BEREA, Ohio — Please vote for Baldwin Wallace University senior three-time Division III All-American and three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American Jesse Gunter (Akron/ Coventry) for the 2015-2016 Haier Achievement "Ultimate Achiever" Award.
CLICK HERE to vote for Jesse. Voting runs from March 2-31, 2016. The winner of the online fan vote will earn their school an additional $5,000 donation and another Haier LED HD television. Additionally, all fans who vote will be entered into a drawing to win a Haier LED HD television.
Gunter, who placed fifth at 133 pounds at the March 11-12, 2016 NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the epitome of the philosophy of the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete. Jesse also is the only NCAA Division II or III student-athlete in the Haier Achievement final voting pool. A vote for Jesse is a vote for BW, small college athletics and the true meaning of the term "student-athlete".
With his fifth place finish this season, Jesse is a three-time Division III All-American and a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Associatiuon Scholar All-American. He has a 3.452 grade point average, has already completed his degree requirements for his degree in education, is currently pursuing a second degree in business and had a perfect 4.0 grade average during the Fall 2015 semester, plans to come back to BW next fall to begin work on a Master's of Accounting degree and will help his head coach, Jamie Gibbs, as a Yellow Jacket assistant next winter.
Add those qualities to the fact that Jesse is a team captain and leader who is 100 percent blind in one eye and 90 percent in his other. Prior to moving his major to business, Jesse spent time working with children who have special needs. Jesse simply is a leader in the classroom, on campus and on the wrestling mat.
The monthly Haier Achievement Award is presented to deserving student-athletes for their accomplishments beyond sports. Jesse was the seventh of eight Haier Achievement Award recipients who have advanced to the final stage in the voting for the "Ultimate Achiever" Award. Jesse's February 2016 honor brought the BW General Scholarship Fund a $2,000 award, the athletics department received a 48' HD Haier TV and Jesse received a plaque. CLICK HERE to read about the award presentation at a BW men's basketball game.
"The Haier Achievement Award program brings to light those student-athletes who have achieved success beyond sports," said John Homlish, Senior Vice President and Business Unit Leader of Digital Living for Haier America. "By recognizing eight student-athletes with inspirational stories throughout the year, we hope to further motivate other young people to achieve and succeed both on and off the field. By bringing Jesse's incredible story to light, we hope to inspire other young people."
In his usual humble way, Jesse loves to thank others for his success.
"I want to thank my parents, coach Jamie Gibbs, my teammates, SID Kevin Ruple and God," said Gunter. "None of this is possible without every single one of them. I am very grateful to share this award with Baldwin Wallace University and the BW wrestling program. Both have created wonderful opportunities for myself and others and I am grateful to have the opportunity to represent BW and its wrestling program. I also would like to thank CoSIDA and Haier for being the first Division III recipient this year. I hope I can represent all Division III student-athletes who work so hard, are so dedicated and committed to their academics, their sport and their teammates, and who represent the Division III philosophy of the student-athlete."
BW Head Coach feels Jesse is extremely worthy of all of the awards he has received.
"Jesse is outstanding in every facet of his life and an outstanding role model for both our wrestlers and anyone who has to overcome any kind of hurdle in their life," said fifth-year BW Head Wrestling Coach Jamie Gibbs. "Jesse is one of the hardest workers and best leaders I have ever coached. I am most grateful he is staying at BW next year, working towards his master's degree in accounting, to help coach because Jesse will be an even better coach due to his genuine passion to help others break barriers to achieve success. This award confirms the type of place Baldwin Wallace is and the resources that it has to help Jesse and other students achieve greatness."
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