AKIN INCLUDED IN TWO WORLDS - ONE MAT LINEUP    SIOUX CITY, IA, March 19, 2003 - International wrestling icon Dan Gable will lead Team USA against the National Team of Cuba in the annual Two Worlds - One Mat dual wrestling meet taking place in Sioux City, Iowa on Wednesday, April 9.    The third annual event will be held in the Newman Flanagan Center on the campus of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Last year, the US finished strong and downed South Korea, 17-11.    Many of the athletes and coaches on both squads have extensive experience on the national and international freestyle scene. Cuba finished third at the 2002 World Freestyle Championships in Tehran, Iran.    "Cuba is perennially one of the top freestyle teams in the World," said Gable. "This Cuban team will include a number of World Champions and Olympic medalists."    Gable will lead the US team against the same Cuban national team that will compete at the 2003 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, April 4-6, in Boise, ID.     GABLE'S LEGEND PRECEDES HIM    During his prep and collegiate careers, Gable compiled an unbelievable record of 182-1. He was undefeated in 64 prep matches and was 118-1 at Iowa State, where he was a two-time NCAA champ (1968, 69) and tourney MVP in 1969 at 137 pounds. His only defeat came in the NCAA finals his senior year. Gable was a three-time All-American and three-time Big Eight champion. He set NCAA records in winning and pin streaks.     After college, Gable added titles at the 1971 Pan American Games, the 1972 Tbilisi Tournament and the 1971 World Championships. He won an unprecedented six Midlands Open championships and was that meet's outstanding wrestler five times.     In 1972, he won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany without surrendering a point to any of his opponents. In Gable's final 21 Olympic qualification and Olympic matches, he scored 12 falls and outscored his nine other opponents, 130-1.     As the head coach at the University of Iowa, Gable's teams won 21 consecutive Big Ten championships under Gable as head coach and four while he was an assistant coach and administrator. He had a winning percentage of .932 and captured nine consecutive (1978-86) NCAA Championships. At the time that equaled the longest streak of national titles won by any school in any sport.    Gable was named to the NationalWrestling Hall of Fame in 1980 and to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985. He was selected the nation's outstanding wrestler by the AAU in 1970, and the U.S. Wrestling Federation in 1971. Gable was the Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year in 1970.    Some of his most recent accolades include being named the top wrestler of the 20th Century by Gannett News Service, listed as one of the top coaches in the 20th Century by ESPN and named Iowa's top "sports figure" in the past 100 years. In 1996, Gable was named one of the "100 Golden Olympians," an honor bestowed to the top 100 U.S. Olympians of all time.    "Briar Cliff University is proud to again be the host of the Two Worlds - One Mat event," noted BCU head wrestling coach Andy Krueger. "To have one of our sport's greatest ambassadors as Team USA coach will be something that area wrestling fans won't want to miss."    TEAM USA TO HAVE MIDWEST FLAVOR    While the entire US roster has not yet been finalized, at 121 pounds for Team USA will be Eric Akin who placed second at the US Nationals, fourth at the Dave Schultz and eighth at the Kiev Grand Prix in 2002. He is originally from Kansas City, MO and was a four-time All-American for Iowa State University. He currently serves as an assistant coach at Nebraska    A kids and coaches participation clinic will be held prior to the dual, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Admission to the clinic is free with a paid dual ticket. Tickets for the event are $10 and will only be available at the door. All seats are general admission.     For information, contact Tim Tushla at 712-251-7570 or Doug Manley at 712-253-0504.