NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1986 NCAA Championships

Unlimited

Champion Kirk Trost, Michigan.Original bracket sheet ↗

All-Americans

  1. 1Kirk TrostMICH
  2. 2John HerepoulosISU
  3. 3Gary AlbrightNEB
  4. 4Tom EriksonOKST
  5. 5John PottsTOL
  6. 6Dean HallEDIN
  7. 7Rocco LiaceASU
  8. 8Emmanuel YarbroughMORG

In 1986, a wrestler wrestled back only if the man who beat him reached the quarterfinal, so the consolation bracket is shorter than a modern one. Every bout the tournament recorded is drawn here.

Connected 1986 Unlimited-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. Brian McCracken, Illinois over Jon Cogdill, Wyoming — Sup 18–5 · View bout
  2. Mark Tatum (9), Oklahoma over Norries Wilson, Minnesota — Dec 9–6 · View bout
  3. Pat McDade, Boise State (ID) over George Kovach II, Drexel (PA) — Fall 2:44 · View bout

Round of 32 · 16 bouts

  1. Bernie Brown (5), Lehigh (PA) over Bill Paxton, Indiana (IN) — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  2. Bill Nye (8), West Virginia over Steve Grimet, Illinois State — Dec 3–3 (tiebreaker) · View bout
  3. Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) over Stacey Davis Sr., North Carolina — Dec 8–6 · View bout
  4. Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) over Mike Wallace, Tennessee-Chattanooga — Fall 0:53 · View bout
  5. Garrett Keith, North Carolina State over Chris Tironi, Albany (NY) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  6. Gary Albright (2), Nebraska over Pat McDade, Boise State (ID) — Fall 2:16 · View bout
  7. Jim Nielsen (6), Idaho State over Demetrius Harper, Eastern Illinois — Fall 1:43 · View bout
  8. John Herepoulos (4), Iowa State over Con Madigan, New Hampshire — TF (no score) · View bout
  9. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Brian McCracken, Illinois — Sup 14–0 · View bout
  10. Kirk Butryn, Clarion (PA) over John Place, Penn State — Dec 8–7 · View bout
  11. Kirk Trost (3), Michigan over Chris Mast, Fresno State (CA) — Fall 0:57 · View bout
  12. Mark Tatum (9), Oklahoma over Kevin Wattles, Harvard (MA) — MD 14–4 · View bout
  13. Rocco Liace, Arizona State over Lee Getz (11), Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 8–1 · View bout
  14. Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State over Jamie Lazarou, Rider (NJ) — Fall 2:44 · View bout
  15. Tom Reese (12), Maryland over Tony Koontz, Northern Iowa — Dec 7–4 · View bout
  16. Wendell Ellis (10), Washington State over Rich Pilkington, Columbia (NY) — Dec 5–2 · View bout

Round of 16 · 8 bouts

  1. Bernie Brown (5), Lehigh (PA) over Tom Reese (12), Maryland — Dec 5–1 · View bout
  2. Gary Albright (2), Nebraska over Kirk Butryn, Clarion (PA) — Fall 0:58 · View bout
  3. John Herepoulos (4), Iowa State over Garrett Keith, North Carolina State — Dec 12–7 · View bout
  4. Kirk Trost (3), Michigan over Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) — DQ · View bout
  5. Mark Tatum (9), Oklahoma over Bill Nye (8), West Virginia — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  6. Rocco Liace, Arizona State over Jim Nielsen (6), Idaho State — Dec 9–3 · View bout
  7. Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State over John Potts, Toledo (OH) — Dec 15–11 · View bout
  8. Wendell Ellis (10), Washington State over Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) — Dec 11–9 · View bout

Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

  1. Gary Albright (2), Nebraska over Wendell Ellis (10), Washington State — Fall 4:50 · View bout
  2. John Herepoulos (4), Iowa State over Bernie Brown (5), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 7–5 · View bout
  3. Kirk Trost (3), Michigan over Rocco Liace, Arizona State — MD 9–1 · View bout
  4. Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State over Mark Tatum (9), Oklahoma — Dec 5–3 · View bout

Semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. John Herepoulos (4), Iowa State over Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State — Dec 3–2 · View bout
  2. Kirk Trost (3), Michigan over Gary Albright (2), Nebraska — Dec 4–2 · View bout

Final · 1 bout

  1. Kirk Trost (3), Michigan over John Herepoulos (4), Iowa State — Dec 6–3 · View bout

Consolation

Consolation round 1 · 1 bout

  1. Kevin Wattles, Harvard (MA) over Norries Wilson, Minnesota — Fall 5:58 · View bout

Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

  1. Bill Nye (8), West Virginia over Kevin Wattles, Harvard (MA) — Fall 1:35 · View bout
  2. Bill Paxton, Indiana (IN) over Tom Reese (12), Maryland — Dec 10–5 · View bout
  3. Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) over Rich Pilkington, Columbia (NY) — MD 12–1 · View bout
  4. Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) over Chris Mast, Fresno State (CA) — Fall 2:08 · View bout
  5. Garrett Keith, North Carolina State over Con Madigan, New Hampshire — Dec 8–4 · View bout
  6. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Jamie Lazarou, Rider (NJ) — Fall 1:27 · View bout
  7. Kirk Butryn, Clarion (PA) over Pat McDade, Boise State (ID) — Sup 18–6 · View bout
  8. Lee Getz (11), Rutgers (NJ) over Jim Nielsen (6), Idaho State — MFF · View bout

Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

  1. Bill Paxton, Indiana (IN) over Garrett Keith, North Carolina State — Fall 3:44 · View bout
  2. Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) over Kirk Butryn, Clarion (PA) — Fall 2:51 · View bout
  3. Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) over Lee Getz (11), Rutgers (NJ) — Dec 5–3 · View bout
  4. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Bill Nye (8), West Virginia — MD 12–4 · View bout

Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

  1. Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) over Mark Tatum (9), Oklahoma — Dec 5–4 · View bout
  2. Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) over Bernie Brown (5), Lehigh (PA) — MD 9–1 · View bout
  3. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Wendell Ellis (10), Washington State — Dec 8–6 · View bout
  4. Rocco Liace, Arizona State over Bill Paxton, Indiana (IN) — MD 11–3 · View bout

Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

  1. Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) over Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) — Fall 1:13 · View bout
  2. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Rocco Liace, Arizona State — Dec 7–1 · View bout

Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

  1. Gary Albright (2), Nebraska over Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) — Fall 1:33 · View bout
  2. Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State over John Potts, Toledo (OH) — Dec 6–0 · View bout

Placement bouts

3rd-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Gary Albright (2), Nebraska over Tom Erikson (1), Oklahoma State — Fall 5:57 · View bout

5th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. John Potts, Toledo (OH) over Dean Hall (7), Edinboro (PA) — MD 13–3 · View bout

7th-place bout · 1 bout

  1. Rocco Liace, Arizona State over Emmanuel Yarbrough, Morgan State (MD) — Fall 1:22 · View bout