The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships are all set to commence inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on March 21. The wrestling championships have been going on for 95 years, and over 683 wrestlers have been crowned champions across these years. Very few have won twice, less than 50 have done it thrice, and only 5 have been able to do it four times.
The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships will see three 3x champions Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Spencer Lee take the mat. All four will be eying their 4th tying them with the previous 5 legends.
As they wrestle toward the dream, let's take a look at all the five wrestlers who have won the championship four times in their careers.
Wrestlers to win NCAA Wrestling Championship four times
#1 Cael Sanderson
One of the greatest wrestlers the NCAA has ever seen, Cael Sanderson was a beast in his era. The Penn State head coach went undefeated in his four-year collegiate career with an astounding record of 159-0. Sanderson won the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for four consecutive years in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
Sanderson has also won the Big 12 Championships four times, and an Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens.
#2 Logan Steiber
Regarded as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in NCAA history, Logan Steiber dominated the NCAA Wrestling Championships during his four years at Ohio State. Steiber became the NCAA Wrestling Champion for four consecutive years in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
The 33-year-old also won the Big 12 championships four times during the same four-year period. Steiber is a former World Champion as well former Pan-American champion.
#3 Yianni Diakomihalis
Yianni Diakomihalis is the reigning NCAA Wrestling Champion in 149lbs. The 24-year-old was the latest to become the 4x NCAA Wrestling champion last year after previously claiming the titles in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Diakomihalis has also won the EIWA Championship four times, in the same years he won the NCAA wrestling championship. He also won the 2020 and 2023 Pan American golds.
#4 Kyle Dake
While Kyle Dake is known for his World Championships dominance, he is a 4x NCAA Wrestling champion as well. The 33-year-old became the NCAA Wrestling champion for four consecutive years in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Dake also won the EIWA Championship thrice in his four-year collegiate career.
#5 Pat Smith
Pat Smith was the first wrestler to win the NCAA Wrestling Championship four times. The former Oklahoma student achieved the feat in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 in the 158lbs. Pat's brother John Smith is a two-time NCAA Champion as well as 6x gold medalist at Olympic and World levels.