NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1981 NCAA Championships

158 lb

Champion Dave Schultz, Oklahoma.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Dave SchultzOU
  2. 2Ricky StewartOKST
  3. 3Perry SheaCSUB
  4. 4Dion CobbUNI
  5. 5Jim ZaleskyIOWA
  6. 6Kevin BensonPORT
  7. 7Jim Reilly IIILEH
  8. 8Jan MichaelsUNC

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 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 · 3 bouts

29 byes into the round of 32

  1. Paul Morina, James Madison (VA) over Don Mappes, Ball State (IN) — Sup 17–3 · View bout
  2. Tim Catalfo (8), Syracuse (NY) over Bob Moore, Arizona — Fall 5:37 · View bout
  3. Tom Janicik (11), Northwestern (IL) over Jeff Bouslog, Luther (IA) — Sup 14–0 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Clarence Laster, New Mexico over Jim Trudeau (4), Minnesota — FF · View bout
  2. Dave Schultz (1), Oklahoma over Rick O'Shea, Oregon — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  3. Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa over Chris Edmond, Tennessee — Dec 10–9 · View bout
  4. Eric Jones, Southern Illinois Edwardsville over Allen Washington, Yale (CT) — Dec 6–4 · View bout
  5. Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina over Lamont Roth, Montana — Dec 12–5 · View bout
  6. Jim Farina, Iowa State over Mike Carroll, Massachusetts — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  7. Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) over Craig Troxler, California-Poly — Dflt · View bout
  8. Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa over Bruce Cochran, Illinois — Sup 23–6 · View bout
  9. Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) over Mike Rodgers, Navy (MD) — Dec 9–8 · View bout
  10. Matt Dulka (9), Cleveland State (OH) over Paul Morina, James Madison (VA) — Fall 4:05 · View bout
  11. Mike Moyer, West Chester (PA) over Rob Albert (10), Clarion (PA) — Dec 14–8 · View bout
  12. Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield over Mike Pheanis, Northern Illinois — Dec 12–6 · View bout
  13. Ricky Stewart (2), Oklahoma State over John Ohly, Oregon State — Sup 22–4 · View bout
  14. Todd Sumter, Appalachian State (NC) over Chris Mondragon, North Carolina State — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  15. Tom Janicik (11), Northwestern (IL) over Mike Polz, Eastern Illinois — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  16. Wes Roper, Missouri over Tim Catalfo (8), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 12–6 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Dave Schultz (1), Oklahoma over Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) — Sup 18–6 · View bout
  2. Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina over Eric Jones, Southern Illinois Edwardsville — MD 9–1 · View bout
  3. Jim Farina, Iowa State over Wes Roper, Missouri — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  4. Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa over Mike Moyer, West Chester (PA) — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  5. Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) over Todd Sumter, Appalachian State (NC) — Fall 1:54 · View bout
  6. Matt Dulka (9), Cleveland State (OH) over Clarence Laster, New Mexico — Fall 6:06 · View bout
  7. Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield over Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa — Fall 3:14 · View bout
  8. Ricky Stewart (2), Oklahoma State over Tom Janicik (11), Northwestern (IL) — Dec 11–5 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Dave Schultz (1), Oklahoma over Jim Farina, Iowa State — Sup 14–1 · View bout
  2. Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa over Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  3. Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield over Matt Dulka (9), Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 17–10 · View bout
  4. Ricky Stewart (2), Oklahoma State over Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina — Sup 25–8 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Dave Schultz (1), Oklahoma over Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  2. Ricky Stewart (2), Oklahoma State over Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa — Dec 8–4 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Dave Schultz (1), Oklahoma over Ricky Stewart (2), Oklahoma State — Fall 4:56 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Bruce Cochran, Illinois over Mike Moyer, West Chester (PA) — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  2. Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa over Mike Pheanis, Northern Illinois — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  3. Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) over Rick O'Shea, Oregon — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  4. John Ohly, Oregon State over Tom Janicik (11), Northwestern (IL) — Dec 10–7 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa over Matt Dulka (9), Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 10–6 · View bout
  2. Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina over John Ohly, Oregon State — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  3. Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) over Jim Farina, Iowa State — Dec 6–4 · View bout
  4. Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) over Bruce Cochran, Illinois — Fall 5:55 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa over Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) — Fall 1:20 · View bout
  2. Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) over Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa over Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa — Fall 2:26 · View bout
  2. Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield over Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) — Dec 9–4 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Perry Shea (5), California-Bakersfield over Dion Cobb, Northern Iowa — Fall 3:24 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Jim Zalesky (3), Iowa over Kevin Benson (6), Portland State (OR) — Dflt · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Jim Reilly III (12), Lehigh (PA) over Jan Michaels (7), North Carolina — Dec 4–0 · View bout