NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2025

2002 NCAA Championships

197 lb

Champion Cael Sanderson, Iowa State.

Placers

Places 1 to 8 as the record has them.

  1. 1Cael SandersonISU
  2. 2Jon TrengeLEH
  3. 3Nick PrestonOHST
  4. 4Owen ElzenMINN
  5. 5Justin RuizNEB
  6. 6Scott BarkerMIZZ
  7. 7Kyle SmithMICH
  8. 8Jason PayneUNI

Championship

Opening round · 1 bout

  1. Avery Zerkle, Lock Haven (PA) over Jason Gore, North Carolina State — Dec 8–4 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Anthony Reynolds (12), Sacred Heart (CT) over John Wechter, Michigan State — Dec 8–5 · View bout
  2. Brent Miller, West Virginia over Tyrone Byrd, Illinois — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  3. Cael Sanderson (1), Iowa State over Eric Mausser, Clarion (PA) — Fall 3:32 · View bout
  4. Chris Jones, Drexel (PA) over Avery Zerkle, Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  5. David Sandberg, Pittsburgh (PA) over Erik Gladish (9), Arizona State — Dec 11–7 · View bout
  6. David Shunamon (11), Edinboro (PA) over Pat DeGain, Indiana (IN) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  7. Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa over Pete Mielnik, Penn State — MD 10–2 · View bout
  8. Jon Trenge (2), Lehigh (PA) over Marcio Botelho, Fresno State (CA) — Fall 1:47 · View bout
  9. Justin Ruiz, Nebraska over Chris Skretkowicz (7), Hofstra (NY) — MD 12–3 · View bout
  10. Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo (NY) over Greg Eynon, Millersville (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  11. Kyle Smith (6), Michigan over Greg Sawyer, Rider (NJ) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  12. Matt Greenberg, Cornell (NY) over Willie Gruenwald, Oklahoma State — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  13. Nick Preston (4), Ohio State over David Schenk, California-Poly — Dec 9–4 · View bout
  14. Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota over Nick Ciarcia, Brown (RI) — MD 14–3 · View bout
  15. Scott Barker (5), Missouri over Randy Davidson, Portland State (OR) — TF 19–2 · View bout
  16. Tom Grossman (10), Oklahoma over Austin David, Tennessee-Chattanooga — MD 12–3 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Cael Sanderson (1), Iowa State over Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo (NY) — Fall 6:33 · View bout
  2. Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa over David Sandberg, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 8–5 · View bout
  3. Jon Trenge (2), Lehigh (PA) over Matt Greenberg, Cornell (NY) — Fall 3:15 · View bout
  4. Justin Ruiz, Nebraska over Tom Grossman (10), Oklahoma — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  5. Kyle Smith (6), Michigan over David Shunamon (11), Edinboro (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  6. Nick Preston (4), Ohio State over Brent Miller, West Virginia — Fall 6:26 · View bout
  7. Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota over Chris Jones, Drexel (PA) — MD 13–1 · View bout
  8. Scott Barker (5), Missouri over Anthony Reynolds (12), Sacred Heart (CT) — TF 16–1 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Cael Sanderson (1), Iowa State over Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa — TF 23–8 · View bout
  2. Jon Trenge (2), Lehigh (PA) over Justin Ruiz, Nebraska — Fall 1:20 · View bout
  3. Nick Preston (4), Ohio State over Scott Barker (5), Missouri — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  4. Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota over Kyle Smith (6), Michigan — Fall 4:15 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Cael Sanderson (1), Iowa State over Nick Preston (4), Ohio State — MD 18–7 · View bout
  2. Jon Trenge (2), Lehigh (PA) over Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota — MD 16–6 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Cael Sanderson (1), Iowa State over Jon Trenge (2), Lehigh (PA) — MD 12–4 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation opening round · 1 bout

  1. Tyrone Byrd, Illinois over Jason Gore, North Carolina State — Dec 2–0 · View bout

Consolation round 1 · 8 bouts

  1. Avery Zerkle, Lock Haven (PA) over Nick Ciarcia, Brown (RI) — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  2. Chris Skretkowicz (7), Hofstra (NY) over Austin David, Tennessee-Chattanooga — MD 14–1 · View bout
  3. David Schenk, California-Poly over Tyrone Byrd, Illinois — Dec 7–6 · View bout
  4. Eric Mausser, Clarion (PA) over Greg Eynon, Millersville (PA) — MD 11–0 · View bout
  5. Erik Gladish (9), Arizona State over Pete Mielnik, Penn State — Dec 12–5 · View bout
  6. John Wechter, Michigan State over Randy Davidson, Portland State (OR) — MD 20–8 · View bout
  7. Pat DeGain, Indiana (IN) over Greg Sawyer, Rider (NJ) — MD 16–7 · View bout
  8. Willie Gruenwald, Oklahoma State over Marcio Botelho, Fresno State (CA) — Fall 1:48 · View bout

Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

  1. Avery Zerkle, Lock Haven (PA) over David Sandberg, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  2. Brent Miller, West Virginia over Chris Skretkowicz (7), Hofstra (NY) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  3. Chris Jones, Drexel (PA) over Erik Gladish (9), Arizona State — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  4. David Schenk, California-Poly over Tom Grossman (10), Oklahoma — Dec 6–4 · View bout
  5. Eric Mausser, Clarion (PA) over David Shunamon (11), Edinboro (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  6. John Wechter, Michigan State over Matt Greenberg, Cornell (NY) — Dec 6–1 · View bout
  7. Pat DeGain, Indiana (IN) over Kyle Cerminara, Buffalo (NY) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  8. Willie Gruenwald, Oklahoma State over Anthony Reynolds (12), Sacred Heart (CT) — Dec 8–7 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Brent Miller, West Virginia over Willie Gruenwald, Oklahoma State — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  2. Eric Mausser, Clarion (PA) over Chris Jones, Drexel (PA) — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  3. John Wechter, Michigan State over David Schenk, California-Poly — Dec 6–3 · View bout
  4. Pat DeGain, Indiana (IN) over Avery Zerkle, Lock Haven (PA) — Fall 3:38 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa over John Wechter, Michigan State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  2. Justin Ruiz, Nebraska over Pat DeGain, Indiana (IN) — Fall 1:50 · View bout
  3. Kyle Smith (6), Michigan over Brent Miller, West Virginia — Dec 8–2 · View bout
  4. Scott Barker (5), Missouri over Eric Mausser, Clarion (PA) — Fall 7:00 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Justin Ruiz, Nebraska over Kyle Smith (6), Michigan — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  2. Scott Barker (5), Missouri over Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa — Fall 6:40 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Nick Preston (4), Ohio State over Justin Ruiz, Nebraska — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  2. Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota over Scott Barker (5), Missouri — Dec 7–0 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Nick Preston (4), Ohio State over Owen Elzen (3), Minnesota — Dec 7–4 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Justin Ruiz, Nebraska over Scott Barker (5), Missouri — Dec 7–6 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Kyle Smith (6), Michigan over Jason Payne (8), Northern Iowa — Dec 10–4 · View bout

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