Les Gutches
Encyclopedia
Les Gutches 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-America
n status in 1994, 1995 & 1996, becoming a member of the 1996 United States Olympic freestyle wrestling
team, and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.
and has the unique distinction of winning national championships in all of the wrestling age groups.
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.
region with his wife, the former Jennifer Busen, who played basketball at Oregon State. They have a daughter Alexis and a son Logan.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former amateur wrestler
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
and coach. His accomplishments include winning the Dan Hodge Trophy
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded to the outstanding college wrestler of the year. The trophy is given each season to the nation's best college wrestler by W.I.N. Magazine and Culture House. It is the wrestling equivalent to the Heisman Trophy...
as the nation's best college wrestler in 1996, becoming the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) champion in the 177 lb. weight division in both 1995 and 1996, earning All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n status in 1994, 1995 & 1996, becoming a member of the 1996 United States Olympic freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
team, and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.
Youth
Gutches grew up in a family of wrestlers with his father Les Senior being the first Gutches state champion. Les's siblings are Jason and Chad Gutches. Les Gutches grew up in Southern OregonSouthern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
and has the unique distinction of winning national championships in all of the wrestling age groups.
College
Gutches had a tremendous collegiate wrestlingCollegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
career as a member of the Oregon State Beavers wrestling
Oregon State Beavers wrestling
The Oregon State Beavers wrestling program was established in 1909, competing in collegiate wrestling across 92 seasons since then. Traditionally a national powerhouse, the Beavers won the Amateur Athletic Union national championship in 1926 and have won their conference championship 47 times...
team, culminating in winning the Dan Hodge Trophy
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded to the outstanding college wrestler of the year. The trophy is given each season to the nation's best college wrestler by W.I.N. Magazine and Culture House. It is the wrestling equivalent to the Heisman Trophy...
as the best college wrestler in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Physical Anthropology
Physical anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
and a minor in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. Some years later he came back and completed requirements for the Bachelor's degree in German, and a Master's degree in Business Administration.
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.Personal
Gutches presently works as a Commercial Loan Officer at Citizens Bank and lives in the Corvallis, OregonCorvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
region with his wife, the former Jennifer Busen, who played basketball at Oregon State. They have a daughter Alexis and a son Logan.
Accomplishments
Gutches has won numerous wrestling tournaments and awards, including:- 1989 USA Junior Greco-Roman Championships (178 lb): 1st
- 1989 USA Cadet Greco-Roman Championships (182.5 lb): 1st
- 1991 USA FILA Junior World Greco-Roman Champion (198 lb): 1st
- 1992 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle Championships (198 lb): 1st
- 1993 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle Championships (180.5 lb): 1st
- 1993 USA University Freestyle Championships (180.5 lb): 1st
- 1994 USA University Freestyle Championships (180.5 lb): 1st
- 1994 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lb): 5th
- 1994 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lb)
- 1995 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lb): 1st
- 1995 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lb)
- 1996 NCAA Division I Collegiate Championships (177 lb): 1st
- 1996 NCAA Division I All-American (177 lb)
- 1996 Dan Hodge Trophy winner
- 1996 US Olympic Team1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
freestyle results (180.5 lb): 7th - 1996 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (180.5 lb): 1st
- 1997 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lb): 1st
- 1997 FILA World Championships (187 lb): 1st
- 1998 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lb): 1st
- 1998 FILA World Championships (187 lb): 7th
- 1999 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lb): 1st
- 1999 FILA World Championships (187 lb): 3rd
- 2000 USA Senior Freestyle Championships (187.2 lb): 1st
- 2003 inducted into the Oregon State University Sports Hall of Fame
- 2009 inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and MuseumNational Wrestling Hall of Fame and MuseumThe National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on the campus of Oklahoma State University. The museum opened on September 11, 1976...