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April 2, 2003
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CORVALLIS - Former Oregon State athletes Steve Coury, Les Gutches, Amy Martin and Tom Woodman, have been selected for induction into the Oregon State University Athletic Hall of Fame at a ceremony slated for Friday, April 25 at the Valley Football Center, it was announced Wednesday by Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis.
Coury is a former All-American wide receiver for Oregon State. Gutches is regarded as the most successful wrestler in Oregon State history. Martin is considered the top women's rower in OSU history and Woodman is one of the most successful male rowers in Beaver history.
The induction will take place on April 25 at the Babb-Chaves Hospitality Room on the third floor of the Valley Football Center. The cost is $40.00 a person to attend and the reception starts at 5:30 p.m. The event is open to the general public and reservations should be made through Doug Oxsen at the BASF (737-2370).
The Oregon State University Athletic Hall of Fame was created in 1988. It was created to honor and preserve the memory of those student-athletes, teams, coaches and members of the athletic staff who have contributed in an outstanding and positive way to the promotion of the OSU athletic and academic program.
Coury was arguably Oregon State's most valuable offensive player in the decade of the 1970s. He was the first Beaver football player to be selected first team all-league in the expanded Pacific-10 Conference as a senior in 1979. The 1979 team Offensive MVP also earned second team All-American and first team All-Coast. He played in the 1979 Blue-Gray Classic and 1980 East-West Shrine Game.
Coury left OSU as the school's all-time leader for career receiving yards (1,837) and career receptions (135). He accounted for 142 receiving yards in a 1979 game vs. Kansas State, and 137 yards in a 1977 contest vs. Arizona State.
The four-year letterman (1976-79) went on to play for Ottawa of the CFL in 1980 before embarking on a coaching career. He coached in the United States Football League for three years, and currently is the very successful head coach at Lake Oswego High School, near Portland.
Gutches is without a doubt the most successful Oregon State University wrestler in modern history. The four-year letterman's (1993-96) accolades are astounding.
Gutches compiled a record of 134-10 during his collegiate career and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships as a senior. He was named the outstanding wrestler in the nation in 1996.
He won two NCAA titles at 177 pounds as a junior and senior, and was a three-time Academic All-American. He also added the World Freestyle Championship at 187.3 pounds to his resume. Gutches' post-collegiate career included numerous international competitions. He was a five-time U.S. Open Freestyle Champion, a gold medalist at the 1998 Goodwill Games, the bronze medalist at the 1999 World Championships, and a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team.
He currently serves as an assistant coach at Oregon State, and has also coached internationally. Amy Martin is one of the most successful athletes to ever compete at Oregon State University. The three-year letterwinner (1994-96) from Sherman County High School began her career at OSU in 1993 and is arguably the top women's rower in the history of the program.
Martin was selected OSU's Most Valuable Oarswoman twice and earned first team All-Pacific-10 Conference acclaim twice. She also earned recognition as a Pac-10 All-Academic team member in 1996.
"She never backed down from a challenge, and never surrendered to the temptation to quit," OSU head coach Charlie Owen once said of Martin.
Her post collegiate career has been nothing short than brilliant. She has appeared in three World Championships (1997-99) as a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, and competed in the 2000 Olympic Games. She earned a silver medal in the '99 World Championships, and a bronze in 1998. 2-2-2 OSU Hall of Fame
The OSU rowing program named its new shell after Amy last fall (2002).
Woodman is one of the first male rowers in a successful line of national competitors from Oregon State University.
His post collegiate career started in 1978 as a member of the four with coxswain that competed in the World Championships in New Zealand, placing fourth. In 1979 he was a member of the National Team eight boat, which captured gold at the Pan American Games and finished fifth at the World Championships. In 1980, Woodman was a member of the U.S. Olympic Eight boat that won at the prestigious Henley Regatta, and would have competed in the Olympic Games had the U.S. participated. He later earned silver as part of the four at the World Championships in 1981.
Woodman came to OSU in 1976, after transferring from Connecticut College, and lettered in rowing in 1977 and '78. He returned to OSU in 1980 to coach the men's varsity rowing program. The lightweight eight won the Pac-10 Conference title in 1981 and four members of that team went on to make national squads.
OSU Hall of Fame event facts:
Date - April 25
Site - Babb-Chaves Hospitality Room, 3rd floor Valley Football Center
Time - reception 5:30-6:30 p.m.; program 8:00 p.m.
Cost - $40.00 per person
Available - open to the public
RSVP - Doug Oxsen at BASF office-737-2370.
