4 Central Jersey greats to be inducted into NJ Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Some of them were high school state champions, some standout college wrestlers, and some went on to coach or referee.
Their accomplishments and commitments to the sport will be highlighted Sept. 22 when they are inducted into the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The banquet will start at 1 p.m. at The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village.
Among the six honorees are locals Bill Voliva from Piscataway, Joe Dougherty from Old Bridge, Walter Grote from Scotch Plains and Mike Suk from Somerville.
Bill Voliva
A 1971 graduate of Piscataway High School, he went 52-7-2 overall, had an undefeated dual meet season and went on to place in the states. His next stop was at the University of Virginia where he also played football. He reached the Atlantic Coast Conference finals three times and won an ACC title twice.
Voliva returned to coach at Piscataway High School, recording a 246-153-5 record over 26 years. The Chiefs won 10 District titles and he was District Coach of the Year seven times. He went on to be an official 25 years.
He couldn’t help but become involved in the sport. His father was Dick Voliva, head coach at Rutgers. A silver medalist in the 1936 Olympics, he is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“Obviously I’m flattered,” the 70-year-old said about the honor. “I feel there are more qualified people than I am. I put the time in, but I was shocked.”
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Retiring from coaching in 2005 and from teaching in 2008, he now works part-time in financial planning.
“The most gratifying thing I do now,” he said, “is spending time with my six grandchildren.”
Voliva and his wife now reside in Lavallette.
Joe Dougherty
A three-time state qualifier and state champ out of Madison Central High School (now Old Bridge), he went on to coach at South Brunswick High, where in 26 years his teams went 306-182-3. He retired from teaching three years ago after having retired from coaching the high school team in 2012. Since then, he has coached at the middle school.
Dougherty wrestled at Bloomsburg, reaching the semifinals in an Eastern Wrestling League Tournament before injuries cut short his career.
At South Brunswick the Vikings were 13-time state Group IV qualifiers, four-time District champions, 12-time Greater Middlesex Conference champions, had 57 district champs, 12 region champs and seven state place winners.
He went on to be Region 5 president and vice president, and in the Greater Middlesex Conference served as president, vice president and treasurer.
The 65-year-old also is a member of the Region 5 Hall of Fame, the South Brunswick Hall of Fame, the Old Bridge High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
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With two older brothers who wrestled, Dougherty easily fell into the sport.
“With five brothers in the family, eventually six, it was just natural,” he said. “We were all at each other. I had no training in elementary school and didn’t compete until eighth grade.”
He and his wife reside in Monroe.
Walter Grote
For more than 40 years he has been Dr. Grote, now affiliated with Newton Medical Center and St. Clare’s Hospital. He practices internal medicine with Premier Health Associates and regenerative/sports medicine with Prolotherapy and Integrated Medicine.
His initial interest in the sport came from watching his cousin wrestle for Jefferson (now Elizabeth High School). His talents didn’t surface until he got to Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, when as a sophomore he was captain of the jayvee team. He would go unbeaten as a senior, then really blossomed in college.
A three-time captain at Cornell, he held the record for most pins in a season and a career for 37 years. He was a four-time AAU All-American, an alternate on the 1976 U.S. Olympic Freestyle team and a four-time New Jersey Senior AAU champion. Representing the New York Athletic Club, he won the national title in the 1978 United States Wrestling Federation Tournament.
He remains a volunteer coach for Kittatinny Regional High School.
“Wrestling is something that has always been close to my heart,” the 71-year-old said. “Even though I went into medicine, a lot of my medicine is focused on athletes, and wrestlers in particular.”
Dr. Grote and his wife reside in Branchville. They have seven children and nine grandchildren.
Mike Suk
A Somerville High School graduate, he coached at his alma mater and then Randolph High School, combining to go 471-282-1. His win totals rank him ninth in the state. His Somerville record was 111-63-1 from 1985-95.
He coached Randolph from 1995 to 2020.
As a wrestler at Glassboro State (now Rowan), he was a three-time All-American. He also played football and is a member of Rowan’s Hall of Fame.
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His Somerville teams produced six county championships, were six-time district champs and twice sectional champs. He also assisted the Somerville/Branchburg Recreation and Middle School programs, as a clinician, recruiter and advisor.
His Randolph teams won six conference titles, seven county titles, eight district titles and were sectional champions four times.
Not bad for someone who didn’t wrestle until he was a freshman in high school.
Enjoying retirement at 62, Suk can often be found hiking the Appalachian Trail with his pet husky. A father of three, he and his wife reside in Columbia in Warren County.
“It’s very humbling,” he said about the honor. “I look at it as a shared award. People have gone with me on a journey 35 years. My family, my wrestlers, administrators and communities I worked in, coaches, officials. It’s relationships that you build throughout the years, especially with your wrestlers. I’m still in contact with a number of them, watching them grow. It’s been great.
“Without them, this would never have happened.”
Paul Franklin is a freelance reporter for MyCentralJersey.com.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame inducting Class of 2023
