NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1978 NCAA Championships

Unlimited

Champion Jimmy Jackson, Oklahoma State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Jimmy JacksonOKST
  2. 2John SefterPRIN
  3. 3Bob GolicND
  4. 4Gary PetersonBYU
  5. 5John BowlsbyIOWA
  6. 6Jeff BlatnickSPRI

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 Unlimited-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 · 1 bout

31 byes into the round of 32

  1. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over James Mitchell, Arizona State — MD 10–1 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) over Mike Engwall, Arizona — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  2. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Tom Waldon, Iowa State — Fall 1:44 · View bout
  3. David Jack, California-Poly over Dave Pletcher, Lafayette (PA) — Fall 2:49 · View bout
  4. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jerry Fultz, Ohio — Dec 12–8 · View bout
  5. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Ralph Kuehn, San Jose State (CA) — Fall 0:38 · View bout
  6. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over George Moskowitz, California-Berkeley — Fall 2:57 · View bout
  7. Jeff Gillman, Missouri over Jim Becker, Minnesota — Fall 3:41 · View bout
  8. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Nick Mygas, Navy (MD) — Fall 7:43 · View bout
  9. Jesse Ponce, Idaho State over John Allen, Massachusetts — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  10. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Ralph Zigner, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 1:21 · View bout
  11. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Bob Tunstall, Maryland — MD 9–1 · View bout
  12. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over Mike Garrison, Washington (WA) — Fall 4:58 · View bout
  13. Mark Stepanovich, Pittsburgh (PA) over George Atiyeh (5), Louisiana State — MD 13–5 · View bout
  14. Mitch Hull, Wisconsin over Mel Sharp, Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 8–6 · View bout
  15. Steve Bennett, Michigan over DT Joyner (8), East Carolina (NC) — Dec 12–7 · View bout
  16. Tim Payne, Cleveland State (OH) over Mike Rotunda, Syracuse (NY) — Dec 7–2 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jeff Gillman, Missouri — Fall 6:02 · View bout
  3. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Jesse Ponce, Idaho State — Fall 6:07 · View bout
  4. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Mark Stepanovich, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  5. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
  6. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Tim Payne, Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  7. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over David Jack, California-Poly — Dec 5–0 · View bout
  8. Mitch Hull, Wisconsin over Steve Bennett, Michigan — Sup 17–3 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Harold Smith (2), Kentucky — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  3. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Mitch Hull, Wisconsin — Dec 4–0 · View bout
  4. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over John Bowlsby (3), Iowa — Dec 6–0 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  2. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 10–6 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) — Fall 1:12 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) over Tom Waldon, Iowa State — Dec 3–0 · View bout
  2. David Jack, California-Poly over Mike Garrison, Washington (WA) — Fall 1:50 · View bout
  3. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Ralph Zigner, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 3:48 · View bout
  4. Jerry Fultz, Ohio over Jeff Gillman, Missouri — Dec 9–5 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Jerry Fultz, Ohio — Fall 1:59 · View bout
  2. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Mitch Hull, Wisconsin — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  3. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  4. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over David Jack, California-Poly — Dec 4–0 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) — MD 9–0 · View bout
  2. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Harold Smith (2), Kentucky — Dec 4–2 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over John Bowlsby (3), Iowa — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 8–3 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) — Fall 5:48 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 3–3 (tiebreaker) · View bout