by Bea Peterson
During the recent February/March NYS High School Wrestling Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, long time Wrestling Coach Jim Sutton was inducted into the NYS High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Sutton, a high school and college wrestler, began his wrestling coaching career at Hoosick Falls Central School under Coach Ken Baker. He was HFCS Wrestling Head Coach from 1986 to 1998. He coached wrestling at La Salle Institute in Troy from 1999 to 2012. He was also the USA Junior Coach of the NYS team. During his career he helped produce nine State Champions, 40 Section II Champions, 31 NYS Place finishers and two consecutive State Team Championships.
Sutton and his wife Ruth live in West Hoosick. They have six children, daughters Summer and Caitlin and sons James, Stephen, Taylor and Connor. Jimmy, Steve and Connor wrestled at LaSalle. Steve was a four time State place finisher and Connor was a State Champion. Connor is now a student and wrestling at Columbia University.
In September 2013 Sutton was inducted into the La Salle Institute Athletic Hall of Fame as one of the most decorated coaches in the history of La Salle Institute, Section II and New York State athletics. He was also a major factor in building the La Salle’s athletic fields, which bear his family name.