The Carrs are one of the most successful wrestling families in U.S. history, with a tradition spanning six decades. Louella and Fletcher Carr had 16 children, and all nine sons wrestled (Willie, Fletcher, Joe, Jimmy, Jerry, Nate, Solomon, Mike, and Mark). Six competed at the NCAA Division I level, and five were All-Americans. 

Nate won three NCAA championships (1981-83) for Iowa State, and his son, David, was a two-time national champion for the same school. Joe Carr, Jr., wrestled at West Virginia and was a four-year starter. David and Joe are cousins. 

Three Carrs became World/Olympic Team members. 

Jimmy was a 1971 World Teamer at 16 and a 1972 Olympian at 17. 

Nate made World Teams in 1983 (DNP) and 1990 (5th), and was a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist.

David finished fifth at the 2025 World Championships. 

Although he didn’t qualify for the NCAA Championships, Nate, Jr. wrestled at Iowa State and is the head coach at Davidson.

Below are the results for every member of the Carr family who qualified for the NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships. 

Combined family NCAA tournament record: 72-26
NCAA Titles: 5
NCAA Place Winners: 13

Fletcher Carr, Tampa — 9-5

1972 NCAA Championships, 190 pounds, 4 seed, 6th place
R32: WON over Jim Jeffries, Oklahoma, Fall 3:04
R16: WON over Therlon Harris, Michigan, 7-5
QF: LOST to Greg Strobel, Oregon State, 5-4
Cons: WON over Jim Sheehan, Miami Ohio, 14-0
Cons: WON over Kelly Bledsoe, Portland State, 6-1
Cons: LOST to Barry Reighard, Ohio, 5-1
Fifth: LOST to Greg Strobel, Oregon State, DFT 1:48

1973 NCAA Championships, 190 pounds, 3 seed, 4th place
R32: WON over Evan Johnson, Minnesota, Fall 2:17
R16: WON over Bill Allen, Washington, 6-3
QF: LOST to Johnny Johnson, Northern Illinois, 12-3
Cons: WON over Alex Macaluso, Oklahoma State, Fall 5:05
Cons: WON over George Calloway, Auburn, 9-2
Cons: WON over Russ Johnson, Ohio, 6-2
Third: LOST to Ben Ohai, Brigham Young, 13-4

Jimmy Carr, Kentucky & Alabama — 9-5

1975 NCAA Championships, 126 pounds, R8
R32: WON over Greg Filipos, Maryland, 12-4
R16: WON over Tom Turnbull, Clarion, 7-7, 3-1
QF: LOST to Jack Reinwand, Wisconsin, 5-4
Cons: WON over Mark Honess, Slippery Rock, Fall 3:28
Cons: LOST to Joe Corso, 4-1

1977 NCAA Championships, 126 pounds, 5 seed, 5th place
R32: WON over Marvin Gasner, Colorado, 15-8
R16: WON over Amos Goodlow, Michigan, 12-3
QF: LOST to Billy Martin, Oklahoma State, 5-4
Cons: WON over Neal Seagren, Northern Michigan, 9-7
Cons: WON over Terry Farley, Portland State, 12-3
Cons: LOST to Mike Land, Iowa State, 6-1
Fifth: WON over Billy Martin, 11-5

1979 NCAA Championships, 126 pounds, 8 seed, DNP
R32: WON over Dave Riggs, Arizona, 18-6
R16: LOST to Sam Herriman, Augustana SD, 7-6

Joe Carr, Sr., Kentucky — 11-4

1975 NCAA Championships, 167 pounds, 5 seed, 3rd place
R32: WON over Fred DeLeon, UCLA, 15-6
R16: WON over Steve Wenker, St. Cloud State, Fall 7:55
QF: LOST to Jerry Villecco, Penn State, 5-4
Cons: WON over Dennis Graham, Portland State, 5-3
Cons: WON over Duane Stutzman, Oregon, 3-2
Cons: WON over Jeff Callard, Oklahoma, 10-6
Third: WON over Bernie Barrile, Purdue, 6-2

1976 NCAA Championships, 167 pounds, 3 seed, 3rd place
R32: WON over Andy Cappelli, Bloomsburg, 13-4
R16: WON over Brad Hansen, Brigham Young, 13-9
QF: WON over Jon Jackson, Oklahoma State, 6-5
SF: LOST to Pat Christenson, Wisconsin, 12-10
Cons: WON over Kim Wasick, Cal Poly-SLO, 8-2
Third: WON over Jerry Villecco, Penn State, 13-5

1977 NCAA Championships, 167 pounds, 6 seed, DNP
R32: LOST to Flo Rocha, Cal State-Bakersfield, 7-5
Cons: LOST to Paul Reed, Wyoming, Forfeit

Nate Carr, Iowa State — 17-2

1980 NCAA Championships, 150 pounds, 4 seed, R12
R32: WON over Scott Madigan, Minnesota State, 25-12
R16: WON over Ken Gallagher, Northern Iowa, 14-5
QF: LOST to Roger Frizzell, Oklahoma, 13-6
Cons: LOST to Tony Surage, Rutger, 5-5, 2-1

1981 NCAA Championships, 150 pounds, 1 seed, 1st place
R32: WON over Roger Randall, Old Dominion, 24-12
R16: WON over Grant Smith, Wisconsin, 20-8
QF: WON over Frank Castrignano, North Carolina State, 11-7
SF: WON over Fred Boss, Central Michigan, 19-8
F: WON over Scott Trizzino, Iowa, 10-5

1982 NCAA Championships, 150 pounds, 2 seed, 1st place
R32: WON over Tom Coffing, UNLV, 7-1
R16: WON over Tony Mills, Tennessee, 12-3
QF: WON over Mike Elinsky, North Carolina, 11-6
SF: WON over Roger Frizzell, Oklahoma, 13-10
F: WON over Kenny Monday, Oklahoma State, 3-3, 2-0

1983 NCAA Championships, 150 pounds, 2 seed, 1st place
R32: WON over Steve Martinez, Minnesota, 18-7
R16: WON over Ron Winnie, SUNY-Brockport, 20-8
QF: WON over Greg Sargis, Michigan State, 16-6
SF: WON over Jim Heffernan, Iowa, 11-6
F: WON over Kenny Monday, Oklahoma State, 3-3, 5-2

Mike Carr, West Virginia — 4-2

1988 NCAA Championships, 158 pounds, 8 seed, 7th place
R32: WON over Tom Toggas, Lehigh, 7-3
R16: WON over Kevin Bullis, Bucknell, 10-4
QF: LOST to Rob Koll, North Carolina, 6-2
Cons: WON over Joel Smith, Eastern Michigan, 3-2
Cons: LOST to John Heffernan, Iowa, Fall 8:52 OT
Seventh: WON over Kenny Fischer, Oklahoma, 3-3, 2-2

Joe Carr, Jr., West Virginia — 5-8

1999 NCAA Championships, 149 pounds, unseeded, DNP
R32: WON over Dusty Coufal, Wisconsin, Fall 3:18
R16: LOST to T.J. Williams, Iowa, 13-3
Cons: WON over Jeff Bucher, Ohio State, 8-7
Cons: LOST to Greg Mayer, Central Michigan, Fall 5:50

2000 NCAA Championships, 157 pounds, 12 seed, DNP
R32: WON over Griff Powell, Illinois, 3-1 TB
R16: LOST to Larry Quisel, Boise State, Fall 2:30
Cons: LOST to Tim Cornish, Fresno State, 6-5

2001 NCAA Championships, 157 pounds, unseeded, DNP
R32: LOST to Joe Carr, West Virginia, 11-4
Cons: LOST to Pierre Pryor, North Carolina State, 7-0

2002 NCAA Championships, 157 pounds, 7 seed, DNP
R32: LOST to Adam Britt, Virginia Military, 6-1
Cons: WON over Mitch Morgan, Boise State, Fall 0:49
Cons: WON over Brad Harper, Purdue, 8-2
Cons: LOST to Josh Janson, Ohio State, 1-1 TB

David Carr, Iowa State — 21-2

2021 NCAA Championships, 157 pounds, 3 seed, 1st place
R32: WON over Markus Hartman, Army, 16-2
R16: WON over Will Lewan, Michigan, 10-2
QF: WON over Brayton Lee, Minnesota, 4-2 SV
SF: WON over Hayden Hidlay, NC State, 6-4
F: WON over Jesse Dellavecchia, Rider, 4-0

2022 NCAA Championships, 157 pounds, 1 seed, 3rd place
R32: WON over Derek Holschlag, Northern Iowa, 21-6
R16: LOST to Hunter Willits, Oregon State, 2-1 TB1
Cons: WON over Wyatt Sheets, Oklahoma State, 3-2
Cons: WON over Kaleb Young, Iowa, 5-3
Cons: WON over Jared Franek, NDSU, 4-3
Cons: WON over Austin O’Connor, North Carolina, Forfeit
Cons: WON over Will Lewan, Michigan, 6-3
Third: WON over Peyton Robb, Nebraska, 7-2

2023 NCAA Championships, 165 pounds, 1 seed, 2nd place
R32: WON over Josh Kim, Harvard, 10-2
R16: WON over Austin Yant, Northern Iowa, 15-4
QF: WON over Shane Griffith, Stanford, 2-1
SF: WON over Quincy Monday, Princeton, 6-5
F: LOST to Keegan O’Toole, Missouri, 8-2

2024 NCAA Championships, 165 pounds, 4 seed, 1st place
R32: WON over Evan Maag, George Mason, 18-2
R16: WON over Hunter Garvin, Stanford, 10-1
QF: WON over Dean Hamiti, Wisconsin, 5-0
SF: WON over Keegan O’Toole, Missouri, 8-6
F: WON over Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 9-8