NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1978 NCAA Championships

Unlimited lb

Champion Jimmy Jackson, Oklahoma State.Verified bracket Source bracket ↗

All-Americans

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

  1. 1Jimmy JacksonOKST
  2. 2John SefterPRIN
  3. 3Bob GolicND
  4. 4Gary PetersonBYU
  5. 5John BowlsbyIOWA
  6. 6Jeff BlatnickSPRI

Connected 1978 Unlimited-pound bracket

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Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 1 bout

31 byes into the round of 32

  1. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over James Mitchell, Arizona State — MD 10–1 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) over Mike Engwall, Arizona — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  2. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Tom Waldon, Iowa State — Fall 1:44 · View bout
  3. David Jack, California-Poly over Dave Pletcher, Lafayette (PA) — Fall 2:49 · View bout
  4. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jerry Fultz, Ohio — Dec 12–8 · View bout
  5. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Ralph Kuehn, San Jose State (CA) — Fall 0:38 · View bout
  6. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over George Moskowitz, California-Berkeley — Fall 2:57 · View bout
  7. Jeff Gillman, Missouri over Jim Becker, Minnesota — Fall 3:41 · View bout
  8. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Nick Mygas, Navy (MD) — Fall 7:43 · View bout
  9. Jesse Ponce, Idaho State over John Allen, Massachusetts — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  10. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Ralph Zigner, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 1:21 · View bout
  11. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Bob Tunstall, Maryland — MD 9–1 · View bout
  12. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over Mike Garrison, Washington (WA) — Fall 4:58 · View bout
  13. Mark Stepanovich, Pittsburgh (PA) over George Atiyeh (5), Louisiana State — MD 13–5 · View bout
  14. Mitch Hull, Wisconsin over Mel Sharp, Bloomsburg (PA) — Dec 8–6 · View bout
  15. Steve Bennett, Michigan over DT Joyner (8), East Carolina (NC) — Dec 12–7 · View bout
  16. Tim Payne, Cleveland State (OH) over Mike Rotunda, Syracuse (NY) — Dec 7–2 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jeff Gillman, Missouri — Fall 6:02 · View bout
  3. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Jesse Ponce, Idaho State — Fall 6:07 · View bout
  4. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Mark Stepanovich, Pittsburgh (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  5. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 11–4 · View bout
  6. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Tim Payne, Cleveland State (OH) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
  7. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over David Jack, California-Poly — Dec 5–0 · View bout
  8. Mitch Hull, Wisconsin over Steve Bennett, Michigan — Sup 17–3 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Harold Smith (2), Kentucky — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  3. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Mitch Hull, Wisconsin — Dec 4–0 · View bout
  4. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over John Bowlsby (3), Iowa — Dec 6–0 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) — Dec 11–5 · View bout
  2. John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) over Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 10–6 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Jimmy Jackson (1), Oklahoma State over John Sefter (6), Princeton (NJ) — Fall 1:12 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) over Tom Waldon, Iowa State — Dec 3–0 · View bout
  2. David Jack, California-Poly over Mike Garrison, Washington (WA) — Fall 1:50 · View bout
  3. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Ralph Zigner, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 3:48 · View bout
  4. Jerry Fultz, Ohio over Jeff Gillman, Missouri — Dec 9–5 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Harold Smith (2), Kentucky over Jerry Fultz, Ohio — Fall 1:59 · View bout
  2. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Mitch Hull, Wisconsin — Dec 3–1 · View bout
  3. Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) over Barry Bennett, Concordia (MN) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
  4. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over David Jack, California-Poly — Dec 4–0 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) over Jerry Anderson, Drake (IA) — MD 9–0 · View bout
  2. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Harold Smith (2), Kentucky — Dec 4–2 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over John Bowlsby (3), Iowa — Dec 2–1 · View bout
  2. Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 8–3 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Bob Golic (4), Notre Dame (IN) over Gary Peterson (7), Brigham Young (UT) — Fall 5:48 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. John Bowlsby (3), Iowa over Jeff Blatnick, Springfield (MA) — Dec 3–3 · View bout