University of Wisconsin La Crosse Athletics

Athlete: 1935-1939


Henry Sugden was a "one man show: on the cinder tracks, dominating the sprints and field event during his years at  La Crosse. As co-captain of the track team, he won four letters as a sprinter, broadjumper and javelin thrower. During a 1939 dual against Winona State, he scored 21 of his team's 92 points while winning or placing in the 100, 200, 440, broad jump and javelin. In a conference meet at Milwaukee, he swept the 100, 200 and 440 dashes. 
    Sugden was also an excellent scatback in football and played during the 1937 and 1938 seasons. His devotion to football later aided him to coach 24 years at Evanston High School, Evanston, Illinois where the teams had 20 championships He also coached 10 years of diving and 12 years of gymnastics at Evanston, as well as volunteering many of his hours to coaching and refereeing little league football and baseball in the area. He received his Ma.A. from Indiana University  in 1940, served in the Navy during WWII and retired form the Naval Reserve in 1966 after more than 22 years of service. Sugden was instrumental in establishing a vacation basketball program for local youth and is remembered by Evanston Township High  by a college scholarship in his name. He died in 1972.