NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1978 NCAA Championships

167 lb

Champion Keith Stearns, Oklahoma.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Keith StearnsOU
  2. 2Paul MartinOKST
  3. 3Scott HeatonCP
  4. 4Jim WeirJCU
  5. 5Brad HansenBYU
  6. 6Mike DeAnnaIOWA

In 1978, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the semifinal, and places were awarded through sixth, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1978 167-pound bracket

Select a name to highlight their path; select it again to open the profile. Select a score for the bout.

How to read this bracket
  • Tap a name to follow that wrestler; tap it again to open their profile.
  • "Cons →" is where the loser continues in the consolation bracket; tap it to go there.
  • "↩" is where a wrestler arrived from the championship bracket.
  • The score opens the bout.
Final →Placements →

Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 3 bouts

29 byes into the round of 32

  1. Greg Fronczak, William & Mary (VA) over Russ Pickering, Miami (OH) — Dec 10–9 · View bout
  2. Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa over Dave Pacheco, Idaho State — Fall 1:52 · View bout
  3. Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State over Russ Weglarz, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 15–8 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Ashley Swift, Penn State over Dave Miller, Missouri — Dec 6–5 · View bout
  2. Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) over Bryan Neitenbach, Colorado — Fall 5:46 · View bout
  3. Brian Parlet, Augustana (SD) over Greg Fronczak, William & Mary (VA) — MD 17–6 · View bout
  4. Colin Kilrain, Lehigh (PA) over Richard Evans, Washington (WA) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  5. Gene Clemons, Wilkes (PA) over Joe Elinsky, Auburn (AL) — Dec 15–8 · View bout
  6. Jeff Parker, Louisiana State over Mike James, Washington State — Fall 1:46 · View bout
  7. Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) over Craig Cody, Appalachian State (NC) — MD 14–4 · View bout
  8. Keith Poolman, Northern Iowa over Jim Vargo, East Stroudsburg (PA) — Dec 17–12 · View bout
  9. Keith Stearns (3), Oklahoma over Doug Hutsell, Indiana (IN) — Dec 4–2 · View bout
  10. Ken Schneider, California-Berkeley over Dom Macchia, Rhode Island — Fall 2:08 · View bout
  11. Mike Burford, Drake (IA) over Mark Harris, Utah State — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  12. Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa over Dennis Graham, Portland State (OR) — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  13. Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State over Kevin Colabucci, Maryland — MD 13–3 · View bout
  14. Rob DiSerafino, Rider (NJ) over Dave Evans (7), Wisconsin — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  15. Ron Varga (5), Cleveland State (OH) over Kent Weyand, Northern Colorado — MD 12–3 · View bout
  16. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Ken Berry, Hiram (OH) — Fall 1:54 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) over Brian Parlet, Augustana (SD) — MD 12–1 · View bout
  2. Jeff Parker, Louisiana State over Rob DiSerafino, Rider (NJ) — Fall 3:28 · View bout
  3. Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) over Colin Kilrain, Lehigh (PA) — Dec 11–11 (tiebreaker) · View bout
  4. Keith Stearns (3), Oklahoma over Ashley Swift, Penn State — MD 9–1 · View bout
  5. Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa over Gene Clemons, Wilkes (PA) — MD 15–6 · View bout
  6. Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State over Mike Burford, Drake (IA) — Dec 15–8 · View bout
  7. Ron Varga (5), Cleveland State (OH) over Keith Poolman, Northern Iowa — Dec 10–3 · View bout
  8. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Ken Schneider, California-Berkeley — Fall 1:29 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) over Ron Varga (5), Cleveland State (OH) — Fall 3:24 · View bout
  2. Keith Stearns (3), Oklahoma over Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) — Dec 8–3 · View bout
  3. Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa over Jeff Parker, Louisiana State — Fall 7:44 · View bout
  4. Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State over Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly — Dec 8–7 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Keith Stearns (3), Oklahoma over Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa — Dec 10–6 · View bout
  2. Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State over Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 8–7 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Keith Stearns (3), Oklahoma over Paul Martin (1), Oklahoma State — Dec 3–2 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 2 · 2 bouts

  1. Dennis Graham, Portland State (OR) over Dave Pacheco, Idaho State — Fall 4:24 · View bout
  2. Kevin Colabucci, Maryland over Russ Weglarz, Northwestern (IL) — Dec 8–2 · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Brian Parlet, Augustana (SD) over Bryan Neitenbach, Colorado — MD 10–0 · View bout
  2. Doug Hutsell, Indiana (IN) over Ashley Swift, Penn State — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  3. Gene Clemons, Wilkes (PA) over Dennis Graham, Portland State (OR) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  4. Mike Burford, Drake (IA) over Kevin Colabucci, Maryland — MD 12–4 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Brian Parlet, Augustana (SD) over Ron Varga (5), Cleveland State (OH) — Fall 5:34 · View bout
  2. Gene Clemons, Wilkes (PA) over Jeff Parker, Louisiana State — MD 15–6 · View bout
  3. Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) over Doug Hutsell, Indiana (IN) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  4. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Mike Burford, Drake (IA) — Fall 2:46 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) over Gene Clemons, Wilkes (PA) — Dec 7–6 · View bout
  2. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Brian Parlet, Augustana (SD) — Dec 8–1 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) over Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) — MD 16–6 · View bout
  2. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa — Dec 9–6 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Scott Heaton (8), California-Poly over Jim Weir (6), John Carroll (OH) — MD 14–4 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Brad Hansen (4), Brigham Young (UT) over Mike DeAnna (2), Iowa — Fall 2:31 · View bout