NCAA Team Race Update 12/23/25 : The All Is Right With The World Edition

98lberEating2Lunches said:

When can we expect an update, so the eyesore of Iowa at highest 1st place (adjusted scoring) is removed (or did I miss it)?

Need to see PSU with 3/5 of the highest firsts.

Would also like to see Iowa with 3/5 of the highest fourths, since that position seems to be their current target.

Click to expand...

Forgot I even did this. I will update tomorrow or Monday.

98lberEating2Lunches said:

When can we expect an update, so the eyesore of Iowa at highest 1st place (adjusted scoring) is removed (or did I miss it)?

Need to see PSU with 3/5 of the highest firsts.

Would also like to see Iowa with 3/5 of the highest fourths, since that position seems to be their current target.

Click to expand...

I made a couple of changes. The last time I only included teams from the 8 AA era (1979 to present) as I figured not having 7th and 8th place points would hurt teams. Turns out I was wrong. So there are a few 1960's and 1970's team this time.

I also made the decision to exclude points by seeded wrestlers in the pigtail rounds as they would not qualify for pigtails today. Not perfect, but should be pleasing.

The updated top scoring teams for the top four podium positions - normalized to today's advancement, bonus, and placement values:

98lberEating2Lunches said:

Thanks.

It's a curiosity that the 1970 NCAA tournament has a top 5 all-time 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

Just happens to be the year Owings beat Gable, but Gable's Iowa State still won with 99 unadjusted points. Pre-Gable Iowa finished a distant barely 5th.

Rank School Points
1 Iowa State 99
2 Michigan State 84
3 Oregon State 80
4 Oklahoma State 79
5 Iowa 45
6 Oklahoma 44

Was 1970 the tightest race ever between 1st through 4th? If not, which year was? (Using adjusted points, of course.)

Click to expand...

1970 had the magic combo of high scores and a low spread. The difference between normalized 1st and 4th was 22.8%. But 1974 takes the cake with a 5.3% spread between 1st and 4th. Even using the old scoring system it was only 10.3%.

Let's talk about that 1974 final. Because it was a pretty awesome final.

At the outset the team scores were:

Oklahoma St 64
Iowa State 63
Michigan 63
Oklahoma 61.5

Oklahoma State had 2 in the finals, Iowa State had 1 (and home mat advantage), Michigan had 2, and Oklahoma had 3.

Oklahoma's Gary Breece started the night with a bang, winning 118 and pushing Oklahoma into the lead. The new scores:

Oklahoma 64.5
Oklahoma St 64
Iowa State 63
Michigan 63

Next Oklahoma State had a chance to regain the lead, but #3 Billy Martin lost the 126 final to Michigan State's #1 Pat Milkovich. Rumor has it George Steinbrenner was in attendance that night, and the rest is history. But Oklahoma State wasn't finished. They had another shot at first two weights later. However, the team scores would remain the same as #4 Steve Randall could not overcome Wisconsin's #2 Rich Lawinger at 142.

The Cowboys were out of bullets. Their night was done and they could not win the title.

Next, Michigan and ISU got their shot. Tied at 63 and holding steady tied for third, they were on either side of the 150 final. Winner moves into first in the team race, loser drops to fourth. Michigan's #1 seed Jarrett Hubbard held serve by defeating Iowa State's #3 Bob Holland. The new team scores became:

Michigan 67
Oklahoma 65.5
Oklahoma St 64
Iowa State 63

Sadly, for Michigan the celebration was short lived. Just one weight later at 158 Oklahoma's #2 Rod Kilgore pulled off the upset over Minnesota's #1 Larry Zilverberg to regain the lead.

Oklahoma 69.5
Michigan 67
Oklahoma St 64
Iowa State 63

But the title had not yet been decided. Six weights in and there there were still two more opportunities for change. First came Oklahoma's chance to put the title out of reach. To do it #4 Jeff Callard would need to pull off the upset at 167 over Western Michigan's #2 Doug Wyn. But it was not to be. Wyn took a close 5-2 decision.

That meant the title would be decided at the 10th and final final of the night where Michigan's #3 heavy Gary Ernst was one win away from both individual and team glory. And it looked promising as he would be favored over #8 Western Michigan's Jim Woods. Yes, Woods was dangerous - he won the Gorriaran that year including a pin over Penn State's #1 seed Charlie Getty - but Ernst was no slouch himself having just won the Big Ten title. Well, Ernst entered the final minute of the bout leading 4-3 with the title in sight. All he had to do was survive less than 60 seco....

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children have no trouble,
But there is no joy in Ann Arbor—for Woods hit the blast double

On the night all four teams had a shot at the title. Three of the four led the team race at some point Saturday night (and the fourth could have). And in the end the fourth place team going in became first coming out, while the first place team slipped to third.

THAT is a pretty wild final.

Another footnote: Oklahoma State had a big lead Friday night, but went 0-8 on Saturday. That has to be a record.