FREESTYLE WORLD CHAMPION LES GUTCHES NAMED 1997 MAN OF THE YEAR BY AMATEUR WRESTLING NEWS1997 World Freestyle Champion Les Gutches (Corvallis, Ore./Sunkist Kids) was named 1997 Wrestling Man of the Year by Amateur Wrestling News.
Gutches claimed a gold medal at 187.25 pounds at the Freestyle World Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, the only U.S. Senior-level World Champion in 1997. He also claimed titles at the 1997 U.S. Nationals and the 1997 World Team Trials.
He defeated 1996 Olympic Champion Khadjimurad Magomedov of Russia in the semifinals of the World Championships, then claimed the title with a referee¹s decision over Eldar Assanov of Ukraine. In order to make the U.S. team, Gutches had to beat 1992 Olympic Champion Kevin Jackson in both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. Gutches was named USOC SportsMan of the Month in August 1997.
Members of the 1997 U.S. World Freestyle Wrestling Team swept the top three places in the balloting. Cary Kolat (Lock Haven, Pa./Dave Schultz WC), the World silver medalist at 138.75 pounds placing second. Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway 2000 WC), the 152-pound World Team member, placing third.
Kolat won his second career NCAA title for Lock Haven Univ. in March 1997, then followed with titles at the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials. His silver medal performance at the World Championships made him the only U.S. World medalist in 1997 besides Gutches.
McIlravy won his third career NCAA title for the Univ. of Iowa, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships. He also followed with wins at the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. McIlravy was also named Outstanding Wrestler in freestyle at the U.S. Nationals.
Among those active with USA Wrestling who placed in the top 12 of the voting was Congressman J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who placed fifth. Hastert is a leader in the battle against the unintended consequences of Title IX. Bob Bubb, the Executive Director of the NWCA and a USA Wrestling Board member placed sixth.
Leaders of two of the greatest Senior-level wrestling clubs in the United States placed in the top 12. Art Martori, founder and president of the national champion Sunkist Kids, placed 10th. Martori is a past-president of USA Wrestling. Nancy Schultz, the founder and president of the Dave Schultz WC, placed 12th in the voting.
The award winners were announced at the NWCA Banquet, held in Cleveland, Ohio on March 18, a day prior to the start of the 1998 NCAA Div. I Championships.
1997 Amateur Wrestling News Wrestling Man of the Year voting
1. Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore., Sunkist Kids, 137 pts.; 2. Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, Pa., Dave Schultz WC, 94 pts.; 3. Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa, Gateway 2000 WC, 79 pts.; 4. Lars Jensen, San Francisco, Calif., San Francisco State, 72 pts.; 5. Congressman J. Dennis Hastert, Washington, D.C., U.S. Congress, 65 pts.; 6. Bob Bubb, Clarion, Pa., NWCA, 62 pts.; 7. Carl Poff, Lock Haven, Pa., Lock Haven Univ., 53 pts.; 8. J Robinson, Minneapolis, Minn., Univ of Minnesota, 51 pts.; 9. Rande Stottlemyer, Pittsburgh, Pa., U of Pitt, 40 pts.; 10. Art Martori, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 35 pts.; 11. Jeff Swenson, Minneapolis, Minn., Augsburg, 28 pts.; 12. Nancy Schultz, Daly City, Calif., Dave Schultz WC, 19 pts.