Look Homeward, Hawkeye

Four of the eight returning 1981 winners won again. Dan Cuestas of Cal State-Bakersfield beat Boise State's Scott Barrett 10-4 at 126 pounds. In a rematch of last year's 142-pound showdown, Andre Metzger of Oklahoma again defeated Lenny Zalesky of Iowa. After his 9-6 triumph, Metzger stepped up on the victory stand with his month-old son, Andre Jr. Iowa State's Nate Carr was the third repeat winner, getting past Oklahoma State's Kenny Monday 2-0 in their overtime battle at 150 pounds.

The most frenetic finale was at 177 pounds between Mark Schultz of Oklahoma, the victor at 167 pounds last year, and Iowa's Ed Banach, who was gunning for his third straight 177 title. Ed, Lou's twin, is known in the sport as an "animal," an almost reverent tribute to his impressive musculature and aggressive wrestling. But Schultz matched Banach muscle for muscle, hustle for hustle, beat him 16-8 and was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler.

As for Iowa's wayward wrestlers, they contributed mightily to the Hawkeyes' title quest. Together, Davis, Fitzgerald and Lou Banach earned 42� points to pace Iowa to a 131.75-111 victory over second-place Iowa State.

That was the fifth consecutive NCAA championship for Gable's Hawkeyes, the most in a row any coach has ever had. It was fitting that Gable achieved this on the Iowa State campus, for it was there that he wrestled as a collegian and it was there last week that he proved that he, too, could come home again.