A high school wrestler forfeited the Colorado state tournament due to matches against female opponents on Feb. 21 and Feb. 23. His reason for forfeiting: chivalry.
“I’m not really comfortable with a couple of things with wrestling a girl,” Brendan Johnston told the Denver Post after forfeiting to junior female contender Angel Rios in the 2019 Colorado High School Activities State Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 23. “I don’t want to treat a young lady like that on the mat. Or off the mat. And not to disrespect the heart or the effort that she’s put in.”
More history a few mats over: Jaslynn Gallegos of Skyview ALSO advanced, topping Robert Estrada of Weld Central. So Colorado will have not one but TWO female wrestlers place in Class 3A today at the #CHSAA state tourney. pic.twitter.com/EfcDrEZTpJ
— Sean Keeler (@SeanKeeler) February 23, 2019
Johnston is an 18-year-old senior at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs. During his senior season of wrestling, out of 43 matches, he lost six, according to the Denver Post. Five of those losses were forfeits, with four of them to Rios.
Rios finished in fourth place after Johnston’s forfeit and Jaslynn Gallegos—another female competitor that Johnston forfeited against on Feb. 21—ranked fifth place. Rios and Gallegos made history as the first women to rank in the tournament. Johnston’s decision to forfeit twice at the Class 3A tournament effectively eliminated himself from the competition that he has a likely chance of winning.
History then and now. Brooke (Sauer) Durham was the 1st female wrestling state qualifier in 2006. She returns in 2019 to hand out medals to the state’s 1st girls to place at state, Angel Rios (l), 4th, from Valley & Jaslynn Gallegos (r), 5th, from Skyview, both in 3A 106. pic.twitter.com/y027u5Ljvm
— Ernie Derrera (@ErnieDerrera) February 24, 2019
History made!! Valley jr. Angel Rios wins the CHSAA 3A Region 2 106 lb title, becoming Colorado’s first ever female regional wrestling champion. She’s earned a top-4 seed at next week’s state tournament. She is joined by Skyview sr. Jasslyn Gallegos in the bracket. @CHSAA pic.twitter.com/UHv2w8bB7A
— Ernie Derrera (@ErnieDerrera) February 16, 2019
Moral Values Triumph the Trophy
Johnston, who believes that men and women are equal but created differently, has not wrestled a female since he started grappling opponents in the 7th grade, according to Daily Mail. And he doesn’t regret his decision, though it ended his high school career.
“Wrestling is something we do, it’s not what we are,” Johnston told the Denver Post. “And there are more important things to me than my wrestling. And I’m willing to have those priorities.”
In last year’s tournament, Johnston also forfeited the match against female freshman Cayden Condit. His coach Sean Collins said, “He has done that consistently in the past,” according to The Gazette.
The CHSAA assistant commissioner Ernie Derrera told The Denver Post, “You’ve got to respect his personal decision to do what he did, and standing on his principles … And I think there’s a bigger lesson there than wrestling.”
Rios Understood the Decision
Though Rios was disappointed by Johnston’s forfeiting, KDVR reported that there was no bad blood between the two. Rios has been a wrestler for 15 years, raised among three brothers who were also wrestlers.
Patriot League State Wrestling Consolation:
The reaction from Valley’s Angel Rios after her 4-2 sudden victory.
She will face Weld Central’s Robert Estrada in the consolation championship. #PatriotPlaybook pic.twitter.com/2dKk08Lqzq
— The Playbook — Patriot League sports newsletter (@PatPlaybook) February 23, 2019
Rios hopes that her success reaches other girls. She told KDVR, “I’m hoping it motivates them to be the best they can.”
Although this was the end of Johnston’s High School wrestling career, it isn’t all over. Johnston said he’s thinking about wrestling in college, according to The Denver Post.
Wrestling in the United States
When the first Europeans arrived at North America, Native Americans would already wrestle as a sport, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. What started as local fights gradually transformed into a legitimate sport.
Wrestling was popular long before people gained a big interest in boxing, which became popular in the 19th century. Among renowned wrestlers are Abraham Lincoln, who lost only one match in approximately 300, according to History.com.
In Carl Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln, the former president was quoted speaking to a crowd after dealing with his opponent: “I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.”
