NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1997 NCAA Championships

158 lb

Champion Joe Williams, Iowa.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Joe WilliamsIOWA
  2. 2Tony RobieEDIN
  3. 3Ernest Benion Jr.ILL
  4. 4Hardell MooreOKST
  5. 5Matt HughesEIU
  6. 6Brian LeitzelLH
  7. 7Dwight GardnerOHIO
  8. 8Matt SuterASU

Connected 1997 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 · 2 bouts

30 byes into the round of 32

  1. Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) over Sean Morgan, Oregon — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  2. Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) over Joe Stanton, North Carolina-Greensboro — MD 12–4 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) over Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) — Dec 13–8 · View bout
  2. Byron Tucker (7), Oklahoma over Evan Dolan, Rider (NJ) — Dec 10–3 · View bout
  3. Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio over Kurt Hudson, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  4. Ed Mosley, Harvard (MA) over Andy Varner, California-Bakersfield — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  5. Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois over Travis Doto, Lehigh (PA) — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  6. Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State over David Wells, California-Poly — Dec 9–2 · View bout
  7. Jacob Schaus, Pittsburgh (PA) over Alex Leykikh, Virginia — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  8. Jason Kraft (12), Nebraska over Steve Duran, California-Fullerton — MD 13–5 · View bout
  9. Joe Williams (1), Iowa over Arash Alizadeh, Maryland — Fall 2:35 · View bout
  10. John Lange, Penn State over Cassidy Shults, Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  11. Josh Holiday, Minnesota over Jeff Godbe, New Mexico — Dec 12–9 · View bout
  12. Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois over Jason Guyton, Howard (DC) — TF 16–1 · View bout
  13. Matt Suter (11), Arizona State over Reese Edgington, Virginia Military — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  14. Sam Kline, West Virginia over Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  15. Tivon Abel (9), Brown (RI) over Eric Hall, Virginia Tech — Fall 0:28 · View bout
  16. Tony Robie (3), Edinboro (PA) over John DeLeon, Iowa State — MD 19–8 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) over Byron Tucker (7), Oklahoma — Dec 8–5 · View bout
  2. Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois over Jacob Schaus, Pittsburgh (PA) — MD 11–2 · View bout
  3. Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State over Jason Kraft (12), Nebraska — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  4. Joe Williams (1), Iowa over Ed Mosley, Harvard (MA) — Fall 0:31 · View bout
  5. Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois over Josh Holiday, Minnesota — TF 16–0 · View bout
  6. Matt Suter (11), Arizona State over Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  7. Tivon Abel (9), Brown (RI) over Sam Kline, West Virginia — MD 16–6 · View bout
  8. Tony Robie (3), Edinboro (PA) over John Lange, Penn State — MD 21–7 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois over Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  2. Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State over Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  3. Joe Williams (1), Iowa over Tivon Abel (9), Brown (RI) — TF 22–7 · View bout
  4. Tony Robie (3), Edinboro (PA) over Matt Suter (11), Arizona State — Dec 10–4 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Joe Williams (1), Iowa over Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  2. Tony Robie (3), Edinboro (PA) over Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois — Dec 7–5 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Joe Williams (1), Iowa over Tony Robie (3), Edinboro (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation opening round · 2 bouts

  1. Joe Stanton, North Carolina-Greensboro over Reese Edgington, Virginia Military — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  2. Sean Morgan, Oregon over Jeff Godbe, New Mexico — Dec 7–4 · View bout

Consolation round 1 · 8 bouts

  1. Arash Alizadeh, Maryland over Andy Varner, California-Bakersfield — MD 11–3 · View bout
  2. David Wells, California-Poly over Steve Duran, California-Fullerton — MD 11–0 · View bout
  3. Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) over Evan Dolan, Rider (NJ) — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  4. Joe Stanton, North Carolina-Greensboro over Kurt Hudson, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  5. John DeLeon, Iowa State over Cassidy Shults, Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  6. Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) over Eric Hall, Virginia Tech — MD 12–4 · View bout
  7. Sean Morgan, Oregon over Jason Guyton, Howard (DC) — MD 15–1 · View bout
  8. Travis Doto, Lehigh (PA) over Alex Leykikh, Virginia — Dec 6–0 · View bout

Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

  1. Byron Tucker (7), Oklahoma over Arash Alizadeh, Maryland — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  2. Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio over David Wells, California-Poly — MD 15–7 · View bout
  3. Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) over Ed Mosley, Harvard (MA) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  4. Jason Kraft (12), Nebraska over Joe Stanton, North Carolina-Greensboro — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  5. John DeLeon, Iowa State over Josh Holiday, Minnesota — Dec 7–0 · View bout
  6. John Lange, Penn State over Sean Morgan, Oregon — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  7. Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) over Jacob Schaus, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  8. Sam Kline, West Virginia over Travis Doto, Lehigh (PA) — Dec 6–5 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio over John Lange, Penn State — Dec 7–6 · View bout
  2. Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) over Sam Kline, West Virginia — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  3. Jason Kraft (12), Nebraska over John DeLeon, Iowa State — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) over Byron Tucker (7), Oklahoma — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) over Jason Kraft (12), Nebraska — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  2. Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio over Tivon Abel (9), Brown (RI) — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  3. Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois over Richard 'Rangi' Smart (8), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  4. Matt Suter (11), Arizona State over Eric Douglas, Purdue (IN) — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) over Matt Suter (11), Arizona State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  2. Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois over Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois over Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois — Dec 2–0 · View bout
  2. Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State over Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 11–5 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Ernest Benion Jr. (2), Illinois over Hardell Moore (5), Oklahoma State — Dec 4–0 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Matt Hughes (4), Eastern Illinois over Brian Leitzel (10), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 8–2 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Dwight Gardner (6), Ohio over Matt Suter (11), Arizona State — Dec 5–3 · View bout