NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1963 NCAA Championships

123 lb

Champion Mike Nissen, Nebraska.Verified bracket Source bracket ↗

All-Americans

From the final and the 3rd and 5th place bouts

  1. 1Mike NissenNEB
  2. 2Mike JohnsonPITT
  3. 3Mark McCrackenOKST
  4. 4Fred PowellLH
  5. 5Gary JosephOHST
  6. 6Don NeffUNCO

Connected 1963 123-pound bracket

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Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 0 bouts

26 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 10 bouts

    6 byes into the round of 16

    1. Albert Tapia, Oklahoma over Don Pike, Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    2. Claude Gonzales, Colorado State over Ralph Bahna, Michigan — Dec 5–4 · View bout
    3. Dave Unruh, Kansas State over James Schonauer, Hiram (OH) — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    4. Don Neff, Northern Colorado over Jules Balon, Springfield (MA) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
    5. Fred Crawford, Navy (MD) over Douglas Drake, Rochester Tech (NY) — Dflt · View bout
    6. Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State over Terry Haise, Syracuse (NY) — Dflt · View bout
    7. Gary Smith, Michigan State over Roger Sebert, Iowa State — Dec 6–4 · View bout
    8. Jim Gautz, Wyoming over Ron Maunder, Maryland — Dec 7–0 · View bout
    9. Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State over Arnold Saferstein, Miami (OH) — Dec 9–0 · View bout
    10. Mike Nissen (2), Nebraska over Bill Fuller, Iowa — Dec 5–0 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Albert Tapia, Oklahoma over Terry Finn, Southern Illinois Carbondale — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    2. Bill Merriam (3), Lehigh (PA) over Claude Gonzales, Colorado State — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    3. Dave Unruh, Kansas State over Joel Melitski, Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 9–7 · View bout
    4. Fred Powell (6), Lock Haven (PA) over Fred Crawford, Navy (MD) — Dec 6–4 · View bout
    5. Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State over John Elter, Purdue (IN) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
    6. Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State over Gary Smith, Michigan State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    7. Mike Johnson (4), Pittsburgh (PA) over Jim Gautz, Wyoming — Dec 6–4 · View bout
    8. Mike Nissen (2), Nebraska over Don Neff, Northern Colorado — Dec 7–4 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Fred Powell (6), Lock Haven (PA) over Bill Merriam (3), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 2–0 · View bout
    2. Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State over Dave Unruh, Kansas State — Dec 6–5 · View bout
    3. Mike Johnson (4), Pittsburgh (PA) over Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State — Dec 7–3 · View bout
    4. Mike Nissen (2), Nebraska over Albert Tapia, Oklahoma — Dec 14–2 · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Mike Johnson (4), Pittsburgh (PA) over Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State — Dec 7–3 · View bout
    2. Mike Nissen (2), Nebraska over Fred Powell (6), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 8–6 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Mike Nissen (2), Nebraska over Mike Johnson (4), Pittsburgh (PA) — Fall 10:55 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 4 · 1 bout

    1 byes into the consolation round 5

    1. Don Neff, Northern Colorado over Bill Fuller, Iowa — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Don Neff, Northern Colorado over Albert Tapia, Oklahoma — Dec 2–1 · View bout
    2. Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State over Jim Gautz, Wyoming — Dec 8–1 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Fred Powell (6), Lock Haven (PA) over Don Neff, Northern Colorado — Dec 0–0 · View bout
    2. Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State over Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State — Dec 2–0 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Mark McCracken (1), Oklahoma State over Fred Powell (6), Lock Haven (PA) — Dec 2–0 · View bout

    5th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Gary Joseph (5), Ohio State over Don Neff, Northern Colorado — Dec 4–3 · View bout