NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1979 NCAA Championships

118 lb

Champion Gene Mills, Syracuse (NY).Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Gene MillsSYR
  2. 2Joe GonzalesCSUB
  3. 3Dan GlennIOWA
  4. 4Bill DaPaoliCALU
  5. 5Don FinneganISU
  6. 6Jim ZenzNCST
  7. 7Randy HoffmanASU
  8. 8Chris WentzLSU

In 1979, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the semifinal, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1979 118-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 · 6 bouts

26 byes into the round of 32

  1. Angelo 'Butch' Marino, Indiana (IN) over Glenn Maxwell, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 14–11 · View bout
  2. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Khris Whelan, Missouri — Fall 3:36 · View bout
  3. Ed Bailey, Salisbury (MD) over Matt Oddo, Auburn (AL) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. Jay Liles, Bowling Green (OH) over Tracy Moore, Utah State — Dec 10–7 · View bout
  5. John Hartupee, Central Michigan over Bob DeStafanis, Rhode Island — MD 11–3 · View bout
  6. Luke Gilpin, New Mexico over Bruce Irussi, Illinois — Dec 11–6 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) over Dave Cotti, California-Berkeley — Sup 19–2 · View bout
  2. Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State over Mike Monday, Oklahoma — MD 18–10 · View bout
  3. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Mitch Vance, Temple (PA) — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  4. David Suarez (6), Nevada-Las Vegas over Howard Aufleger, Oklahoma State — Dec 4–3 · View bout
  5. Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State over Ed Bailey, Salisbury (MD) — Sup 15–1 · View bout
  6. Gary Fischer (8), California-Poly over Henry Callie, Millersville (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  7. Gene Mills (2), Syracuse (NY) over Adam Cuestas, Oregon — Fall 7:37 · View bout
  8. Jamie Reid, Cleveland State (OH) over Bob Dickman, Indiana State — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  9. Jim Pagano, William & Mary (VA) over Luke Gilpin, New Mexico — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  10. Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State over Angelo 'Butch' Marino, Indiana (IN) — MD 12–4 · View bout
  11. Joe Gonzales (1), California-Bakersfield over Gary Bohay, California-Los Angeles — Sup 19–6 · View bout
  12. John Hartupee, Central Michigan over Edwin Dilbeck, Utah — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  13. Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State over Brad Anderson, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  14. Rob Wurm, Weber State (UT) over Greg Ely (7), Hofstra (NY) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  15. Steve Bastianelli, Lehigh (PA) over Jay Liles, Bowling Green (OH) — Sup 15–2 · View bout
  16. Tom Husted (5), Wisconsin over Mike Marino, Tennessee-Chattanooga — MD 15–4 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) over Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State — Dec 13–8 · View bout
  2. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State — MD 16–7 · View bout
  3. David Suarez (6), Nevada-Las Vegas over John Hartupee, Central Michigan — Dec 11–6 · View bout
  4. Gary Fischer (8), California-Poly over Jim Pagano, William & Mary (VA) — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  5. Gene Mills (2), Syracuse (NY) over Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State — Fall 4:31 · View bout
  6. Joe Gonzales (1), California-Bakersfield over Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State — Sup 24–9 · View bout
  7. Steve Bastianelli, Lehigh (PA) over Rob Wurm, Weber State (UT) — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  8. Tom Husted (5), Wisconsin over Jamie Reid, Cleveland State (OH) — Fall 7:57 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) over David Suarez (6), Nevada-Las Vegas — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  2. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Tom Husted (5), Wisconsin — Dec 10–4 · View bout
  3. Gene Mills (2), Syracuse (NY) over Steve Bastianelli, Lehigh (PA) — Sup 17–2 · View bout
  4. Joe Gonzales (1), California-Bakersfield over Gary Fischer (8), California-Poly — Dflt · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Gene Mills (2), Syracuse (NY) over Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) — Fall 7:00 · View bout
  2. Joe Gonzales (1), California-Bakersfield over Dan Glenn (4), Iowa — Dec 8–6 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Gene Mills (2), Syracuse (NY) over Joe Gonzales (1), California-Bakersfield — Dec 16–13 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 2 · 1 bout

  1. Mitch Vance, Temple (PA) over Khris Whelan, Missouri — MD 11–2 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State over Dave Cotti, California-Berkeley — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  2. Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State over Gary Bohay, California-Los Angeles — MD 11–2 · View bout
  3. Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State over Adam Cuestas, Oregon — MFF · View bout
  4. Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State over Mitch Vance, Temple (PA) — Dec 3–0 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State over David Suarez (6), Nevada-Las Vegas — MD 12–3 · View bout
  2. Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State over Gary Fischer (8), California-Poly — MFF · View bout
  3. Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State over Steve Bastianelli, Lehigh (PA) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  4. Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State over Tom Husted (5), Wisconsin — Dec 4–3 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State over Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State — Dec 10–3 · View bout
  2. Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State over Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State — Dec 7–4 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) over Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State — Dec 9–7 · View bout
  2. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State — Fall 3:48 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Dan Glenn (4), Iowa over Bill DaPaoli (3), California (PA) — MD 12–2 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Don Finnegan (9), Iowa State over Jim Zenz (10), North Carolina State — Dec 7–2 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Randy Hoffman (12), Arizona State over Chris Wentz (11), Louisiana State — MD 13–4 · View bout