Kinseth turns postseason into personal pinfest

Bruce Kinseth orchestrated one of the most impressive postseason runs in college wrestling history.

In the biggest meets against the highest caliber of competition, the University of Iowa grappler provided Hawkeye fans with one of the most memorable performances, pinning his way to the 150-pound NCAA Championship in 1979 at Ames.

He also pinned his way through the Big Ten tournament, making Kinseth the only wrestler to accomplish the feat.

“Everything has to fall together to pin everybody,” Kinseth said. “It's kind of a tough deal, but I was on a roll and my confidence was very high. I was very focused.”

Kinseth's two fastest falls came in the semifinals and finals. He stuck Oklahoma State's fourth-seed Charles Shelton in 1:51. The top-seeded Kinseth secured the title with a pin over Oregon State's No. 3 Dick Knorr in 2:34.

“When I did pin him in the finals it was a hell of a highlight frankly to cap that hot streak of falls,” said Kinseth, who was the first to since Dan Gable in 1969 to pin each national tournament opponent.

Kinseth wore opponents down with constant pressure. He closed the season in the same way he opened it, pinning 11 straight foes. He set a Hawkeye single-season record with 23 pins.

Strong on top, but Kinseth added a move to his repertoire as a senior. He said he used for falls in his final two matches.

“I did bearhug a lot of people that year,” said Kinseth, a two-time NCAA finalist. “That was probably more of a signature move I would get into a fair amount of the time and pinned a lot of guys with it, in addition to being pretty good on top and utilizing a lot of bar arms.”

The feat was achieved by more than just moves. Kinseth said he put in as much time on the mat as anyone. He credited legendary Hawkeye coach Dan Gable. The two would work out together for hours after practice, causing Kinseth to need an hour to recover. It helped him prepare for the national meet and boosted his confidence.

“I trained very hard,” Kinseth said. “I was in very very good physical condition.

“I had the opportunity to wrestle with Gable every day for multiple years. That's probably what made a difference.”

Many fans cheered the former Decorah state champion on, including family and former coaches.

“I had the force behind me so to speak,” Kinseth said. “Not just University of Iowa fans, but people that were in and around the sport of wrestling in the state of Iowa.”

More than 30 years removed, Kinseth can look back and acknowledge the impressiveness of the performance.

“It comes and goes so fast in your life you have to reflect on it and say it was a great accomplishment,” Kinseth said. “It was a lot of fun. I think about it periodically.”