NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1988 NCAA Championships

126 lb

Champion Jim Martin, Penn State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Jim MartinPSU
  2. 2Brad PenrithIOWA
  3. 3Chip ParkASU
  4. 4Craig WaltersWYO
  5. 5Steve KnightISU
  6. 6Kendall CrossOKST
  7. 7Pete GonzalezMONC
  8. 8John EpperlyLEH

In 1988, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the quarterfinal, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1988 126-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 · 1 bout

31 byes into the round of 32

  1. Brad Penrith (1), Iowa over Joe Stukes, North Carolina-Pembroke — Dec 4–0 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Brad Penrith (1), Iowa over Steve Brown, Eastern Michigan — MD 12–4 · View bout
  2. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over John Lucerne, Rider (NJ) — Dec 10–8 · View bout
  3. Dan Lovelace, Missouri over Mike O'Brien (9), Illinois — MD 10–2 · View bout
  4. Dan Moody, Slippery Rock (PA) over Jeff Husick (8), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  5. Dave Kennedy (11), Bloomsburg (PA) over Leroy Jackson, Morgan State (MD) — Fall 6:39 · View bout
  6. Hiag Brown, Portland State (OR) over Wallace Dawkins, Nebraska — Fall 6:54 · View bout
  7. Jim Martin (2), Penn State over Gary Roberts Jr., New Mexico — Dec 13–6 · View bout
  8. John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) over Brett Penager, Wisconsin — MD 18–6 · View bout
  9. Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State over Joe Williams, Southwest Missouri — Dec 7–1 · View bout
  10. Mark Marinelli, Ohio State over John Welch, North Carolina — Dec 11–10 · View bout
  11. Michael Stokes (3), North Carolina State over James Hawthorne, Oregon — MD 14–4 · View bout
  12. Mike Schwab (7), Northern Iowa over Rick Goeb, North Dakota State — Dec 9–7 · View bout
  13. Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) over Craig Walters, Wyoming — MD 14–2 · View bout
  14. Scott Corcoran, Tennessee-Chattanooga over Mike Dallas Sr., California-Bakersfield — MD 11–2 · View bout
  15. Steve Knight (4), Iowa State over Paul Kuznik, Army (NY) — MD 12–4 · View bout
  16. Troy Lawrence, Maryland over Kirk Nolan, Princeton (NJ) — Dec 8–5 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Brad Penrith (1), Iowa over Hiag Brown, Portland State (OR) — TF 22–7 · View bout
  2. Dan Lovelace, Missouri over Dan Moody, Slippery Rock (PA) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
  3. Jim Martin (2), Penn State over Scott Corcoran, Tennessee-Chattanooga — TF 17–2 · View bout
  4. John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) over Chip Park (5), Arizona State — MD 19–11 · View bout
  5. Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State over Dave Kennedy (11), Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 9–8 · View bout
  6. Michael Stokes (3), North Carolina State over Mark Marinelli, Ohio State — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  7. Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) over Mike Schwab (7), Northern Iowa — MD 11–1 · View bout
  8. Steve Knight (4), Iowa State over Troy Lawrence, Maryland — MD 17–5 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Brad Penrith (1), Iowa over Dan Lovelace, Missouri — Dflt · View bout
  2. Jim Martin (2), Penn State over Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  3. Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State over Michael Stokes (3), North Carolina State — Fall 6:05 · View bout
  4. Steve Knight (4), Iowa State over John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) — MD 22–8 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Brad Penrith (1), Iowa over Steve Knight (4), Iowa State — TF 18–2 · View bout
  2. Jim Martin (2), Penn State over Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State — Dec 8–7 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Jim Martin (2), Penn State over Brad Penrith (1), Iowa — Dec 5–4 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 1 · 1 bout

  1. Joe Stukes, North Carolina-Pembroke over Steve Brown, Eastern Michigan — MD 17–7 · View bout

Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Brett Penager, Wisconsin — MD 16–6 · View bout
  2. Craig Walters, Wyoming over Mike Schwab (7), Northern Iowa — Dec 15–8 · View bout
  3. Dave Kennedy (11), Bloomsburg (PA) over Joe Williams, Southwest Missouri — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  4. Gary Roberts Jr., New Mexico over Scott Corcoran, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 5:58 · View bout
  5. James Hawthorne, Oregon over Mark Marinelli, Ohio State — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  6. Joe Stukes, North Carolina-Pembroke over Hiag Brown, Portland State (OR) — MD 18–5 · View bout
  7. Mike O'Brien (9), Illinois over Dan Moody, Slippery Rock (PA) — MD 15–1 · View bout
  8. Paul Kuznik, Army (NY) over Troy Lawrence, Maryland — Dec 5–2 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Paul Kuznik, Army (NY) — Dec 18–12 · View bout
  2. Craig Walters, Wyoming over Gary Roberts Jr., New Mexico — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  3. Dave Kennedy (11), Bloomsburg (PA) over James Hawthorne, Oregon — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  4. Mike O'Brien (9), Illinois over Joe Stukes, North Carolina-Pembroke — Fall 3:17 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Michael Stokes (3), North Carolina State — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  2. Craig Walters, Wyoming over Dan Lovelace, Missouri — Dflt · View bout
  3. John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) over Dave Kennedy (11), Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  4. Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) over Mike O'Brien (9), Illinois — Dec 5–2 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  2. Craig Walters, Wyoming over John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 11–6 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Steve Knight (4), Iowa State — MD 18–6 · View bout
  2. Craig Walters, Wyoming over Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State — Dec 11–9 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Chip Park (5), Arizona State over Craig Walters, Wyoming — Dec 7–2 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Steve Knight (4), Iowa State over Kendall Cross (6), Oklahoma State — Dec 8–7 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Pete Gonzalez (10), Montclair State (NJ) over John Epperly (12), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 10–9 · View bout