Cadets are prepared for pressure

La Salle wrestling stars Connor Sutton and Jon Clemente own extensive resumes.

For this tenacious tandem, clearing the mind of expectations or distractions has become the linchpin to success.

Sutton and Clemente are from families with impressive wrestling credentials.

Sutton's older brother, Steven, placed four times in the state tournament for La Salle.

Clemente had eight uncles wrestle at Lansingburgh, and his first cousin, Zach Clemente, won two state championships for La Salle and currently competes at Hofstra.

Sutton, a two-time Section II champion, is a junior making his third consecutive appearance at the Division I state championships.

Clemente halted a string of three straight second-place finishes in Section II when the senior edged Shen's Dave Almaviva 3-2 at 135, pushing his career record to 183-51.

Jim Sutton, who has coached 32 Section II and eight state champions at La Salle, said the way to succeed at the state championships is "99 percent here," as the veteran coach pointed to his head.

Sutton and Clemente, who have trained together for five years, each wrestles extensively during the spring and summer, competing in about 150 matches on the regional and national levels.