Les Gutches
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Les Gutches (born Leslie Lyle Gutches on February 21, 1973 in Medford, Oregon) is an American former amateur wrestler and coach. His accomplishments include becoming the World Champion in Freestyle Wrestling at the 1997 World Wrestling Championships, 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 Olympics freestyle wrestling team, and winning numerous other tournaments and honors.
Gutches grew up in a family of wrestlers with his father Les Senior, a retired Fire Captain, being the first Gutches state champion. Les's siblings are Jason, a chiropractor and Chad, a home builder. Les Gutches grew up in Southern Oregon and has the unique distinction of winning national championships in all of the wrestling age groups, including three state titles while a student at South Medford High School.
Considered the university's best wrestler in modern history with a 134-10 record, Gutches had a tremendous collegiate wrestling career as a four-year letterman 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, years in which he was undefeated with an identical 69-0 record. 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.
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