NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2025

1997 NCAA Championships

158 lb

Champion Joe Williams, Iowa.

Placers

Places 1 to 8 as the record has them.

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

Championship

Opening round · 2 bouts

  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

Bouts as the source workbook records them, in round order. No bracket positions or byes are inferred.