NCAA Wrestling Data1928–2026

1998 NCAA Championships

275 lb

Champion Stephen Neal, California-Bakersfield.Verified bracket Source bracket ↗

All-Americans

From the final and the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place bouts

  1. 1Stephen NealCSUB
  2. 2Trent HynekISU
  3. 3Shelton BenjaminMINN
  4. 4Bill ClossonLEH
  5. 5Airron RichardsonMICH
  6. 6Jason GleasmanSYR
  7. 7Karl RoeslerILL
  8. 8Wes HandIOWA

Connected 1998 275-pound bracket

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Championship

Consolation

Championship

Opening round · 0 bouts

29 byes into the round of 32

    Round of 32 · 13 bouts

    3 byes into the round of 16

    1. Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin over Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
    2. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Marc DeFrancesco, Rider (NJ) — Dflt · View bout
    3. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Mike Dixon, Indiana (IN) — Dec 7–1 · View bout
    4. Bob Puzio, American (DC) over Mike Russow, Eastern Illinois — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    5. David Pierce, Purdue (IN) over Matt Stein, Edinboro (PA) — Fall 4:25 · View bout
    6. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State — Dec 10–4 · View bout
    7. John Henry Ward, Oklahoma over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Dec 9–7 · View bout
    8. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Gan McGee, California-Poly — Dec 5–3 · View bout
    9. Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) over Dion Reed, Boston (MA) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    10. Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska over Chris Miller, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    11. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) — Fall 6:51 · View bout
    12. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) — MD 12–4 · View bout
    13. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    Round of 16 · 8 bouts

    1. Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin over Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    2. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) — MD 10–2 · View bout
    3. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over John Henry Ward, Oklahoma — Fall 2:07 · View bout
    4. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Bob Puzio, American (DC) — MD 9–1 · View bout
    5. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State — Dec 5–1 · View bout
    6. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over David Pierce, Purdue (IN) — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    7. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska — MD 12–2 · View bout
    8. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Leslie Apedoe (6), Virginia Military — Dec 5–1 · View bout

    Quarterfinal · 4 bouts

    1. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Karl Roesler (7), Illinois — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    2. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota — Dec 5–4 · View bout
    3. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin — Fall 4:26 · View bout
    4. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 4–1 · View bout

    Semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) — Fall 2:15 · View bout
    2. Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State over Airron Richardson (2), Michigan — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Final · 1 bout

    1. Stephen Neal (1), California-Bakersfield over Trent Hynek (11), Iowa State — TF 20–5 · View bout

    Consolation

    Consolation round 1 · 5 bouts

    3 byes into the consolation round 2

    1. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over Mike Russow, Eastern Illinois — Dec 4–3 · View bout
    2. Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) over Chris Miller, Brigham Young (UT) — Dec 7–4 · View bout
    3. Dion Reed, Boston (MA) over Marc DeFrancesco, Rider (NJ) — Dflt · View bout
    4. Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) over Matt Stein, Edinboro (PA) — Dec 6–2 · View bout
    5. Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) over Mike Dixon, Indiana (IN) — MD 16–5 · View bout

    Consolation round 2 · 8 bouts

    1. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Gan McGee, California-Poly — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    2. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over John Henry Ward, Oklahoma — Dec 7–5 · View bout
    3. David Pierce, Purdue (IN) over Rich Polkinghorn, Oregon — Dec 3–2 · View bout
    4. Dion Reed, Boston (MA) over Ronald 'JR' Plienis, Nebraska — Dec 10–5 · View bout
    5. Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) over Leslie Apedoe (6), Virginia Military — Dflt · View bout
    6. Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State over Tim Courtad, Miami (OH) — TF 16–1 · View bout
    7. Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) over Derek DelPorto, Slippery Rock (PA) — Dec 4–1 · View bout
    8. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Bob Puzio, American (DC) — Dec 8–4 · View bout

    Consolation round 3 · 4 bouts

    1. Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State over Dion Reed, Boston (MA) — Dec 3–0 · View bout
    2. Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State over David Pierce, Purdue (IN) — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    3. Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State over Ricky Krieger, Lock Haven (PA) — MD 13–0 · View bout
    4. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Jason Grim, Bloomsburg (PA) — MD 16–2 · View bout

    Consolation round 4 · 4 bouts

    1. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Ben Lee (8), Oklahoma State — Dec 2–0 · View bout
    2. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Clyde 'Billy' Blunt, North Carolina State — Dec 4–0 · View bout
    3. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Mat Orndorff (10), Oregon State — Dec 9–8 · View bout
    4. Wes Hand (12), Iowa over Aaron Stark (9), Wisconsin — Dec 4–3 · View bout

    Consolation round 5 · 2 bouts

    1. Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) over Karl Roesler (7), Illinois — Dec 4–2 · View bout
    2. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Fall 0:50 · View bout

    Consolation semifinal · 2 bouts

    1. Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 3–1 · View bout
    2. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Airron Richardson (2), Michigan — Dec 3–1 · View bout

    Placement bouts

    3rd-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Shelton Benjamin (4), Minnesota over Bill Closson (5), Lehigh (PA) — Dec 5–3 · View bout

    5th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Airron Richardson (2), Michigan over Jason Gleasman (3), Syracuse (NY) — Dec 9–4 · View bout

    7th-place bout · 1 bout

    1. Karl Roesler (7), Illinois over Wes Hand (12), Iowa — Dec 5–2 · View bout