David James Wottle ‘73

Dave Wottle is nicknamed “The Throttle” for his Olympian feats. At the 1972, Olympics 800-meter final, Wottle dropped to the rear of the field and stayed there for 500 meters, until he started to pass runner by runner to win by just .03 seconds. At the medal stand, he forgot to remove his golf cap during the national anthem. He later apologized, but he cap became his signature. He was the first BGSU graduate to win a gold medal and remains the only one to win a non-team medal.