Wrestling Legends Dan Gable And Cael Sanderson To Present Motivational Talks

Jan. 7, 2004

CLEVELAND – Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson, arguably the two greatest names in college wrestling, will greet wrestling fans, present motivational talks and pose for photos on Sunday, January 18, in Cleveland State University’s Convocation Center in conjunction with the 2004 Cliff Keen National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals presented by Ice Breakers, which is taking place at Cleveland State January 16-18. The January 18 session with Gable and Sanderson is presented by CSTV: College Sports Television, the first 24-hour college sports network, and the NWCA.

Along with the NCAA Championships, the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals is the premier collegiate wrestling event in the country. The event brings together the top 16 teams in NCAA Division I, II and III to compete for the national dual meet championship in their respective divisions. Included for the first times is a final four championship for the NAIA and National Junior College Association. This event is believed to be the only intercollegiate competition in the nation featuring all collegiate divisions (NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA) competing in one venue.

Among the college wrestlers expected to compete January 16-18 are Michigan’s defending NCAA 157-pound champion Ryan Bertin of Cleveland St. Edwards High School, 2002 NCAA heavyweight champion Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State, and Cleveland State’s highly ranked heavyweight Russ Davie. In addition to Cleveland State and Ohio State, other Ohio schools represented in the collegiate division include Ashland, Findlay, John Carroll and Ohio Northern.

Cleveland-area high schools St. Edwards, Walsh Jesuit, Cleveland Heights, John Marshall, Beachwood, Wadsworth, Cuyahoga Heights and Collinwood will be competing in the high school division, which kicks off Friday evening.

Fans purchasing group tickets (10 tickets or more) to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals can attend the January 18 Gable/Sanderson event (8 a.m.) in the Convocation Center’s auxiliary gymnasium hosted by CSTV and the NWCA. Space is limited; fans will be admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

As a collegian, Gable won two NCAA individual titles at Iowa State and a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. He later coached the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA national championships and 21 Big Ten titles. Sanderson was the first collegiate wrestler to go undefeated in four years of competition, compiling a 159-0 record at Iowa State and capturing four NCAA individual titles. He is currently ranked #1 in the United States at 185 pounds and is training for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Fans seeking group tickets can call 216-587-5122 and mention the “Gable/Sanderson group plan.”

CSTV is available to more than 15 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available in Cleveland on Adelphia Digital Plus channel 175 and on DirecTV channel 610. For information on CSTV, consumers can log on to www.cstv.com or call their cable or satellite operator.

CSTV will televise the Cliff Keen NWCA National Duals on January 29 at 8:00 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PT, with Dan Gable calling the action.

“CSTV, as the new home of college and amateur wrestling, is providing unprecedented national exposure for the sport,” said Chris Bevilacqua, co-founder and executive vice president, CSTV. “The National Duals traditionally brings together the ‘best of the best’ wrestling talent and our telecast of this event, as well as our hosting the Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson session, should serve to strengthen and broaden the wrestling fan base.”

CSTV’s 2003-04 College Wrestling Schedule (all times ET)