NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1997 NCAA Championships

126 lb

Champion Eric Guerrero, Oklahoma State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Eric GuerreroOKST
  2. 2Mike MenaIOWA
  3. 3Eric JettonWIS
  4. 4Dwight HinsonISU
  5. 5Coby WrightCSUB
  6. 6Terry ShowalterLH
  7. 7Dane ValdezOU
  8. 8Pat ConnorsMINN

Connected 1997 126-pound bracket

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How to read this bracket
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  • "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

32 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 16 bouts

    1. Anthony Sorantino, North Carolina State over Nick Zinkin, Fresno State (CA) — Dec 6–5 · View bout
    2. Brett Tullo (10), Bloomsburg (PA) over John Noble, Ohio — Dec 8–7 · View bout
    3. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Rob Loper, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    4. Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma over Francky Francois, Delaware State — Fall 4:30 · View bout
    5. Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State over Steve Garland, Virginia — Dec 15–8 · View bout
    6. Eric Guerrero (2), Oklahoma State over CC Fisher, North Carolina — MD 13–1 · View bout
    7. Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin over Bob Hanson, Syracuse (NY) — TF 23–8 · View bout
    8. Jake Whisenhunt, Oregon State over Joe Catalanotto, Hofstra (NY) — Dec 11–5 · View bout
    9. Jason Betz, Penn State over John Kelly, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 12–6 · View bout
    10. Jeramie Welder (9), Nebraska over Micah Hey, Northwestern (IL) — Fall 1:21 · View bout
    11. Mike Mena (4), Iowa over Chris Heckel, Duke (NC) — MD 11–3 · View bout
    12. Pat Connors (11), Minnesota over David Hopper, Appalachian State (NC) — MD 11–2 · View bout
    13. Shawn Ford (6), Arizona State over Jason Hayes, Purdue (IN) — Dec 12–5 · View bout
    14. Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) over Carl Perry (12), Illinois — Dec 7–5 · View bout
    15. Willie Carpenter (7), Brown (RI) over Sean Shea, George Mason (VA) — TF 18–3 · View bout
    16. Zach Zimmerer, Stanford (CA) over Scott Murray, Northern Iowa — MD 12–3 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma over Jeramie Welder (9), Nebraska — Dec 4–3 · View bout
    2. Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State over Zach Zimmerer, Stanford (CA) — Dec 11–5 · View bout
    3. Eric Guerrero (2), Oklahoma State over Jason Betz, Penn State — MD 13–4 · View bout
    4. Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin over Anthony Sorantino, North Carolina State — TF 18–3 · View bout
    5. Mike Mena (4), Iowa over Jake Whisenhunt, Oregon State — MD 15–7 · View bout
    6. Pat Connors (11), Minnesota over Shawn Ford (6), Arizona State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    7. Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) over Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield — MD 13–5 · View bout
    8. Willie Carpenter (7), Brown (RI) over Brett Tullo (10), Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State over Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    2. Eric Guerrero (2), Oklahoma State over Willie Carpenter (7), Brown (RI) — Dec 10–4 · View bout
    3. Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin over Pat Connors (11), Minnesota — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    4. Mike Mena (4), Iowa over Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Eric Guerrero (2), Oklahoma State over Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin — Dec 11–6 · View bout
    2. Mike Mena (4), Iowa over Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Eric Guerrero (2), Oklahoma State over Mike Mena (4), Iowa — Dec 3–2 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 1 · 8 bouts

    1. Chris Heckel, Duke (NC) over Joe Catalanotto, Hofstra (NY) — Dflt · View bout
    2. Jason Hayes, Purdue (IN) over David Hopper, Appalachian State (NC) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    3. John Kelly, Brigham Young (UT) over CC Fisher, North Carolina — Dec 11–8 · View bout
    4. John Noble, Ohio over Sean Shea, George Mason (VA) — Fall 2:57 · View bout
    5. Micah Hey, Northwestern (IL) over Francky Francois, Delaware State — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    6. Nick Zinkin, Fresno State (CA) over Bob Hanson, Syracuse (NY) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    7. Rob Loper, Pittsburgh (PA) over Carl Perry (12), Illinois — Dflt · View bout
    8. Scott Murray, Northern Iowa over Steve Garland, Virginia — MD 12–2 · View bout

    Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

    1. Brett Tullo (10), Bloomsburg (PA) over Micah Hey, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 10–3 · View bout
    2. Chris Heckel, Duke (NC) over Anthony Sorantino, North Carolina State — Dec 8–5 · View bout
    3. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Jason Hayes, Purdue (IN) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
    4. Jake Whisenhunt, Oregon State over Nick Zinkin, Fresno State (CA) — Dec 7–2 · View bout
    5. Jason Betz, Penn State over Scott Murray, Northern Iowa — MD 11–2 · View bout
    6. John Noble, Ohio over Jeramie Welder (9), Nebraska — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    7. Rob Loper, Pittsburgh (PA) over Shawn Ford (6), Arizona State — Dec 8–6 · View bout
    8. Zach Zimmerer, Stanford (CA) over John Kelly, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 6–3 · View bout

    Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

    1. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Jake Whisenhunt, Oregon State — Dec 6–0 · View bout
    2. Jason Betz, Penn State over Brett Tullo (10), Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 4–3 · View bout
    3. John Noble, Ohio over Zach Zimmerer, Stanford (CA) — Dec 12–5 · View bout
    4. Rob Loper, Pittsburgh (PA) over Chris Heckel, Duke (NC) — Dec 6–5 · View bout

    Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

    1. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Willie Carpenter (7), Brown (RI) — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    2. Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma over Rob Loper, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    3. Pat Connors (11), Minnesota over John Noble, Ohio — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    4. Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) over Jason Betz, Penn State — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Pat Connors (11), Minnesota — Dec 5–4 · View bout
    2. Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) over Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma — Dec 8–7 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State over Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield — Dec 5–1 · View bout
    2. Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin over Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) — TF 15–0 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Eric Jetton (3), Wisconsin over Dwight Hinson (1), Iowa State — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    5th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Coby Wright (5), California-Bakersfield over Terry Showalter, Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 5–1 · View bout

    7th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Dane Valdez (8), Oklahoma over Pat Connors (11), Minnesota — Dec 4–3 · View bout