NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1979 NCAA Championships

190 lb

Champion Eric Wais, Oklahoma State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Eric WaisOKST
  2. 2Mike BrownLEH
  3. 3Kirk MyersUNI
  4. 4Mitch HullWIS
  5. 5Howard HarrisORST
  6. 6Edcar Thomas Jr.OU
  7. 7Mike MannISU
  8. 8Geno SavegnagoEIU

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 190-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 · 3 bouts

29 byes into the round of 32

  1. Brian Gaffney, Florida over Bobby Orand, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 4:38 · View bout
  2. Ed Meyers, Navy (MD) over Mike Harris, Ohio — Fall 3:20 · View bout
  3. Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois over Craig Simpson, Weber State (UT) — MD 14–5 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Brian Thomas, Ball State (IN) over Joe Jarosz, Salisbury (MD) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  2. Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma over Sam Sallitt (11), Penn State — Sup 17–5 · View bout
  3. Eric Wais (1), Oklahoma State over Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois — MD 9–0 · View bout
  4. George Bowman (8), Minnesota over Ed Meyers, Navy (MD) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
  5. Howard Harris (2), Oregon State over Craig Blackman, Franklin & Marshall (PA) — MD 19–8 · View bout
  6. Jay Hockenbroch (10), Clarion (PA) over Brad Moseley, Missouri — Dec 10–6 · View bout
  7. Jerry Rodriguez (9), Louisiana State over Joe Lidowski, North Carolina State — Fall 4:21 · View bout
  8. Joe Cooper, Yale (CT) over Charles Schoen, Michigan State — Dec 15–12 · View bout
  9. Joe Davis, California-Poly over Bob McNally, New Hampshire — Dec 10–9 · View bout
  10. Kelly Wilson, Wyoming over Aurel Balaianu, Hofstra (NY) — Fall 8:39 · View bout
  11. Kevin Sheesley, Colorado State over Duane Harris (12), San Jose State (CA) — Fall 8:59 · View bout
  12. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Mark Redman, Drake (IA) — Fall 1:22 · View bout
  13. Mike Brown (3), Lehigh (PA) over Paul Marfiz, New Mexico — Fall 3:39 · View bout
  14. Mike Mann (7), Iowa State over Brian Gaffney, Florida — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  15. Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin over Mark Miller, Virginia Tech — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  16. Steve Fraser (6), Michigan over Mike Kovalick, Arizona State — Dec 10–4 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Eric Wais (1), Oklahoma State over Jerry Rodriguez (9), Louisiana State — MD 9–1 · View bout
  2. George Bowman (8), Minnesota over Kelly Wilson, Wyoming — MD 11–1 · View bout
  3. Howard Harris (2), Oregon State over Jay Hockenbroch (10), Clarion (PA) — MD 18–7 · View bout
  4. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Joe Cooper, Yale (CT) — Fall 1:11 · View bout
  5. Mike Brown (3), Lehigh (PA) over Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma — Sup 21–9 · View bout
  6. Mike Mann (7), Iowa State over Joe Davis, California-Poly — Dec 6–0 · View bout
  7. Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin over Kevin Sheesley, Colorado State — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  8. Steve Fraser (6), Michigan over Brian Thomas, Ball State (IN) — Dec 7–3 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Eric Wais (1), Oklahoma State over George Bowman (8), Minnesota — Dec 7–0 · View bout
  2. Howard Harris (2), Oregon State over Mike Mann (7), Iowa State — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  3. Mike Brown (3), Lehigh (PA) over Steve Fraser (6), Michigan — MD 13–3 · View bout
  4. Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin over Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa — Dec 8–7 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Eric Wais (1), Oklahoma State over Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  2. Mike Brown (3), Lehigh (PA) over Howard Harris (2), Oregon State — Dec 12–5 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Eric Wais (1), Oklahoma State over Mike Brown (3), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 12–5 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Craig Blackman, Franklin & Marshall (PA) over Jay Hockenbroch (10), Clarion (PA) — Dec 9–6 · View bout
  2. Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma over Paul Marfiz, New Mexico — Dec 12–6 · View bout
  3. Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois over Jerry Rodriguez (9), Louisiana State — Dec 6–4 · View bout
  4. Kevin Sheesley, Colorado State over Mark Miller, Virginia Tech — MD 16–6 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma over Steve Fraser (6), Michigan — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  2. Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois over George Bowman (8), Minnesota — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  3. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Kevin Sheesley, Colorado State — Dec 10–3 · View bout
  4. Mike Mann (7), Iowa State over Craig Blackman, Franklin & Marshall (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma over Mike Mann (7), Iowa State — Sup 19–7 · View bout
  2. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois — Dec 9–4 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Howard Harris (2), Oregon State — Dec 10–8 · View bout
  2. Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin over Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Kirk Myers (5), Northern Iowa over Mitch Hull (4), Wisconsin — Dec 6–3 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Howard Harris (2), Oregon State over Edcar Thomas Jr., Oklahoma — Fall 4:00 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Mike Mann (7), Iowa State over Geno Savegnago, Eastern Illinois — Dec 9–2 · View bout