NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1996 NCAA Championships

275 lb

Champion Jeff Walter, Wisconsin.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Jeff WalterWIS
  2. 2Justin HartyUNC
  3. 3Tolly ThompsonNEB
  4. 4Stephen NealCSUB
  5. 5Airron RichardsonMICH
  6. 6Billy PierceMINN
  7. 7Nick NutterOHST
  8. 8Pat WiltangerPITT

Connected 1996 275-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 · 0 bouts

31 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 15 bouts

    1 byes into the round of 16

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over Ben Lee, Oklahoma State — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    2. Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota over Zach Feldman, Virginia — MD 13–2 · View bout
    3. Jeff Walter (6), Wisconsin over Monty Cheff, Cornell (NY) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
    4. Joe Eaton, Lock Haven (PA) over Bill Tassogloy, Rider (NJ) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
    5. John Degl, Iowa over Marlon Houston Sr., Morgan State (MD) — Dec 12–5 · View bout
    6. Justin Harty (5), North Carolina over Joey Allen, Pennsylvania — Fall 1:48 · View bout
    7. Leslie Apedoe, Virginia Military over Pat Schuster, Edinboro (PA) — Dec 10–5 · View bout
    8. Nick Hall Sr. (4), Old Dominion (VA) over Jamie Huntington, Drexel (PA) — MD 9–1 · View bout
    9. Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State over Shawn Stipich, Boise State (ID) — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    10. Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) over Darin Priesendorf, Fresno State (CA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    11. Seth Brady (7), Illinois over Jeremy Karle, Marquette (WI) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
    12. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Burt Beamer, Northern Iowa — Dec 5–2 · View bout
    13. Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska over Stephen Terebieniec, Kent State (OH) — Fall 1:22 · View bout
    14. Tony Vaughn (3), Purdue (IN) over Darren Jarina, Clarion (PA) — MD 10–1 · View bout
    15. Trey Swan, Oklahoma over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota over Joe Eaton, Lock Haven (PA) — MD 14–4 · View bout
    2. Jeff Walter (6), Wisconsin over Jerry McCoy (11), Millersville (PA) — Dec 3–0 · View bout
    3. Justin Harty (5), North Carolina over Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State — Dec 7–6 · View bout
    4. Nick Hall Sr. (4), Old Dominion (VA) over Trey Swan, Oklahoma — MD 10–2 · View bout
    5. Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) over Airron Richardson (8), Michigan — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    6. Seth Brady (7), Illinois over Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    7. Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska over John Degl, Iowa — MD 13–3 · View bout
    8. Tony Vaughn (3), Purdue (IN) over Leslie Apedoe, Virginia Military — Dec 9–3 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota over Seth Brady (7), Illinois — Dec 6–3 · View bout
    2. Jeff Walter (6), Wisconsin over Tony Vaughn (3), Purdue (IN) — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    3. Justin Harty (5), North Carolina over Nick Hall Sr. (4), Old Dominion (VA) — Dec 2–0 · View bout
    4. Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska over Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) — Dflt · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Jeff Walter (6), Wisconsin over Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    2. Justin Harty (5), North Carolina over Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska — Dec 6–5 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Jeff Walter (6), Wisconsin over Justin Harty (5), North Carolina — Dec 3–2 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 1 · 7 bouts

    1 byes into the consolation round 2

    1. Ben Lee, Oklahoma State over Darin Priesendorf, Fresno State (CA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    2. Burt Beamer, Northern Iowa over Jeremy Karle, Marquette (WI) — Fall 3:29 · View bout
    3. Pat Schuster, Edinboro (PA) over Darren Jarina, Clarion (PA) — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    4. Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon over Jamie Huntington, Drexel (PA) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
    5. Shawn Stipich, Boise State (ID) over Joey Allen, Pennsylvania — Dec 7–3 · View bout
    6. Stephen Terebieniec, Kent State (OH) over Marlon Houston Sr., Morgan State (MD) — Dec 3–0 · View bout
    7. Zach Feldman, Virginia over Bill Tassogloy, Rider (NJ) — Dec 4–0 · View bout

    Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over Zach Feldman, Virginia — Dec 8–2 · View bout
    2. Ben Lee, Oklahoma State over Joe Eaton, Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    3. Jerry McCoy (11), Millersville (PA) over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 9–3 · View bout
    4. John Degl, Iowa over Burt Beamer, Northern Iowa — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    5. Monty Cheff, Cornell (NY) over Trey Swan, Oklahoma — Dec 6–4 · View bout
    6. Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State over Pat Schuster, Edinboro (PA) — MD 13–5 · View bout
    7. Shawn Stipich, Boise State (ID) over Leslie Apedoe, Virginia Military — Dec 7–5 · View bout
    8. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Stephen Terebieniec, Kent State (OH) — Dec 9–4 · View bout

    Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over John Degl, Iowa — MD 16–4 · View bout
    2. Jerry McCoy (11), Millersville (PA) over Shawn Stipich, Boise State (ID) — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    3. Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State over Monty Cheff, Cornell (NY) — Dec 8–4 · View bout
    4. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Ben Lee, Oklahoma State — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over Tony Vaughn (3), Purdue (IN) — Dec 6–4 · View bout
    2. Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State over Seth Brady (7), Illinois — Fall 1:36 · View bout
    3. Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) over Jerry McCoy (11), Millersville (PA) — Dec 4–3 · View bout
    4. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Nick Hall Sr. (4), Old Dominion (VA) — Dflt · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State — Dec 7–2 · View bout
    2. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 10–4 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield over Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota — Dflt · View bout
    2. Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska over Airron Richardson (8), Michigan — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Tolly Thompson (1), Nebraska over Stephen Neal (10), California-Bakersfield — Dec 4–1 · View bout

    5th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Airron Richardson (8), Michigan over Billy Pierce (2), Minnesota — Dflt · View bout

    7th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Nick Nutter (12), Ohio State over Pat Wiltanger (9), Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 2–0 · View bout