THE GREATER LANSING AREA SPORTS HALL
OF FAME
INDUCTION CEREMONY
July 26, 2018
“E.J.” Ernest Pasteur, Jr.
By Chuck Krafft
E.J. Pasteur
had an excellent career as a football player and as a wrestler at Lansing Sexton
High. He led his football team in tackles
as a senior. He was named All-Area and
All-District as a football player; he also was given Honorable Mention to the
All-State Team.
As a
wrestler, he led the Sexton team in pins as a Junior and as a Senior. In both seasons he was named to the All-State
team. He was Co-Captain of the MHSAA Class
A State Championship Team as well.
He moved on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he lettered four years on the wrestling team. He achieved championships in the New York Collegiate Championships, the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and the Greco-Roman Wrestling at the University Nationals. He also won a Gold Medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Pan-Am Championships.
He moved on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he lettered four years on the wrestling team. He achieved championships in the New York Collegiate Championships, the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and the Greco-Roman Wrestling at the University Nationals. He also won a Gold Medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Pan-Am Championships.
The previous
inductee may have set a world record for the shortest induction speech. E.J. said he would not be doing that (although
he was not overly long either.)
He thanked
all the people who helped him as he observed that “People seldom do it alone.” He thanked his coach at Sexton. He recounted moving to Lansing from Grand
Rapids before his junior year. The
people at Sexton, especially the wrestling coach and other wrestlers really
reached out to welcome him so he chose Sexton.
The
teammates at Sexton pushed him to be the best wrestler he could be. The practices at Sexton were so demanding
that he described meets as being like a “cakewalk.”
He noted the
difference between competitive wrestling as what is done on WWE. He also thanked his family for his patience;
when he was learning, he practiced many of his wrestling moves on his family
members!!
For those
who wish to read about the entire induction ceremony, here is a link.
