Off The Record

High School Wrestler Forfeits State Tournament When He Sees The Opponent

Published on April 24, 2024

Respect is always well deserved if you uphold your convictions and make a sacrifice in the service of your religion.

Former Colorado high school wrestler Brendan Johnston is well aware of it. According to reports, he apparently forfeited two state tournament when he saw the opponents.

By declining to accept the matches, he basically ended his high school career in the sport due to his personal and religious views.

Maybe more than ever these days, the idea of putting adult males and females in physical competition is being debated.

Of course, the majority of people think it’s unjust to pit men and women against one another. The two sexes differ greatly from one another, not the least of which is biological, thus the playing field isn’t even levelled at first.

Either way, the notion of facing Skyview High’s Jaslynn Gallegos in the opening round of a state tournament in 2018 infuriated 18-year-old Brendan Johnson.

Brendan, a senior at Colorado Springs’ Classical Academy at the time, also chose not to compete against Valley High’s Angel Rios in his third-round consolation bout.

Christian Brendan stated, “It’s so physical, physically close. I don’t think that’s really appropriate with a young lady. It’s also very aggressive and I’m not really, I guess, comfortable with that.”

Christian continued: “There is something that I really do find problematic about the idea of wrestling with a girl, and a part of that does come from my faith and my belief.

“And a part of that does come from how I was raised to treat women as well as maybe from different experiences and things.

“I don’t think that I am looking at them as not equal. I am saying that they are women and that is different than being men, because I do believe that men and women are different and we are made differently.

“But I still believe that women are of equal value to men. I don’t think that seeing men and women as different [opposes] the idea of equality.”

Brendan finished sixth since he didn’t wrestle the two girls, whereas Angel and Jaslynn finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

But Jaslynn was upset that Brendan decided not to play in a possible match. “This whole time that I’ve wrestled, it’s just me trying to prove a point that I am just a wrestler,” she stated at the time in an interview with the Washington Post.

“And so the fact that my gender is something that kind of holds me back still is just a little nerve-racking, but I respect his decision. It’s fine.

“My whole thing is that I’m not a girl wrestler; I’m just a wrestler. So it kind of doesn’t hurt my feelings, but I do kind of take it to heart.”