EVANSTON, Ill. - Three of the top five wrestling programs in the United States--including top-ranked Iowa, which is going for its third-straight title--are scheduled to compete in the 41st Midlands Wrestling Championships hosted by Northwestern Dec. 29-30 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.     Iowa, which won its eighth Midlands title in the last 13 years at the 2002 tournament, is ranked first by Wrestling International Newsmagazine (WIN) and third by Intermat.com. The Hawkeyes will be joined by Illinois (No. 4/No. 1) and Iowa State (No. 3/No. 4) in the 60- to 65-team, double-elimination tournament.     In all, 12 of the top-25 wrestling programs will compete at Midlands. Outcomes in tournament will once again have a strong bearing on Intermat.com, WIN and other national wrestling polls.     "The high caliber of teams at the 41st Midlands should make for another year in which we have outstanding competition," said tournament director Ken Kraft. "This is why the Midlands is looked upon by people across the country as the highlight of wrestling tournaments."     In anticipation of the 2004 Olympics, 17 former Midlands competitors who have won Olympic Gold medals will be honored at this year's tournament, including Rulon Gardner, who earned his gold as a heavyweight in the 2000 Olympics by ending the 13-year winning streak of Russia's Alexander Karelin.     Another honoree includes Dan Gable, a 1960s Midlands wrestler who won the gold in 1972 at 149.5 lbs. Gable has been named honorary tournament director of the 2003 Midlands.