A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection

For the past twenty-one years Dan Gables Iowa Hawkeyes have dominated wrestling to an extent rarely seen in any sport. In A Season on the Mat award-winning reporter Nolan Zavoral explores Iowas storied wrestling program and Gables record of excellence in an unprecedented intimate look at the man and his methods. As Gable approached the 1996-1997 season he was a mere shell of his usual vigorous self. A dozen back and knee surgeries had reduced his proud athletes walk to that of a stooped shambling old man. A Season on the Mat chronicles this dramatic season in which Gable led his team - far from his most talented - to the national title. Zavoral takes the reader behind the scenes into the stifling heat of the wrestling room where young men from places like Rock Falls Iowa or Philip South Dakota sacrifice everything they have just to be a part of the Hawkeye program. We watch strong-willed athletes like Mike Mena whose struggle to make weight almost cost him a shot at the national championship; Lincoln McIlravy who overcame persistent severe headaches to win his third national title in his four-year career; and all the other wrestlers who contributed to a record-breaking performance at the NCAAs scoring the most points in collegiate wrestling history. But most important we see the man behind the Gable legend. From his difficult upbringing interrupted by the tragedy of his sisters brutal murder through the single defeat that haunts him to this day to the ups and downs of his phenomenal coaching career Gable has come to symbolize to many all that is special about this demanding elemental sport.