NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1978 NCAA Championships

158 lb

Champion Lee Kemp Jr., Wisconsin.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Lee Kemp Jr.WIS
  2. 2Kelly WardISU
  3. 3John JaniakSYR
  4. 4Ron MichaelsKENT
  5. 5Dave BeckerPSU
  6. 6William 'Bucky' SmithMORG

In 1978, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the semifinal, and places were awarded through sixth, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1978 158-pound bracket

Select a name to highlight their path; select it again to open the profile. Select a score for the bout.

How to read this bracket
  • Tap a name to follow that wrestler; tap it again to open their profile.
  • "Cons →" is where the loser continues in the consolation bracket; tap it to go there.
  • "↩" is where a wrestler arrived from the championship bracket.
  • The score opens the bout.
Final →Placements →

Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 2 bouts

30 byes into the round of 32

  1. Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State over Lamont Roth, Montana — MD 13–4 · View bout
  2. Lee Spiegel, Rhode Island over Jim Rebischke, Wyoming — Dec 11–7 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Brian Rodgers, Navy (MD) over Gilden McClom, Illinois State — Sup 14–0 · View bout
  2. Dale Gilbert, Clarion (PA) over Jeff Fitch, Indiana (IN) — Fall 1:43 · View bout
  3. Dan Hollemback, Oregon over Gary Drewry, William & Mary (VA) — Fall 3:00 · View bout
  4. Dan Zilverberg (5), Minnesota over Gary Baker, Oklahoma — Dec 10–6 · View bout
  5. Dave Becker (4), Penn State over Jerry Young, Virginia — MD 16–8 · View bout
  6. Gary Bentrim (7), Northern Iowa over Bob Erickson, Utah State — Dec 6–1 · View bout
  7. Harold Ritchie, Missouri over Tony Parris, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Dec 13–7 · View bout
  8. Jeff Cutler, Florida over Dave Hansen, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 16–9 · View bout
  9. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Toby Matney, Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 13–6 · View bout
  10. Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State over Roy Glenn, California-Berkeley — Sup 18–2 · View bout
  11. Lee Kemp Jr. (1), Wisconsin over William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) — Sup 15–3 · View bout
  12. Mark Stevenson, Iowa over Doug Oliver, Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  13. Mike Burgher, California-Los Angeles over Lee Spiegel, Rhode Island — Fall 7:02 · View bout
  14. Rick Armstrong, Cortland (NY) over Arthur Jones (8), Tennessee — Fall 6:08 · View bout
  15. Robert Kiddy (6), California-Poly over Joe Brugger, Lafayette (PA) — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  16. Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) over Court Vining, Nebraska — Fall 3:49 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Brian Rodgers, Navy (MD) over Robert Kiddy (6), California-Poly — Dflt · View bout
  2. Dan Zilverberg (5), Minnesota over Dale Gilbert, Clarion (PA) — MD 10–2 · View bout
  3. Dave Becker (4), Penn State over Dan Hollemback, Oregon — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  4. Gary Bentrim (7), Northern Iowa over Harold Ritchie, Missouri — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  5. Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State over Mark Stevenson, Iowa — MD 8–0 · View bout
  6. Lee Kemp Jr. (1), Wisconsin over Jeff Cutler, Florida — Fall 6:46 · View bout
  7. Mike Burgher, California-Los Angeles over Rick Armstrong, Cortland (NY) — Fall 4:17 · View bout
  8. Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) over John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 10–7 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Dave Becker (4), Penn State over Dan Zilverberg (5), Minnesota — Dec 4–3 · View bout
  2. Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State over Gary Bentrim (7), Northern Iowa — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  3. Lee Kemp Jr. (1), Wisconsin over Mike Burgher, California-Los Angeles — MD 13–5 · View bout
  4. Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) over Brian Rodgers, Navy (MD) — MD 16–6 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State over Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) — Fall 7:24 · View bout
  2. Lee Kemp Jr. (1), Wisconsin over Dave Becker (4), Penn State — Fall 7:20 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Lee Kemp Jr. (1), Wisconsin over Kelly Ward (2), Iowa State — Dec 10–8 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 2 · 1 bout

  1. Roy Glenn, California-Berkeley over Lamont Roth, Montana — Dec 6–2 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Dan Hollemback, Oregon over Jerry Young, Virginia — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  2. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Court Vining, Nebraska — Fall 1:47 · View bout
  3. Mark Stevenson, Iowa over Roy Glenn, California-Berkeley — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) over Jeff Cutler, Florida — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Dan Zilverberg (5), Minnesota over Dan Hollemback, Oregon — Dec 9–5 · View bout
  2. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Brian Rodgers, Navy (MD) — Dec 5–0 · View bout
  3. Mark Stevenson, Iowa over Gary Bentrim (7), Northern Iowa — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  4. William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) over Mike Burgher, California-Los Angeles — Dec 4–3 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Mark Stevenson, Iowa — Dec 1–0 · View bout
  2. William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) over Dan Zilverberg (5), Minnesota — Dec 9–6 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Dave Becker (4), Penn State — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  2. Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) over William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) — Fall 2:43 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. John Janiak (3), Syracuse (NY) over Ron Michaels, Kent State (OH) — Dec 10–10 (tiebreaker) · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Dave Becker (4), Penn State over William 'Bucky' Smith, Morgan State (MD) — MD 10–2 · View bout