NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1981 NCAA Championships

142 lb

Champion Andre Metzger, Oklahoma.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Andre MetzgerOU
  2. 2Lennie ZaleskyIOWA
  3. 3Dave BrownISU
  4. 4Shawn WhiteMSU
  5. 5Ken GallagherUNI
  6. 6Bernie FritzPSU
  7. 7Gene NighmanCOR
  8. 8Al FreemanNEB

In 1981, 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 1981 142-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 · 4 bouts

28 byes into the round of 32

  1. Bernie Fritz, Penn State over Buddy Kerr, Virginia — MD 13–5 · View bout
  2. Bob Eon, Rhode Island over John Veenschoten, Drake (IA) — Sup 20–4 · View bout
  3. Mike Bauer (7), Oregon State over Joe Solorio, Arizona State — Dec 10–4 · View bout
  4. Tim Ervin, Southern Illinois Edwardsville over Dave Wenger, Kent State (OH) — Dec 11–7 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Al Freeman (11), Nebraska over Jeff Hardy, Ohio — Dec 6–4 · View bout
  2. Andre Metzger (2), Oklahoma over Jeff Woo, Ohio State — Fall 3:29 · View bout
  3. Bernie Fritz, Penn State over Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  4. Bill Nugent (6), Oregon over Tim Ervin, Southern Illinois Edwardsville — Dec 16–16 (tiebreaker) · View bout
  5. Bob Eon, Rhode Island over Bill Swezey, William & Mary (VA) — Fall 1:01 · View bout
  6. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Jim TenBrook, Bucknell (PA) — Dflt · View bout
  7. Gary Siegel, Syracuse (NY) over Ralph Cortez, Illinois — Dec 17–11 · View bout
  8. Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa over John Dolch, Salisbury (MD) — Fall 7:44 · View bout
  9. Kenny Monday (4), Oklahoma State over Doug Bytendorp, Weber State (UT) — Sup 19–4 · View bout
  10. Lennie Zalesky (1), Iowa over Chris Cain, California-Poly — Sup 22–8 · View bout
  11. Mike Bauer (7), Oregon State over Ernie Blazeff, Auburn (AL) — DQ · View bout
  12. Rick McReynolds, Portland State (OR) over Dorr Granger, Grand Valley State (MI) — MD 17–6 · View bout
  13. Robert Hilfiger, Appalachian State (NC) over Tony Mills, Tennessee — Dec 17–14 · View bout
  14. Ryan Kaufman (9), Nebraska Omaha over Al McCollum, Bloomsburg (PA) — MD 12–4 · View bout
  15. Shawn White (10), Michigan State over Dave Krivus, Washington & Jefferson (PA) — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  16. Tony Surage (8), Rutgers (NJ) over Jimmy London, Wyoming — Dec 7–4 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Andre Metzger (2), Oklahoma over Al Freeman (11), Nebraska — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  2. Bernie Fritz, Penn State over Rick McReynolds, Portland State (OR) — MD 18–8 · View bout
  3. Gary Siegel, Syracuse (NY) over Bill Nugent (6), Oregon — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  4. Kenny Monday (4), Oklahoma State over Ryan Kaufman (9), Nebraska Omaha — Fall 2:18 · View bout
  5. Lennie Zalesky (1), Iowa over Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa — MD 19–9 · View bout
  6. Mike Bauer (7), Oregon State over Robert Hilfiger, Appalachian State (NC) — Dec 20–14 · View bout
  7. Shawn White (10), Michigan State over Dave Brown (3), Iowa State — Dec 10–9 · View bout
  8. Tony Surage (8), Rutgers (NJ) over Bob Eon, Rhode Island — Dec 5–2 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Andre Metzger (2), Oklahoma over Mike Bauer (7), Oregon State — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  2. Bernie Fritz, Penn State over Kenny Monday (4), Oklahoma State — Dec 13–9 · View bout
  3. Lennie Zalesky (1), Iowa over Tony Surage (8), Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. Shawn White (10), Michigan State over Gary Siegel, Syracuse (NY) — Dec 6–3 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Andre Metzger (2), Oklahoma over Shawn White (10), Michigan State — Fall 1:29 · View bout
  2. Lennie Zalesky (1), Iowa over Bernie Fritz, Penn State — Sup 20–4 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Andre Metzger (2), Oklahoma over Lennie Zalesky (1), Iowa — Dec 10–6 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 2 · 1 bout

  1. Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) over Buddy Kerr, Virginia — Dec 9–4 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Al Freeman (11), Nebraska over Jeff Woo, Ohio State — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  2. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Dave Krivus, Washington & Jefferson (PA) — MD 10–1 · View bout
  3. Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) over Rick McReynolds, Portland State (OR) — Fall 1:18 · View bout
  4. Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa over Chris Cain, California-Poly — Dec 9–8 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Al Freeman (11), Nebraska over Mike Bauer (7), Oregon State — Dec 10–4 · View bout
  2. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Gary Siegel, Syracuse (NY) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  3. Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) over Kenny Monday (4), Oklahoma State — MD 15–6 · View bout
  4. Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa over Tony Surage (8), Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 2–2 (tiebreaker) · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Al Freeman (11), Nebraska — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  2. Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa over Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) — Dec 7–3 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Bernie Fritz, Penn State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  2. Shawn White (10), Michigan State over Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa — Dec 5–1 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Dave Brown (3), Iowa State over Shawn White (10), Michigan State — Dec 10–5 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Ken Gallagher (12), Northern Iowa over Bernie Fritz, Penn State — Dec 4–1 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Gene Nighman (5), Cornell (NY) over Al Freeman (11), Nebraska — Dec 9–4 · View bout