IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The focus of Iowa's Spencer Lee is so narrow, he doesn't even risk driving over the speed limit.
Lee, who missed almost all of last season after having surgeries on both knees, is back for a sixth year to chase a fourth NCAA national title, a feat no one has accomplished in the history of the Hawkeyes' tradition-rich program.
The 125-pounder wants to make sure nothing hinders him, on or off the mat.
Iowa coach Tom Brands remembers Lee's arrival in 2017 and a discussion about Lee's driving habits.
“He says, ‘I drive really slow, and the reason why is because I don’t want to get in an accident because if I get in an accident, I might get hurt and then I can’t wrestle,’" Brands said. "That’s as plain as it gets right there.”
Penn State is No. 1 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association preseason poll. The Nittany Lions won the 2022 national team championship, its ninth since 2011 under coach Cael Sanderson.
Iowa is No. 2, followed by Arizona State, Missouri and Michigan.
Penn State returns national champions in Roman Bravo-Young (133), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean (197). Also back are All-American Greg Kerkvliet and national qualifiers Robert Howard, Beau Bartlett and Joe Lee.
Iowa, which finished third in the team race, has six past All-Americans and added 141-pounder Real Woods, a two-time All-American who transferred from Stanford.
Arizona State has six All-Americans, including three-timers Brandon Courtney at 125 and Jacori Teemer at 157. The Sun Devils finished fourth at the NCAA meet and won the Pac-12 for the fifth time in six years.
Missouri features the top 165-pounder in the nation in unbeaten 2022 NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole. Michigan, the national runner-up last season, returns three-time All-American Mason Parris at heavyweight.
Iowa will visit Penn State on Jan. 27 for what figures to be the biggest dual of the season. The return of Lee will be key if the Hawkeyes are to avenge their loss in Iowa City last season. Lee has beaten all of his Penn State opponents by pin or technical fall.
Lee won 125-pound national titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021. There was no national meet in 2020 because of the pandemic. He was 3-0 last season when injuries to both knees forced him to have surgery and sit out the rest of the season.
“I feel good about where I’m at,” Lee said. “I don’t think I’ve been 100% healthy since my sophomore year of high school.”
Lee is a two-time winner of the Hodge Trophy, given to the top wrestler in the nation. Lee has a 78-5 record, with 29 of those wins ending in the first period. He is on a 38-match winning streak in which he has outscored opponents 463-41.
"The thing is he’s got this little gear in him that is just ferocious,” Brands said. “There’s probably a little bit of fear built into this guy where he doesn’t want to give the naysayers any foothold. He wants to prove them wrong.”
Brands said the Hawkeyes will be cautious in how they use Lee. Iowa’s schedule includes nine duals against nationally ranked teams.
“For me, getting through the season healthy, and wrestling the best I can, is the main thing,” Lee said. “If I do that, the rest will take care of itself.”
How Lee bounces back will be one of the biggest stories of the season.
“The bottom line about him," Brands said, "is he’s never wavered in his quest to be the best wrestler on the planet, and that’s still the case.”
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