NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1998 NCAA Championships

275 lb

Champion Stephen Neal, California-Bakersfield.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Stephen NealCSUB
  2. 2Trent HynekISU
  3. 3Shelton BenjaminMINN
  4. 4Bill ClossonLEH
  5. 5Airron RichardsonMICH
  6. 6Jason GleasmanSYR
  7. 7Karl RoeslerILL
  8. 8Wes HandIOWA

Connected 1998 275-pound bracket

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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

29 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 13 bouts

    3 byes into the round of 16

    1. Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin over Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
    2. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Marc DeFrancesco, Rider (NJ) — Dflt · View bout
    3. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Mike Dixon, Indiana (IN) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
    4. Bob Puzio, American (DC) over Mike Russow, Eastern Illinois — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    5. David Pierce, Purdue (IN) over Matt Stein, Edinboro (PA) — Fall 4:25 · View bout
    6. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State — Dec 10–4 · View bout
    7. John Henry Ward, Oklahoma over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Dec 9–7 · View bout
    8. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Gan McGee, California-Poly — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    9. Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) over Dion Reed, Boston (MA) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    10. Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska over Chris Miller, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    11. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) — Fall 6:51 · View bout
    12. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) — MD 12–4 · View bout
    13. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin over Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    2. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) — MD 10–2 · View bout
    3. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over John Henry Ward, Oklahoma — Fall 2:07 · View bout
    4. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Bob Puzio, American (DC) — MD 9–1 · View bout
    5. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State — Dec 5–1 · View bout
    6. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over David Pierce, Purdue (IN) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    7. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska — MD 12–2 · View bout
    8. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Leslie Apedoe (6), Virginia Military — Dec 5–1 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Karl Roesler (7), Illinois — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    2. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota — Dec 5–4 · View bout
    3. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin — Fall 4:26 · View bout
    4. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 4–1 · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) — Fall 2:15 · View bout
    2. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Airron Richardson (2), Michigan — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State — TF 20–5 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 1 · 5 bouts

    3 byes into the consolation round 2

    1. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over Mike Russow, Eastern Illinois — Dec 4–3 · View bout
    2. Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) over Chris Miller, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
    3. Dion Reed, Boston (MA) over Marc DeFrancesco, Rider (NJ) — Dflt · View bout
    4. Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) over Matt Stein, Edinboro (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    5. Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) over Mike Dixon, Indiana (IN) — MD 16–5 · View bout

    Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

    1. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Gan McGee, California-Poly — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    2. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over John Henry Ward, Oklahoma — Dec 7–5 · View bout
    3. David Pierce, Purdue (IN) over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    4. Dion Reed, Boston (MA) over Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska — Dec 10–5 · View bout
    5. Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) over Leslie Apedoe (6), Virginia Military — Dflt · View bout
    6. Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State over Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) — TF 16–1 · View bout
    7. Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) over Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
    8. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Bob Puzio, American (DC) — Dec 8–4 · View bout

    Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

    1. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Dion Reed, Boston (MA) — Dec 3–0 · View bout
    2. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over David Pierce, Purdue (IN) — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    3. Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State over Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) — MD 13–0 · View bout
    4. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) — MD 16–2 · View bout

    Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

    1. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State — Dec 2–0 · View bout
    2. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    3. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State — Dec 9–8 · View bout
    4. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Karl Roesler (7), Illinois — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    2. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Fall 0:50 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    2. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Airron Richardson (2), Michigan — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    5th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 9–4 · View bout

    7th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Dec 5–2 · View bout