NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1961 NCAA Championships

147 lb

Champion Larry Hayes, Iowa State.Verified bracket Source bracket ↗

All-Americans

From the final and the 3rd place bout

  1. 1Larry HayesISU
  2. 2Ron PiferPSU
  3. 3Bobby WilsonOKST
  4. 4Jim BlakerMICH

Connected 1961 147-pound bracket

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Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 0 bouts

24 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 8 bouts

    8 byes into the round of 16

    1. Bill Dotson, Northern Iowa over John 'Michael' McGrath, Navy (MD) — Dec 10–1 · View bout
    2. Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State over Del Rossberg, Iowa — Dec 8–5 · View bout
    3. Dom Fatta (6), Purdue (IN) over Joe Chamberlin, Oklahoma — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    4. Jim Blaker (2), Michigan over Bill Berry, Washington State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    5. Joe Seay, Kansas State over Eldon 'DeVere' Henderson, Air Force (CO) — Dec 10–1 · View bout
    6. John Zolikoff, Pittsburgh (PA) over Walter Parker, Cornell College (IA) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
    7. Larry Hayes (1), Iowa State over Truman Sandelin, Western Colorado — Dec 10–7 · View bout
    8. Ron Pifer (3), Penn State over Lynn Mathews, Oregon — Fall 2:01 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State over Clifford 'Mike' Natvig Jr., Army (NY) — Dec 6–1 · View bout
    2. Dom Fatta (6), Purdue (IN) over Pat Reilly, Toledo (OH) — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    3. Jim Blaker (2), Michigan over Bill Bailey, Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 12–4 · View bout
    4. Joe Seay, Kansas State over Bob Gunst (5), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 2–0 · View bout
    5. Larry Hayes (1), Iowa State over Larry Bender, Pacific (OR) — Dec 17–3 · View bout
    6. LaVern Alton, Portland State (OR) over Bill Dotson, Northern Iowa — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    7. Melvin 'Toby' Zweygardt, Oregon State over John Zolikoff, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
    8. Ron Pifer (3), Penn State over Jim Hoppel, Bowling Green (OH) — Dec 9–1 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State over Joe Seay, Kansas State — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    2. Jim Blaker (2), Michigan over Melvin 'Toby' Zweygardt, Oregon State — Dec 11–3 · View bout
    3. Larry Hayes (1), Iowa State over LaVern Alton, Portland State (OR) — Dec 6–0 · View bout
    4. Ron Pifer (3), Penn State over Dom Fatta (6), Purdue (IN) — Dec 7–1 · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Larry Hayes (1), Iowa State over Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State — Dec 10–7 · View bout
    2. Ron Pifer (3), Penn State over Jim Blaker (2), Michigan — Dec 5–4 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Larry Hayes (1), Iowa State over Ron Pifer (3), Penn State — Dec 4–0 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 4 · 2 bouts

    1. Jim Hoppel, Bowling Green (OH) over Lynn Mathews, Oregon — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    2. Truman Sandelin, Western Colorado over Larry Bender, Pacific (OR) — Dec 11–0 · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Dom Fatta (6), Purdue (IN) over Jim Hoppel, Bowling Green (OH) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
    2. Truman Sandelin, Western Colorado over LaVern Alton, Portland State (OR) — Dec 2–1 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State over Truman Sandelin, Western Colorado — Dec 4–1 · View bout
    2. Jim Blaker (2), Michigan over Dom Fatta (6), Purdue (IN) — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Bobby Wilson (4), Oklahoma State over Jim Blaker (2), Michigan — Dec 3–1 · View bout