Defending The Title: 1973: Those Who Did and Those Who Did Not Defend The Title

 Wade Schalles of Clarion and Chris Taylor of Iowa State both won their second NCAA titles & if you are a fan of falls, this would have been the tournament to see.  Chris Taylor pinned his way through the entire tournament winning the Gorriaran Award with five falls in a total of 14 minutes and four seconds.  Wade Schalles pinned his way to the finals, with four falls in a total of 11 minutes and 52 seconds.  To my knowledge this is the closest we've ever come to having two NCAA champions both pin their way through the entire tournament. 

1973 Champion 118
Dan Sherman of Iowa 

An Illinois State champion for Deerfield High School, Sherman finished third at the BIG 10 champions three years running, before finally winning both the BIG 10 and the NCAA title as a senior in 1973.  He was also sixth in the nation as a junior in 1972. 

1973 Champion 126
Mark Massery of Northwestern 

A two time state champion for Savanna High School, Massery won two BIG 10 titles for the Wildcats, placing 5th in the nation as a sophomore before capping off his career as a national champion in 1973.  Winner of a Pan-American Gold medal in 1975, he later coached at Illinois State. 

1973 Champion 134
Don Rohn of Clarion 

Rohn made immediate impact winning the national title for the Eagles in 1973 as a freshman.  He finished in 3rd place as a sophomore in 1974.  Injuries would hamper him throughout the rest of his career, but he still managed to come back as a senior in 1976 to place 6th.  All in all, he finished his collegiate career at 124-9. He later coached at Northhampton high school winning 392 duels, winning two state titles. 

1973 Champion 142
Dan Muthler of Navy 

Muthler was a sophomore when he won the NCAA title for the Midshipmen. One match shy of placing in 74',  he unfortunately finished one match shy of NCAA qualification in 1975 as a senior. 

1973 Champion 150 
Jarrett Hubbard of Michigan 

Getting it done as much in the classroom as he did on the mat, Jarrett Hubbard never had below a 3.0 during his time at Michigan. The Illinois state champion from Joliet High School was a four time All American for the Wolverines, placing 4th in 1971 & 2nd in 1972, before capping off his career with two NCAA titles in 1973 and 1974. 

1973 Champion 167 
Bill Simpson of Illinois 

Elbows, as he was known to his friends came to Clarion from Maryland where he won a state title for Gaithersburg High school.  While competing for the Eagles he was 6th at the 1972 NCAA Division II tournament as a sophomore.  His junior season of 1973 proved to be his most successful as he won both the NCAA Division I and Division II titles.  In 1974 Clarion transitioned from a DII school into a DI school, as he placed 5th at the DI tournament.  

1973 Champion 177
Rich Binek of Iowa State 

A State champion for Waterloo West, Binek was 3rd in the NCAA's as a sophomore for the Cyclones, before winning the NCAA title as a junior in 1973.  He was unfortunately upset in the 1974 championships failing to place. 

1973 Champion 190
Greg Strobel of Oregon State 

Going 124-5, Greg Strobel had an outstanding career for the Beavers.  Taking 5th place All American honors as a sophomore in 1972, Strobel won back to back NCAA titles in 1973 and 1974.   He later coached at Lehigh from 1995 to 2008 leading the Mountain Hawks to five EIWA team titles & six top 10 NCAA team finishes.  Highest being fourth in 2003 and third in 2004. 

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Schalles and Taylor previously mentioned 

Rohn, Muthler, Simpson and Binek would not repeat 

Hubbard and Strobel would repeat 

Sherman and Massery both seniors