NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1968 NCAA Championships

167 lb

Champion Mike Gallego, Fresno State (CA).Verified bracket Source bracket ↗

All-Americans

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

  1. 1Mike GallegoFS
  2. 2Lamoin MerkleyCWU
  3. 3Jason SmithISU
  4. 4Bob DrebenstedtOKST
  5. 5Pete CornellMICH
  6. 6Rod OttMSU

Connected 1968 167-pound bracket

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Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 4 bouts

28 byes into the round of 32

  1. Bob Rust, Syracuse (NY) over Santo Ricotta Jr., Clarion (PA) — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  2. Dick Heinzelman, Wisconsin over Dewey 'Scott' Curzi, William & Mary (VA) — Dec 14–6 · View bout
  3. Don Apodaca, Adams State (CO) over Rick Ortega, New Mexico — Dec 9–0 · View bout
  4. Gene Denisar, Indiana (IN) over Bob Funk, Penn State — Fall 3:38 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Ben Cooper, Southern Illinois Carbondale over Joe O'Donnell, Tennessee — Dec 11–0 · View bout
  2. Bob 'Bud' McDaniel, Oklahoma over George Ross, Bowling Green (OH) — Dec 17–2 · View bout
  3. Bob Ahrens, Navy (MD) over John Dinger, Army (NY) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State over Don Apodaca, Adams State (CO) — Dec 8–6 · View bout
  5. Dick Heinzelman, Wisconsin over Dale French, Northern Colorado — Fall 3:24 · View bout
  6. Gene Denisar, Indiana (IN) over Billy Elder, East Stroudsburg (PA) — Dec 7–6 · View bout
  7. Jason Smith (4), Iowa State over John McNitt, South Dakota State — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  8. Jim Vandehay, Oregon State over Bob Rust, Syracuse (NY) — MFF · View bout
  9. Lamoin Merkley (2), Central Washington over Rod Ott, Michigan State — Dec 6–1 · View bout
  10. Mike Gallego (1), Fresno State (CA) over Barry Ritchey, Shippensburg (PA) — Fall 4:47 · View bout
  11. Pete Cornell, Michigan over Ben Harry, North Carolina State — Fall 7:22 · View bout
  12. Ray Wallace, Washington (WA) over Walt Price Jr., Massachusetts Tech — Dec 10–2 · View bout
  13. Russ Sill (6), Iowa over John Woods, California-Poly — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  14. Seth Norton, Northwestern (IL) over Al Nicusanti Jr., Lehigh (PA) — Dec 7–3 · View bout
  15. Steve Roshek, Utah over Don Ryland, Minnesota-Mankato — Dec 18–4 · View bout
  16. Tom McEwan (5), Yale (CT) over Lowell 'Gary' Hebenstreit, Air Force (CO) — Fall 6:15 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bob 'Bud' McDaniel, Oklahoma over Ben Cooper, Southern Illinois Carbondale — Dec 8–1 · View bout
  2. Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State over Bob Ahrens, Navy (MD) — Dec 5–2 · View bout
  3. Jason Smith (4), Iowa State over Jim Vandehay, Oregon State — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  4. Lamoin Merkley (2), Central Washington over Dick Heinzelman, Wisconsin — Fall 5:24 · View bout
  5. Mike Gallego (1), Fresno State (CA) over Steve Roshek, Utah — Dec 7–2 · View bout
  6. Pete Cornell, Michigan over Gene Denisar, Indiana (IN) — Dec 9–1 · View bout
  7. Ray Wallace, Washington (WA) over Russ Sill (6), Iowa — Fall 6:04 · View bout
  8. Seth Norton, Northwestern (IL) over Tom McEwan (5), Yale (CT) — Dec 10–8 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State over Ray Wallace, Washington (WA) — Dec 11–6 · View bout
  2. Jason Smith (4), Iowa State over Seth Norton, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
  3. Lamoin Merkley (2), Central Washington over Bob 'Bud' McDaniel, Oklahoma — Dec 5–0 · View bout
  4. Mike Gallego (1), Fresno State (CA) over Pete Cornell, Michigan — Fall 4:59 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Lamoin Merkley (2), Central Washington over Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  2. Mike Gallego (1), Fresno State (CA) over Jason Smith (4), Iowa State — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Mike Gallego (1), Fresno State (CA) over Lamoin Merkley (2), Central Washington — Dec 4–2 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 4 · 2 bouts

  1. Rod Ott, Michigan State over Dick Heinzelman, Wisconsin — MFF · View bout
  2. Steve Roshek, Utah over Barry Ritchey, Shippensburg (PA) — Fall 5:22 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Pete Cornell, Michigan over Steve Roshek, Utah — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  2. Rod Ott, Michigan State over Bob 'Bud' McDaniel, Oklahoma — Dec 1–0 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State over Rod Ott, Michigan State — Dec 2–0 · View bout
  2. Jason Smith (4), Iowa State over Pete Cornell, Michigan — Fall 4:55 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Jason Smith (4), Iowa State over Bob Drebenstedt (3), Oklahoma State — Dec 4–4 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Pete Cornell, Michigan over Rod Ott, Michigan State — Dec 6–2 · View bout