IOWA CITY, Iowa � History is the light at the end of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee's tunnel vision.
The 125-pounder has a chance to win his fourth national title this weekend at the NCAA championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and join an exclusive club with names he can recite in just a few seconds.
kAm{66VD D:I\J62C 42C66C H:E9 E96 w2H<6J6D H:== 6?5 H:E9 E9:D E@FC?2>6?E[ 2 42C66C E92E 92D 366? 3F:=E H:E9 2 D:?8F=2C 7@4FD @? E96 ?6IE >2E49]k^Am
kAm%96 EH@\E:>6 H:??6C @7 E96 s2? w@586 %C@A9J 2D E96 ?2E:@?VD >@DE 5@>:?2?E HC6DE=6C <?@HD H92E 96 42? 244@>A=:D9 :? E9:D 7:?2= E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am
kAmâ€�*629[ @7 4@FCD6[ x’G6 567:?:E6=J E9@F89E 23@FE :E[â€� {66 D2:5] “xE H@F=5 >62? 2 =@E E@ >6] %96 E9:?8 :D[ x 92G6?’E 5@?6 :E J6E]â€k^Am
kAm{66 H@F=5 364@>6 E96 7:CDE x@H2 HC6DE=6C E@ H:? 7@FC ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:AD] r@C?6== `ch\A@F?56C *:2??: s:2<@>:92=:D 2=D@ :D AFCDF:?8 9:D 7@FCE9] x7 3@E9 244@>A=:D9 E96 762E[ E96C6 H@F=5 36 D:I 7@FC\E:>6 s:G:D:@? x 492>A:@?D :? }rpp 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm~<=29@>2 $E2E6VD !2E $>:E9 W`hh_\ha[ `hhcX[ x@H2 $E2E6VD r26= $2?56CD@? W`hhh\a__aX[ r@C?6==VD zJ=6 s2<6 Wa_`_\`bX 2?5 ~9:@ $E2E6VD {@82? $E:636C Wa_`a\`dX 2C6 E96 @E96CD]k^Am
kAmr92==6?865 E@ ?2>6 E96> 5FC:?8 2 >65:2 2G2:=23:=:EJ |@?52J[ {66 BF:4<=J H6?E E9C@F89 E96 =:DE]k^Am
kAm%96? 96 D>:=65]k^Am
kAm“r@>6 @?[ >2?[� {66 D2:5[ ;@<:?8=J D92<:?8 9:D 9625 2E E96 BF6DE:@?]k^Am
kAm{66VD 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C HC6DE=:?8 9:DE@CJ @?=J 255D E@ 9:D DE2EFD 2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE C6DA64E65 7:8FC6D :? E96 DA@CE]k^Am
kAm“w@H 96 42? C68FC8:E2E6 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 HC6DE=:?8 2?5 A2DE C6DF=ED 2?5 9:D 72G@C:E6 >2E496D[ A6@A=6 EF?6 :? 2?5 =:DE6?[ 2?5 E96J A2J 2EE6?E:@?[â€� 4@249 %@> qC2?5D D2:5] “xE’D 2 ?2EFC2= E92E H96? E96 C6DF=ED 2C6 E96C6 2?5 E96 >@FE9 DE2CED H@C<:?8[ A6@A=6 2C6 :?E6C6DE65[ 4@==628F6D 2?5 E62>>2E6D 2C6 :?E6C6DE65 :? H92E 96 92D E@ D2J]â€k^Am
kAmxE 92D 366? 7FE:=6 E9C@F89@FE {66VD 42C66C 7@C 2?J@?6 E@ 86E 9:> E@ =@@< 36J@?5 9:D ?6IE >2E49[ 2?5 qC2?5D D2:5 E92E EC2:E 92D D6CG65 9:> H6==]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< $A6?46C :D 2 4@@= 4F4F>36C[â€� qC2?5D D2:5] “w6’D 4@@= F?56C 7:C6] x E9:?< 96 92D 2 <?24< 7@C >@G:?8 @? E@ E96 ?6IE E9:?8 E96 C:89E H2J] %92E’D ?@E E@ D2J E96C6 :D?’E 7CFDEC2E:@?[ 3FE 96 92?5=6D :E H6==] w6 42? >@G6 @? BF:4<[ 2?5 E92E’D 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 :?8C65:6?E 7@C 8C62E 2E9=6E6D[ x E9:?<]â€k^Am
kAm{66 92D 2 hd\d 42C66C C64@C5 � bg @7 9:D H:?D 92G6 6?565 :? E96 7:CDE A6C:@5[ :?4=F5:?8 `` 72==D :? F?56C @?6 >:?FE6 � 2?5 :D @? 2 dd\>2E49 H:??:?8 DEC62<] w6 :D `f\_ E9:D D62D@?[ H:E9 6:89E H:?D 3J 72== 2?5 7@FC E649?:42= 72==D] {66 H@? 9:D E9:C5 q:8 %6? 492>A:@?D9:A 2?5 H2D ?2>65 E96 4@?76C6?46VD HC6DE=6C @7 E96 J62C 7@C E96 E9:C5 E:>6]k^Am
kAm{66 H@? 9:D =2DE ?2E:@?2= E:E=6 :? a_a` H:E9 E@C? 2?E6C:@C 4CF4:2E6 =:82>6?ED :? 3@E9 <?66D] $FC86C:6D @? E9@D6 <?66D 6?565 9:D a_aa D62D@?]k^Am
kAmpD<65 9@H 96 76=E 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 H66<6?5[ {66 D>:=65 2?5 D2:5[ “x <?@H x 766= 36EE6C 7@C E9:D E@FC?2>6?E E92? x 5:5 >J =2DE W}rppX E@FC?2>6?E]â€k^Am
kAm{66VD 23:=:EJ E@ C6EFC? E@ 4@>6 324< 7C@> 9:D <?66 :DDF6D DFCAC:D65 ?@ @?6[ =62DE @7 2== qC2?5D]k^Am
kAmâ€�%92E’D 9@H J@F >2<6 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C J@FCD6=7 â€� J@F 92G6 E@ @G6C4@>6 2 =@E[â€� qC2?5D D2:5] “p?J A2E9 E@ 8C62E?6DD :D D@>6E:>6D 3F>AJ :? A=246D] *@F 8@ @?] *@F 86E 2 =F>A @? J@FC 9625[ J@F >@G6 @?] $A6?46C {66 92D 366? 23=6 E@ 5@ E92E H:E9 E96 36DE @7 E96>]â€k^Am
kAm{66 @7E6? =65 @77 5F2= >66ED 7@C E96 w2H<6J6D[ H9@ 92G6 `_ ?2E:@?2= BF2=:7:6CD 2?5 2C6 C2?<65 }@] a 8@:?8 :?E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E] xE’D 2 C@=6 96 6?;@J65[ 2?5 :E’D 366? 2 C@=6 E92E 92D 366? :>A@CE2?E E@ x@H2 � |2EE |4s@?@F89 H@? ?2E:@?2= E:E=6D :? E96 H6:89E 4=2DD :? a_`_ 2?5 a_`a]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< FD `ad\A@F?56CD 2E x@H2 92G6 2=H2JD 925 2? 6586 E@ FD[â€� {66 D2:5] â€�(6 2=H2JD H2?E E@ 36 7:CDE[ 3642FD6 E92E’D @FC ;@3] w@A67F==J[ E96 7FEFC6 `ad\A@F?56CD 2E x@H2 H:== 36 E96 D2>6 H2J[ E92E :E’D E96:C ;@3 E@ 86E E9:?8D DE2CE65[ 36 E92E :8?:E:@? 7@C E96 8FJD] ]]] x E9:?< 36:?8 7:CDE >256 >6 AC:567F=]â€k^Am
kAm{66 C62=:K6D[ E9@F89[ E96 `ad\A@F?5 492>A:@?D9:A >2E49 >:89E 36 D4965F=65 2D E96 7:?2=6 $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAmQ*@F <?@H H92En x 4@F=5 36 W=2DEX[Q {66 D2:5] “qFE x’G6 8@E E@ 86E E96C6 7:CDE] %92E H@F=5 36 2 8@@5 AC@3=6> E@ 92G6]â€k^Am
