NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1979 NCAA Championships

158 lb

Champion Kelly Ward, Iowa State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Kelly WardISU
  2. 2Dan ZilverbergMINN
  3. 3Dave EvansWIS
  4. 4Bob HollandEIU
  5. 5Toby MatneyCSU
  6. 6Mark EvenhusORST
  7. 7Ricky StewartOKST
  8. 8Roye OliverASU

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 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 · 5 bouts

27 byes into the round of 32

  1. Bill Keck, Hofstra (NY) over John Hanrahan, Penn State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  2. Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota over Tom Jones, Pittsburgh (PA) — MD 15–4 · View bout
  3. Fred Boss, Central Michigan over Dale Gilbert, Clarion (PA) — Dec 10–3 · View bout
  4. Jed Brown, Iowa over Greg Johnson, Idaho State — Fall 4:59 · View bout
  5. Mike Pheanis, Northern Illinois over Bryce Monasmith, Colorado State — Dec 14–8 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois over Doug Oliver, Rutgers (NJ) — Fall 3:34 · View bout
  2. Carter Mario (11), North Carolina over Mark Schultz, California-Los Angeles — Dec 10–7 · View bout
  3. Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota over Oscar Ordonez, Drake (IA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  4. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Rick Boland, Citadel (SC) — Fall 6:02 · View bout
  5. Fred Boss, Central Michigan over Dave Musselman (5), Arizona — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  6. Isreal Sheppard, Oklahoma over Paul Supchak, Navy (MD) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  7. Jed Brown, Iowa over Harold Ritchie (8), Missouri — Dec 11–6 · View bout
  8. Jeff Freedman, Ashland (OH) over Donny Owen (10), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 11–7 · View bout
  9. Kelly Ward (1), Iowa State over Bill Keck, Hofstra (NY) — Fall 6:30 · View bout
  10. Lee Spiegel, Rhode Island over Warren Flynn, Fresno State (CA) — Sup 19–2 · View bout
  11. Mark Evenhus, Oregon State over Chuck Broderick, Virginia Tech — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  12. Mike Pheanis, Northern Illinois over Mark Densberger (7), Wilkes (PA) — Dec 10–8 · View bout
  13. Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State over Jamie Milkovich, Auburn (AL) — Fall 7:50 · View bout
  14. Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State over Joe Birmingham, Georgia — MD 11–3 · View bout
  15. Scott Heaton (3), California-Poly over Tom Janicik, Northwestern (IL) — Sup 19–4 · View bout
  16. Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) over Roger Dallas, Lake Superior State (MI) — MD 11–3 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois over Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State — MD 15–6 · View bout
  2. Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota over Jeff Freedman, Ashland (OH) — Fall 2:46 · View bout
  3. Fred Boss, Central Michigan over Isreal Sheppard, Oklahoma — Dec 11–9 · View bout
  4. Jed Brown, Iowa over Lee Spiegel, Rhode Island — Sup 15–3 · View bout
  5. Kelly Ward (1), Iowa State over Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin — MD 12–3 · View bout
  6. Mark Evenhus, Oregon State over Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  7. Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State over Mike Pheanis, Northern Illinois — Fall 3:33 · View bout
  8. Scott Heaton (3), California-Poly over Carter Mario (11), North Carolina — Dec 11–4 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois over Fred Boss, Central Michigan — Fall 6:58 · View bout
  2. Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota over Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  3. Kelly Ward (1), Iowa State over Jed Brown, Iowa — Dec 13–11 · View bout
  4. Mark Evenhus, Oregon State over Scott Heaton (3), California-Poly — Dec 11–7 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota over Mark Evenhus, Oregon State — MD 13–4 · View bout
  2. Kelly Ward (1), Iowa State over Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois — Dec 8–3 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Kelly Ward (1), Iowa State over Dan Zilverberg (2), Minnesota — Dec 7–2 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 2 · 1 bout

  1. Oscar Ordonez, Drake (IA) over Tom Jones, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 7–5 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Bill Keck, Hofstra (NY) — MD 10–1 · View bout
  2. Oscar Ordonez, Drake (IA) over Jeff Freedman, Ashland (OH) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  3. Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State over Doug Oliver, Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  4. Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) over Chuck Broderick, Virginia Tech — Dec 16–11 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Jed Brown, Iowa — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  2. Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State over Oscar Ordonez, Drake (IA) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  3. Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State over Fred Boss, Central Michigan — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  4. Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) over Scott Heaton (3), California-Poly — Fall 1:59 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  2. Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) over Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State — Dec 12–6 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois over Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 21–18 · View bout
  2. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Mark Evenhus, Oregon State — Dec 7–0 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Dave Evans (9), Wisconsin over Bob Holland (4), Eastern Illinois — Dec 7–5 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Toby Matney (6), Cleveland State (OH) over Mark Evenhus, Oregon State — Sup 24–7 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Ricky Stewart, Oklahoma State over Roye Oliver (12), Arizona State — Dec 6–0 · View bout