Mo-Town Grapplers 3/26/03
By Darren Rabinowitz

Cael Sanderson Talks about Wrestling In Iowa

Note: Fourth grade Mo-Town Grappler Darren Rabinowitz is currently doing a school project on wrestling in Iowa. Darren saw Iowa State University 197 pounder and wrestling legend, Cael Sanderson, win his 4th staright NCAA Division I title and 159th match in a row last March 2002 on TV. Mr. Sanderson completed his college career undefeated and won the NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler award all four years. He is now busy training for the upcoming World Freestyle Championships but found some time to answer a few of Darren's questions via e-mail in March 2003.

What did it feel like to win the 159th match?
"I felt a lot of pressure for a long time from both outside sources and myself about the record, so when it all ended instantly, it felt very strange. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief mixed with excitement."

What was your coach like?
"My Coach Bobby Douglas is an excellent coach. He helped me to focus on wrestling well instead of focusing on winning and losing. This helped ease the pressure and kept me trying to improve."

Why is wrestling so important in Iowa?
"I believe there are a couple of reasons why wrestling is very popular in Iowa. First, there are three of the top Division I wrestling programs in the country here. (I.S.U., U of Iowa & U.N.I.) These programs have been very successful. There is a lot of tradition and pride in these programs throughout the state. Second, there aren't any professional sports teams in Iowa. So Iowans follow high school and college sports more closely. There is also more media coverage devoted to them."

Why did you choose to go to Iowa instead of a school closer to home?
"I chose Iowa State because I had two brothers already on the team. On top of this, ISU has a strong wrestling tradition, great coaches, and is respected academically as well. ISU had everything I was looking for, plus my brothers."

What are the people like in Iowa?
"The people in Iowa are very friendly and are very hard workers. Many of the people work in farming related occupations and have to work hard to be successful."

Were you a good wrestler when you were in fourth grade?
How many medals did you win when you were a kid? "I was a pretty good wrestler in the 4th grade. I probably did well in wrestling early because I was part of a great kids' club and had my two older brothers to practice with and to beat up on me."

Who was your hero when you were growing up?
"My heros growing up were Walter Payton and Mike Singletary from the Chicago Bears. My favorite wrestler was John Smith, the current head coach at Oklahoma State. He won 4 world titles and 2 Olympics."

"I hope they (answers to your questions) help. Good luck with your project and with your wrestling."