CS Bakersfield’s Neal, Iowa Team Win NCAA Wrestling Titles

Stephen Neal’s final collegiate wrestling match turned out to be more than an exclamation point to a dominating career.

The Cal State Bakersfield heavyweight’s 3-2 victory over Minnesota’s Brock Lesnar in the final match of the NCAA championships not only gave him a second consecutive title, but gave Iowa a two-point victory over the Golden Gophers for the NCAA title Saturday night, 100 1/2-98 1/2, their fifth in a row.

Neal’s victory was his 83rd consecutive, and when the match was over, Neal was greeted by cheers from the Hawkeye faithful.

“I waited for him to make a mistake,” Neal said. “He made one and I made none.”

Neal ends his career as the two-time NCAA champion and three-time All American. He now sets his sights on the 2000 Olympics.

Two early victories for Iowa put pressure on Minnesota’s three finalists. Only one Gopher won a final.

To set up the tournament-deciding heavyweight match, Minnesota’s Tim Hartung at 197, the 1998 champion, pulled out a dramatic 2-1 victory over 1997 champ Lee Fullhart. Hartung finished his season 39-0 and won the last 55 matches of his career.

Hartung took Fullhart down with 34 seconds left to finished his career 9-1 against the Iowa wrestler. Fullhart nearly reversed Hartung in the final minute.