Les Gutches stands in front of his plaque during the Friday evening ceremonies at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Patricia Fox photo
Click here to see video of the presentation of the plaques
STILLWATER, OKLA. - The wrestling community came from across the United States for the start of the annual National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors weekend. The festivities begin with a Friday evening social, followed by the unveiling of the plaques of the inductees.
This is an informal occasion where the honored guests and their families can get together to visit the Hall of Fame and meet with others in the wrestling family. For the first time, those who are being honored will see their plaques and how they will be displayed in the Hall of Fame.
Sandy Stevens, who will serve as the emcee at the banquet on Saturday night, reads a biography for each of the award winners, then their display is unveiled for all to see.
TheMat.com has prepared a video of this year’s honoree plaque presentation for:
Distinguished Members honored were:
• Peter Blair (posthumously), Stephenson, Mich.
• Edward Eichelberger, Suffolk, Va.
• Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore.
• Dennis Koslowski, Minnetonka, Minn.
Blair was a 1956 Olympic freestyle bronze medalist and won two NCAA titles for the U.S. Naval Academy. Eichelberger was a two-time NCAA champion for Lehigh Univ. Gutches was a 1997 World freestyle champion, a 1996 Olympian and a two-time NCAA champion for Oregon State. Koslowski was a 1992 Olympic silver medalist and 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, the first U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to win two Olympic medals.
Others award winners recognized include:
• Outstanding American Steve Silver, Forney, Texas
• Order of Merit recipient Arno Niemand, Boulder, Colo.
• Medal of Courage recipient Larry Gibson, Omak, Wash.
• Lifetime Achievement for Officials, Chuck Yagla, Waterloo, Iowa.
• Dave Schultz High School Excellence award winner David Taylor, from St. Paris, Ohio
Silver, who wrestled in high school and college, founded the Steve Silver Company, an import furniture business in Dallas. Niemand, a wrestler for Cornell, is president of Body Bar Systems, the national Women’s Team USA sponsor and active in supporting all levels of wrestling. Gibson, who had his leg amputated at age 13, wrestled in high school and college and became a championship-level coach. Yagla, an Olympian and NCAA champion athlete, went on to a 24-year career as a top wrestling referee.
Taylor won four high school state titles in Ohio, and has won USA Wrestling national titles as a Cadet and Junior in both styles. He has a 4.0 grade point average, is active in 4-H and has worked with youth programs.
Among the other activities on Friday night was a Celebration of 100 years of Lehigh Univ. wrestling, with a presentation by historian Jay Hammond.
A presentation entitled Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military, recognized the influence of wrestlers and wrestling in the U.S. military. Presenters were Ken Leuer and Wayne Baughman.
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