Since 1928, NCAA wrestling championship teams have featured squads of many types. Some teams have dominated the competition, winning by margins of 70 points or more. Others have squeaked by in thrilling fashion, winning by only a single point.
Through the last 85 championships, there have been teams with up to six wrestlers in the finals. Three title teams are tied with a record five individual champions, and one team earned the crown without a single finalist, but had 10 All-Americans.
As of Monday, Feb. 29 at Noon ET, the 2001 Gopher wrestling team received the most retweets.
138.5 total team points. 10 All-Americans.
— NCAA Wrestling (@ncaawrestling) February 23, 2016
RETWEET if the 2001 @GopherWrestling team was the greatest ever! pic.twitter.com/V0KRnhuGAg
1941 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Coach: Art Griffith
37 Points
4 NCAA Champions
(136-Al Whitehurst, 145-David Arndt, 155-Earl VanBebber, 165-Virgil Smith)
7 All-Americans (8 weights) (1-1-1-1-2-3-3)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Michigan State by 11 points
1947 Cornell College Rams
Coach: Paul Scott
“The Dream Team of 1947”
32 Points
2 NCAA Champions
(121-Dick Hauser, 136-Lowell Lange)
6 All-Americans (8 weights) (1-1-2-3-3-3)
3 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Northern Iowa by 13 points
Currently a Division III school
1950 Northern Iowa Panthers
Coach: Dave McCuskey
30 Points
3 NCAA Champions
(145- Keith Young, 155- Bill Nelson, 165-Bill Smith)
7 All-Americans (8 Weights)
(1-1-1-2-2-3-4)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced second-place Purdue by 14 points
1957 Oklahoma Sooners
Coach: Port Robertson
73 Points
2 NCAA Champions
(115- Dick Delgado, 177-Dan Hodge)
7 All-Americans (1-1-3-3-3-4-4)
Outdistanced Second-Place Pittsburgh by 7 points
1965 Iowa State Cyclones
Coach: Dr. Harold Nichols
87 Points
2 NCAA Champions
(147-Veryl Long, 177-Tom Peckham)
9 All-Americans (1-1-3-3-3-3-3-4-5)
2 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Oklahoma State by 1 point
1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Coach: Myron Roderick
79 Points
3 NCAA Champions
(130- Yojiro Uetake, 137- Gene Davis, 191-Bill Harlow)
8 All-Americans (1-1-1-2-3-4-4-6)
Outdistanced second-place Iowa State by 9 points
1967 Michigan State Spartans
Coach: Grady Peninger
74 Points
2 NCAA Champions
(137-Dale Anderson, 167-George Radman)
7 All-Americans (11 weights) (1-1-2-2-3-4-6)
4 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Michigan by 11 points
1969 Iowa State Cyclones
Coach: Dr. Harold Nichols
104 Points
3 NCAA Champions
(137-Dan Gable, 167-Jason Smith, 177-Chuck Jean)
9 All-Americans (11 weights) (1-1-1-2-5-5-5-5-6)
4 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Oklahoma by 35 points
1983 Iowa Hawkeyes
Coach: Dan Gable
155 Points
4 NCAA Division I Champions
(126-Barry Davis, 158-Jim Zalesky, 190-Ed Banach, UNL-Lou Banach)
9 All-Americans (1-1-1-1-2-3-5-5)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Oklahoma State by 53
1986 Iowa Hawkeyes
Coach: Dan Gable
158 Points
NCAA Record-Tying 5 Division I Champions
(126-Brad Penrith, 142-Kevin Dresser, 150-Jim Heffernan, 167-Marty Kistler, 190-Duane Goldman)
8 All-Americans (1-1-1-1-1-2-4-5)
6 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Oklahoma by 73.75 points
Largest Point Gap in NCAA Division I History
1987 Iowa State Cyclones
Coach: Jim Gibbons
133 Points
4 NCAA Champions
(126-Bill Kelly, 150-Tim Krieger, 158-Stewart Carter, 190-Eric Voelker)
6 All-Americans (1-1-1-1-2-3)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Iowa by 25 Points
1997 Iowa Hawkeyes
Coach: Dan Gable
NCAA Record 170 Points
NCAA Record-Tying 5 Division I Champions
(118-Jesse Whitmer, 134-Mark Ironside, 150-Lincoln McIlravy, 158-Joe Williams, 190-Lee Fullhart)
8 All-Americans (1-1-1-1-1-2-5-6)
6 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Oklahoma State by 56.5 point
2001 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Coach: J Robinson
138.5 Points
10 All-Americans (3-3-3-4-4-4-5-6-8-8)
Only team in NCAA DI history with 10-for-10 All-Americans
No Finalists
2005 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Coach: John Smith
153 Points
NCAA Record-Tying 5 Division I Champions
(149-Zack Esposito, 165-Johny Hendricks, 174-Chris Pendleton, 197-Jake Rosholt, 285-Steve Mocco)
7 All-Americans (1-1-1-1-1-4-8)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Michigan by 70 points
Second-largest Gap in NCAA history
2012 Penn State Nittany Lions
Coach: Cael Sanderson
143 Points
3 NCAA Champions
(149-Frank Molinaro, 165-David Taylor, 174-Ed Ruth)
6 All-Americans (1-1-1-2-2-3)
5 Finalists
Outdistanced Second-Place Minnesota by 25.5 points
