Defending the Title: 1976: Those Who Did and Those Who Didn't Defend The Title

 Mike Frick of Lehigh and Chuck Yagla of Iowa both repeated as champions. 

IMO one of the most notable things about this NCAA tournament is that it featured one of the youngest World Champions of all time as well as one of the oldest World Champions of all time.  More on that later. 

1976 Champion 118
Mark DiGirolamo of Cal Poly 

148 wins in high school, DiGirolamo won an NCAA title for the Mustangs as a junior in 1976. He did not finish the season in 1977

1976 Champion 126
"Mr. Hustle" Jack Reinwand of Wisconsin 

Finishing in third place for Rapids High, add Jack Reinwand to your list of NCAA champions that never won a state title.  Placing fourth for the Badgers in 1975, he capped off his senior year with an NCAA title in 1976.  Graduating with a 91-21 career record he later became the head coach at Lodi High.  He lead his squad to 371 duel victories & three state runner up finishes. 

1976 Champion 142
Brad Smith of Iowa 

A two time Illinois state champion for Hersey High School, Smith won the NCAA title for the Hawkeyes as a senior in 1976.  He later coached at both Iowa City City High & Lisbon High schools where he has had and continues to have a variety of success.  A fun little fact about Smith's title in 1976 was that there was another Brad Smith in the bracket.  Brad Smith of Toledo.  Had Toledo's Brad Smith won his semi-final match, he would have wrestled Brad Smith of Iowa.  Can you imagine that? Brad Smith Vs Brad Smith.  Now that would have been a sight!!  Smith of Toledo, finished 4th. 

1976 Champion 158 
Lee Kemp of Wisconsin 

Coming to Wisconsin from Chardon High in Ohio, Kemp came with an atom of becoming NCAA Divsion I wrestling's first four time champion.  Finishing as the NCAA runner-up as a freshman on an extremely close call, he would go on to win titles in 1976, 1977 & 1978.  Post college, he had a tremendous international career.  This included winning World Gold in 1978, which made him at the time the youngest American to ever win World gold.  He added another World Gold, along with a Pan-American Gold in 1979.  This would be followed up by a World Bronze in 1981, a World Gold in 1982 and a Pan-American Gold in 1983. 

1976 Champion 167 
Pat Christensen of Wisconsin 

How's this one for you? What's the best finish Pat Christensen ever had at the state tournament while competing for Oak Creek high school?  2nd? 3rd? 4th? 5th? 6th?  Guess again.  How about DNP.  He never made the award stand. Yet he walked onto the Badger wrestling team anyway, and despite the lack of credentials expected for a Division I wrestler, he fared more than ok.  Taking back to back third place finishes at the BIG 10 tournament his junior and senior seasons, Christensen stood atop the award stand at the NCAA tournament despite being unseeded.  A true testimony to what is possible when the stars align. Christensen later helped to get the short lived wrestling program started at UNLV. 

1976 Champion 177
Chris Campbell 

A walk-on at the University of Iowa, Campbell soon enough earned his keep.  Finishing at the NCAA runner-up as a sophomore in 1975, he ended his career as NCAA champion in 1976 & 1977 Post college he won a World Gold in 1981.  Taking time away from the sport, he then returned nearly 10 years later to capture a silver medal at the 1990 World Championships.  He then won an Olympic Bronze in 1992.  At near 40 years of age, Campbell is one of the oldest medalist the United States has had in Olympic wrestling. 

1976 Champion 190 
Evan Johnson of Minnesota 

A graduate of Orono High School, Johnson made an immediate impact for the Golden Gophers taking 3rd place at the 1973 BIG 10 championships as a true freshman.  He'd be the BIG 10 runner-up in 1974 as a true sophomore, taking a redshirt in 1975.  Returning as a redshirt junior he'd finish runner-up at the BIG 10's, winning the NCAA title in 1976.  Ironically enough he did the exact opposite in 1977, winning the BIG 10 title & finishing as the NCAA runner-up.   In his junior season, he also represented the United States at the Olympic Games. 

1976 Champion UNL
Jimmy Jackson of Oklahoma State 

Canadian born Jimmy Jackson came to Oklahoma State from Ottawa High School in Michigan. Getting upset at the NCAA's as a freshman in 1975, he'd all but own the UNL weight class the next three seasons winning NCAA titles in 1976, 1977 and 1978.  He added to his collection of Gold medals, a Pan-American title in 1979.  Post his collegiate career, he had a small stint in professional wrestling, mainly working for Mid-South.  

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Frick and Yagla previously mentioned 

Kemp, Campbell and Jackson all repeated

Johnson did not 

DiGorolamo, Smith, Christensen and Reinwand all seniors