether we are Hawkeyes or Cyclones or UNI Panthers, we are proud of him. And we all hope that he too wins the Olympics. But if Cael Sanderson never stepped on a mat again, we would still have to say, thanks for the great memories.”