marchmatness1928–2026

1972 NCAA Championships

Unlimited

Champion Chris Taylor, Iowa State.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Chris TaylorISU
  2. 2Greg WojciechowskiTOL
  3. 3Mike McCreadyUNI
  4. 4Harry GerisOKST
  5. 5Wayne KarneyPORT
  6. 6Jim HagenORST

In 1972, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the semifinal, and places were awarded through sixth, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1972 Unlimited-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. Carl Dambman, Massachusetts over James Summerfelt, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 8–5 · View bout
  2. Don Jackson, San Jose State (CA) over William 'Pete' Lee, Ball State (IN) — Dec 17–10 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Ben Lewis (5), Michigan State over Tony Policare Jr., Buffalo (NY) — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  2. Bill Struve, Oklahoma over Tim Karpoff (8), Yale (CT) — Dec 10–9 · View bout
  3. Chris Taylor (3), Iowa State over Larry Malinowski, Central Michigan — Fall 2:50 · View bout
  4. Dave Joyner (2), Penn State over Russ Ranno, Ohio — Fall 3:58 · View bout
  5. Dennis Pierro, Minnesota-Mankato over Jim Bullock, Columbia (NY) — Fall 3:52 · View bout
  6. Don Jackson, San Jose State (CA) over Gary Ernst, Michigan — Fall 6:31 · View bout
  7. Greg Wojciechowski (1), Toledo (OH) over Jim Hagen, Oregon State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  8. Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State over Carl Dambman, Massachusetts — Fall 4:21 · View bout
  9. Joel Kislin, Hofstra (NY) over Jim Woods, Western Illinois — Dec 7–1 · View bout
  10. Kurt Bellock, Utah over Mark Reid, Maryland — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  11. Mike Cerqua, Purdue (IN) over Rick Meinders, Utah State — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  12. Mike Danjczek, Lehigh (PA) over Bill Crosby, Illinois State — Sup 21–4 · View bout
  13. Mike Fanning, Notre Dame (IN) over Don Dunham, Washington (WA) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  14. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Larry Bosma, Idaho — Sup 16–3 · View bout
  15. Milt Seals, New Mexico over Greg Freaney, William & Mary (VA) — Fall 4:36 · View bout
  16. Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) over Herris Butler, Missouri — Dec 6–2 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Ben Lewis (5), Michigan State over Kurt Bellock, Utah — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  2. Bill Struve, Oklahoma over Don Jackson, San Jose State (CA) — Dec 11–2 · View bout
  3. Chris Taylor (3), Iowa State over Milt Seals, New Mexico — Fall 4:41 · View bout
  4. Dave Joyner (2), Penn State over Mike Fanning, Notre Dame (IN) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  5. Greg Wojciechowski (1), Toledo (OH) over Mike Danjczek, Lehigh (PA) — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  6. Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State over Joel Kislin, Hofstra (NY) — Fall 3:31 · View bout
  7. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Mike Cerqua, Purdue (IN) — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  8. Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) over Dennis Pierro, Minnesota-Mankato — Dec 7–3 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Chris Taylor (3), Iowa State over Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa — Dec 2–0 · View bout
  2. Greg Wojciechowski (1), Toledo (OH) over Bill Struve, Oklahoma — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  3. Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State over Dave Joyner (2), Penn State — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  4. Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) over Ben Lewis (5), Michigan State — Dec 6–4 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Chris Taylor (3), Iowa State over Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  2. Greg Wojciechowski (1), Toledo (OH) over Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) — Dec 6–6 (tiebreaker) · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Chris Taylor (3), Iowa State over Greg Wojciechowski (1), Toledo (OH) — Dec 6–1 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Carl Dambman, Massachusetts over Joel Kislin, Hofstra (NY) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  2. Herris Butler, Missouri over Dennis Pierro, Minnesota-Mankato — Dec 2–0 · View bout
  3. Jim Hagen, Oregon State over Mike Danjczek, Lehigh (PA) — Fall 5:35 · View bout
  4. Milt Seals, New Mexico over Larry Malinowski, Central Michigan — Fall 5:07 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Ben Lewis (5), Michigan State over Herris Butler, Missouri — Dec 7–1 · View bout
  2. Dave Joyner (2), Penn State over Carl Dambman, Massachusetts — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  3. Jim Hagen, Oregon State over Bill Struve, Oklahoma — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  4. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Milt Seals, New Mexico — Dec 11–5 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Jim Hagen, Oregon State over Ben Lewis (5), Michigan State — Dec 4–3 · View bout
  2. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Dave Joyner (2), Penn State — Dec 3–1 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State over Jim Hagen, Oregon State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  2. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) — Dec 2–1 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Mike McCready (6), Northern Iowa over Harry Geris (7), Oklahoma State — Dec 4–3 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Wayne Karney (4), Portland State (OR) over Jim Hagen, Oregon State — Dec 10–1 · View bout

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