Rather than wrestle a girl in the state championship, this high schooler forfeited. For one of the two female opponents he refused to face, it was a frustrating outcome.
Brendan Johnston, left, shakes hands with Angel Rios after he forfeited the third round consolation match in the Colorado State Wrestling Championships in Denver last Saturday. By Samantha Pell Samantha Pell Reporter covering high school sports Email Bio Follow March 1 at 10:52 AM To Brendan Johnston, it was a simple choice.
In a situation that got national attention, Johnston’s refusal to wrestle a female competitor disappointed and frustrated many, at a time when girls’ participation in the sport continues to rise across the country. While incidents like these are rare, it’s a scenario that is being confronted more frequently with the growth of women’s wrestling overall.
Jaslynn Gallegos, left, celebrates after pinning opponent Trevor Torrez to win fifth place in the Colorado State Wrestling Championships Saturday in Denver. Rios went on to place fourth at the tournament. Gallegos placed fifth after Johnston’s early-round forfeit. It was the first time any girl had placed at a Colorado state wrestling tournament. Girls’ wrestling is not yet a sanctioned sport in the state, so girls have the right to participate alongside boys at the state tournament.
Out of 50 states, 12 recognize girls’ wrestling as an official, sanctioned high school sport. At the collegiate level, there are no NCAA Division I women’s wrestling teams — Presbyterian College in South Carolina will have the first, kicking off its inaugural season in 2019 — but there are 38 colleges across all divisions that field a women’s wrestling team and compete as part of the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association.
“It’s his decision and I understand that if it’s against his religion,” Rios told the Greeley Tribune. “I have no control over the situation, so if that’s what he chooses to do then that’s on him, I guess.”
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