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2023 DIIICA Regional Student Athlete of the Year
SUWANEE, Georgia (August 15, 2023) – The Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA) on Monday announced its regional winners for the second annual DIIICA Student-Athlete of the Year Awards and Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling graduate Hunter Gutierrez became the men’s sports champion for Region IV appointed.
Gutierrez is now moving into national voting alongside the Student-Athlete of the Year from each of the other nine regions. The recognition marks the second straight year for a Stevens wrestling graduate to receive the award after Brett Kaliner teamed with track and field graduate Gina Dello Russo to win the inaugural Region IV awards in 2022. Rowan field hockey student and athlete Kristiina Castagnola was named Region IV Champion in Women’s Sports.
Selection criteria for the awards included considerations of academic merit, sporting excellence, service and leadership, and a personal statement from each nominee. Senior graduates were the only student-athletes eligible for this award.
“It’s great that a student-athlete in your program has received this award for multiple years in a row. Thank you to the Division III Commissioner’s Association for this incredible recognition,” said Assistant Head Coach Anthony Bonaventura. “We continue to be very proud of Hunter’s achievements. These awards are well-deserved, and it’s all thanks to Hunter’s dedication to being among the elite in every aspect of his life. His impact on this program was special and will continue for many years to come as he was a shining example to his teammates of the lifestyle it takes to be a successful student athlete.”
Gutierrez posted a 26-7 record in his final season at Castle Point and cemented his first career All-America honor with a fourth-place finish at the national championship in March. Among his 26 wins, Gutierrez had 16 total pins, two technical falls and three majors en route to his first career conference and regional titles. During his career, Gutierrez had an impressive 78-22 record, with 63 of his wins involving bonus points, including 48 pins.
In the classroom, Gutierrez achieved an impressive GPA of 4.00 in the Spring 2023 semester and graduated from college with a cumulative GPA of 3.977 in a Business and Technology major with a Management and Information Systems minor. A three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American, Gutierrez was named a Middle Atlantic Conference Wrestling Senior Scholar-Athlete in April and received Second Team Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators in June. Gutierrez has been included in the MAC Academic Honor Roll four times and also received Academic All-Conference honors for the first time in July.
Off the mat, Gutierrez spent some time as a youth wrestling coach and served as an analyst for the Stevens Student-Managed Investment Fund.
Below is Gutierrez’s personal testimony of how his experiences as a scientist, athlete, and leader on campus and in the community have impacted his life and empowered him:
“Once you wrestle, everything else in life is easy.” – Dan Gable
A sport full of challenges and rigors, wrestling has taught me invaluable lessons that have shaped the way I look at life. Throughout my career as a wrestler, I have come to understand the deep meaning of this quote.
The first thing that strikes me when I think about my wrestling journey is the deep camaraderie I’ve developed with teammates and coaches. Wrestling fosters extraordinary relationships that are formed through shared struggles and hardships. Day after day we face the constant stress of sport together and thus create a bond that is second to none. This bond becomes a support system in times of despair and a source of joy in moments of success. Although wrestling is an individual sport, the presence of my wrestling family is felt at every step.
When I think back to my proudest moments, it’s not the victories or awards that bring the greatest satisfaction, it’s my reaction to adversity. Wrestling offers numerous opportunities to advance despite difficulties. In the face of defeat, we really learn and grow. While many people sit in the pain of loss and wait for it to pass, the wise see the seed of opportunity in the experience. Accepting discomfort and confronting personal shortcomings are critical steps toward progress.
However, maintaining motivation and discipline while striving for greatness is not an easy task. Time goes by and motivation wanes. Success can create complacency and get us back on the easy path. But true growth and true potential lies in overcoming discomfort and choosing the path of discipline and responsibility. Through this choice we realize that suffering is inevitable, but we have the power to choose our suffering.
Society often defines success in terms of awards, and wrestling is no exception. Striving to win and stand on the podium may seem like the ultimate goal, but that attitude is unsustainable. Defining yourself solely by winning and losing leads to a feeling of emptiness. The thrill of victory is fleeting and the search for fulfillment through external action is not fruitful. The outcome of a game, determined within seven minutes, does not determine our worth or success. Instead, it’s the dedication, discipline, and sacrifice we put into achieving our dreams that really count.
When I reflect on my own journey, I’m not proud of the awards but of the efforts I’ve made. The immense dedication and sacrifice that wrestling demanded of me is close to my heart. Striving itself, rather than achieving a specific goal, has given me deep wisdom.
I look forward to the next chapter of my life and face it without fear. Wrestling gave me an attitude to aim for the highest mark and to consistently strive to achieve it. The lessons I learned on the mat have fueled my supreme confidence in my ability to excel in any endeavor.
Why?
Because I wrestled, everything else is easy.
Voting was conducted by the commissioners in each of the ten regions, with the top male and female honorees recognized as finalists for the awards committee to select the Division III Commissioner’s Association men’s and women’s athletic student-athlete of the year. The two national winners will be announced by the D3CA later this month.
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