By Ron P. Coderre

According to an announcement last week from the Woodstock Academy Athletic Department, Canterbury resident David Paquette has been named to guide the fortunes of the Centaur wrestling program.  Paquette comes to the program with a strong background as a wrestler and coach.

A graduate of Ledyard High School, Paquette was a two-time wrestling State Open Champion and twice was honored as an All – New England selection.  As a senior for the Colonels he finished as the runner-up at the New England Wrestling Championships.

Following his graduation from Ledyard, Paquette moved on to the collegiate ranks.  Initially he wrestled at Johnson and Wales University before moving on to Rhode Island College, where he served as the captain of the Anchormen’s mat program.  While at RIC he earned All-New England and Academic All – American honors.  He graduated with honors from Rhode Island College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in computer information services.

His coaching experience includes work as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, where he helped the Anchormen to a conference championship and to a top-three conference finish each year of his tenure.  Individually he coached and helped develop one National and four All – New England champion wrestlers.  

Coach Paquette is employed at UConn in the School of Business IT Department.  He and his wife Rebecca have three children, Samantha, Abigail and Zachary.