Beavers Induct Four Athletes Into OSU Hall of Fame
April 25, 2003
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CORVALLIS - Oregon State added four new members-Steve Coury, Les Gutches, Amy Martin and Tom Woodman-to its OSU Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night in a ceremony at the Valley Football Center before a very appreciate crowd of some 200 Beaver supporters.
Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis presented all four recipients with an OSU Hall of Fame sport coat and sweater.
Coury, current head football coach at Lake Owsego High School, is a former All-America wide receiver. 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 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 was selected second team All-America 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). The four-year letterman went on to play for Ottawa of the CFL in 1980. Following one year in the CFL, he embarked on a very successful coaching career.
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.
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Gutches, currently an assistant wrestling coach at OSU, posted numerous international titles. 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 1966 U.S. Olympic Team.
Martin is one of the most successful athletes to ever compete at Oregon State. The three-year letterwinner (1994-96) from Sherman County High School began her career at OSU in 1993.
Martin was selected OSU's Most Valuable Oarswoman twice and earned first team All-Pacirfic-10 Conference acclaim twice. She also earned recognition as a Pac-10 All-Academic team member in 1996.
Her post-collegiate career has been outstanding. 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. The OSU rowing program named its new shell after Amy last fall (2002).
Woodman's 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. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Eight boat in 1980 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.
