Les Gutches
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Les Gutches (born Leslie Lyle Gutches on February 23, 1973 in Medford, Oregon) is an American former amateur wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include winning the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler in 1996, becoming the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion in the 177 lb. weight division in both 1995 and 1996, earning All-American status in 1994, 1995, & 1996, becoming a member of the 1996 United States Olympic freestyle wrestling team, and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.[1]
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[edit] Youth
Gutches grew up in a family of wrestlers in Southern Oregon and has the unique distinction of winning state championships in all of the youth wrestling age groups.
[edit] College
Gutches had a tremendous collegiate wrestling career as a member of the Oregon State Beavers wrestling team, culminating in winning the Dan Hodge Trophy as the best college wrestler in the United States in 1996. He placed 5th at the NCAA championships in 1994, and went on to win the title in both 1995 and 1996. This earned him All-American status each of the three years, which is awarded to the top 8 athletes in each weight class every year.
He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Anthropology and a minor in German. Some years later he came back and completed requirements for the Bachelor's degree in German, and a Master's degree in Business Administration.
[edit] Coaching
Gutches was a full-time assistant coach at Oregon State from 1996–1999, was a volunteer coach in 2001, and was again a full-time assistant coach in 2002-2006. He was also an assistant coach for the United States National Team at the 2002 Freestyle World Cup, his team winning the title that year. [2]
[edit] Personal
Gutches is presently on staff at OSU and lives in the Corvallis, Oregon region with his wife, the former Jennifer Busen, who played basketball at Oregon State. They have one daughter, Alexis.
[edit] Accomplishments
Gutches has won numerous wrestling tournaments and awards[1][3], including:
- 1989 USA Junior Greco-Roman Championships (178 lbs): 1st
- 1989 USA Cadet Greco-Roman Championships (182.5 lbs): 1st
- 1991 USA FILA Junior World Greco-Roman Champion (198 lbs): 1st
- 1992 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle Championships (198 lbs): 1st
- 1993 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle Championships (180.5 lbs): 1st
- 1993 USA University Freestyle Championships (180.5 lbs): 1st
- 1994 USA University Freestyle Championships (180.5 lbs): 1st
- 1994 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lbs): 5th
- 1994 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lbs)
- 1995 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lbs): 1st
- 1995 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lbs)
- 1996 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lbs): 1st
- 1996 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lbs)
- 1996 Dan Hodge Trophy winner
- 1996 US Olympic Team freestyle results (180.5 lbs): 7th
- 1996 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (180.5 lbs): 1st
- 1997 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lbs): 1st
- 1997 FILA World Championships (187 lbs): 1st
- 1998 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lbs): 1st
- 1998 FILA World Championships (187 lbs): 7th
- 1999 FILA World Championships (187 lbs): 3rd
- 2003 inductee to the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame
[edit] References
- ^ a b 2006-07 OSU Wrestling Media Guide Part 4 - Records, honors, history. Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
- ^ Sports News - Oregon Stater - September 2002 (English). Oregon State University. Retrieved on December 16, 2006.
- ^ Les Gutches. National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved on March 26, 2007.
