1963 NCAA College Division Champions

[jerseywrestling]

1963 NCAA College Division Champions

https://www.jerseywrestling.com/news.php?story=1963 NCAA College Division Champions

Flash back to the NCAA College Division champions and medalists of 1963!

It was the very first year for what is now DII and DIII nationals. Prior to 1963, only a single national championship was held for all members of the NCAA.

The championships were hosted at State College of Iowa (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, IA.

Western State (CO) took home the team title, and SIU-Carbondale claimed four champions.

1963 NCAA Champions

115 - Van Doughty - Western State
123 - Terry Finn - SIU-Carbondale
130 - Dee Brainerd - South Dakota State
137 - Bill Dotson - Northern Iowa
147 - Jim Sanford - Northern Iowa
157 - Tom Jarman - Hiram
167 - Jim Gass - Cornell Iowa
177 - Ken Houston - SIU-Carbondale
191 - Roger Plapp - SIU-Carbondale
UNL - Larry Kristoff - SIU-Carbondale

Check out all the medalists!

https://www.jerseywrestling.com/ncaa_dii_medalists.php?year=1963

If anyone has a champions picture, you can email it to support@jerseywrestling.com, and it will be added to the website!

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[Gantry]

I never even heard of Hiram and I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick.  And being an IL native, the fact that SIU Carbondale had 3 D1 national champs is pretty damn mind blowing.  

Times have certainly changed in the college wrestling world. 

[11986]

Well SIU Carbondale didn’t have 3 D1 champs…

[D3 for LU]

6 minutes ago, 11986 said:

Well SIU Carbondale didn’t have 3 D1 champs…

^^^^

... what 11986 sez. 

 

1963 NCAA Champions

115 - Van Doughty - Western State
123 - Terry Finn - SIU-Carbondale
130 - Dee Brainerd - South Dakota State
137 - Bill Dotson - Northern Iowa
147 - Jim Sanford - Northern Iowa
157 - Tom Jarman - Hiram
167 - Jim Gass - Cornell Iowa
177 - Ken Houston - SIU-Carbondale
191 - Roger Plapp - SIU-Carbondale
UNL - Larry Kristoff - SIU-Carbondale

... but what's one missing champion among friends, here, eh? 

D3

 

Edited August 30 by D3 for LU

[D3 for LU]

I'm giving you a Baked Potato, 11986.

(At no cost!)

D3

[11986]

1 minute ago, D3 for LU said:

^^^^

... what 11986 sez. 

 

1963 NCAA Champions

115 - Van Doughty - Western State
123 - Terry Finn - SIU-Carbondale
130 - Dee Brainerd - South Dakota State
137 - Bill Dotson - Northern Iowa
147 - Jim Sanford - Northern Iowa
157 - Tom Jarman - Hiram
167 - Jim Gass - Cornell Iowa
177 - Ken Houston - SIU-Carbondale
191 - Roger Plapp - SIU-Carbondale
UNL - Larry Kristoff - SIU-Carbondale

... but what's one mia champion among friends, here, eh? 

D3

 

Ha but let me say it this way - SIU Carbondale actually had zero D1 champs that year

[D3 for LU]

Hmmm... true dat!

... and keep that Baked Potato sir, well played.

D3

Edited August 30 by D3 for LU

[Fadzaev2]

8 hours ago, Gantry said:

I never even heard of Hiram and I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick.  And being an IL native, the fact that SIU Carbondale had 3 D1 national champs is pretty damn mind blowing.  

Times have certainly changed in the college wrestling world. 

They had 4, look again.

[ionel]

10 minutes ago, Fadzaev2 said:

They had 4, look again.

I think you mean zero ... look again.

[jdalu75]

Strictly speaking, there were no Div I NCAA champions in any sport until 1973.  Until then there were the College Division and the University Division.  The photo that begins this thread is of the 1963 College Division champions.  The 1963 University Division champions were from places like Army, Lehigh, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse; you know, just like today.

 

[Tripnsweep]

19 hours ago, Gantry said:

 I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick. 

It's in Gunnison, CO. 

[Jason Bryant]

Western State is currently known as Western Colorado University. Pretty solid D2 program traditionally.

Hiram is currently a D3 school in Ohio that restarted the sport not that long ago. Tom Jarman coached at Northwestern for a while before finishing his career at Manchester. Recently passed away.

[cangemi]

On 8/30/2025 at 10:37 AM, Gantry said:

I never even heard of Hiram and I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick.  And being an IL native, the fact that SIU Carbondale had 3 D1 national champs is pretty damn mind blowing.  

Times have certainly changed in the college wrestling world. 

I was in 1981 

We had guys go d 1 every year. We had 2 become all American. Other did not aa but upset #2 . I beat round 8 guy twice during year. Martucci Trenton state won d 1.

Brockport state won nationals d111 twice while I was there. Beat #12 ranked Syracuse in dual that year. Usually lost though to them. Maybe only time we ever won match.

 

You may want take look D11 cal Bakersfield. When azvedo and Gonzales or custard  they had others . I think they took 7th team. At d 1 nationals  was d 11.

 

  Probably different now.

 

 

Edited September 1 by cangemi

[Fadzaev2]

On 8/30/2025 at 7:04 PM, ionel said:

I think you mean zero ... look again.

Got ya....missed the D1

[Fadzaev2]

2 hours ago, cangemi said:

I was in 1981 

We had guys go d 1 every year. We had 2 become all American. Other did not aa but upset #2 . I beat round 8 guy twice during year. Martucci Trenton state won d 1.

Brockport state won nationals d111 twice while I was there. Beat #12 ranked Syracuse in dual that year. Usually lost though to them. Maybe only time we ever won match.

 

You may want take look D11 cal Bakersfield. When azvedo and Gonzales or custard  they had others . I think they took 7th team. At d 1 nationals  was d 11.

 

  Probably different now.

 

 

Look at D1 in 1972 and 1973 ....Clarion had 5 Division 1 NCAA Champions over those to years.....Schalles and Barton 2 and Rohn, Schalles and Simpson in 1973.  Division 2 couldn't score team points or Clarion would have been up there.  Cal State would have been up there in in 1979 and 1980.

 

[cangemi]

Slippery rock was good as well small school at time. Dzeiec Spates,  Costello and much more for small school

Edited September 1 by cangemi

[bnwtwg]

On 8/30/2025 at 9:37 AM, Gantry said:

I never even heard of Hiram and I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick.  And being an IL native, the fact that SIU Carbondale had 3 D1 national champs is pretty damn mind blowing.  

Times have certainly changed in the college wrestling world. 

Kristoff was an olympian and both his sons won NCAA D2 or D3 titles as well. One of his sons was one of our coaches for Team IL and I'm pretty sure the other reffed at least one of my matches at state (but that could be a fake memory at this stage in my life tbh).

Edited September 2 by bnwtwg
didn't specify who i was referring to

[ionel]

On 8/30/2025 at 8:37 AM, Gantry said:

 I have no idea where "Western State" is - sounds like a made up college for a National Lampoons flick. 

What's your thought on Northwestern?  

[bnwtwg]

47 minutes ago, ionel said:

What's your thought on Northwestern?  

Northwestern is east of Northeastern, south of North Shore, and has a student population lower than Chicago Heights. 'Bout all the nice things I can say about those Kellogg folks and their corn flakes from my booth.

Edited September 2 by bnwtwg

[ionel]

13 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Northwestern is east of Northeastern, south of North Shore, and has a student population lower than Chicago Heights. 

[Jason Bryant]

8 hours ago, Fadzaev2 said:

Look at D1 in 1972 and 1973 ....Clarion had 5 Division 1 NCAA Champions over those to years.....Schalles and Barton 2 and Rohn, Schalles and Simpson in 1973.  Division 2 couldn't score team points or Clarion would have been up there.  Cal State would have been up there in in 1979 and 1980.

 

More semantical, but one thing the thread points out, there wasn't "Division I" until the 1973-1974. 
College Division teams weren't scoring team points. 

[GreatWhiteNorth]

On 8/30/2025 at 9:56 AM, D3 for LU said:

I'm giving you a Baked Potato, 11986.

(At no cost!)

D3

Hey D3, you gave me a meaningful potato during U20's.

You fickle basta** - now handing them out like they are... some kind of easy tubers.

[D3 for LU]

Pretty most of my baked potatoes have significant meaning...

( ,,,existentially, of course!)

 

D3

[Fadzaev2]

11 hours ago, Jason Bryant said:

More semantical, but one thing the thread points out, there wasn't "Division I" until the 1973-1974. 
College Division teams weren't scoring team points. 

Yes, prior to 1974, it was termed "University" Division and "College" division.

[Wrestleknownothing]

• Clarion was in the non-D1 category for just a single tournament (1973).
• Sadly, that would also have been their only trophy. Had their points counted they would have finished fourth. Their next best finish came in 1987 (6th).
• The most successful non-D1 team was easily Montclair State.
• Montclair State and Pitt-Johnstown are the only non-D1 teams to crack 20 points three times.
• Of course, Pitt-Johnstown's team was a team of one each time.
• Nebraska Omaha led the way with 9 appearances in the 19 years this was a thing.
• I am still QA-ing the scoring data, so everything could be wrong.
• But hopefully not.
• But maybe.