Lena wins it
- Updated: January 20, 2023
Weaver’s Johannson wins third straight state girls title; Lady Bearcats finish third as team, collect state hardware for first time; Ranburne comes up short in Duals final
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM — Lena Johannson’s tools were feeling rubbery because of the weight she cut, but she got some really good advice during the day that paved the way for her to win another title.
The Weaver sophomore won her third straight girls state championship Friday when she made quick work of Thompson’s Aenaya Vines in the 138 final of the State Girls Wrestling Tournament at the Bill Harris Arena.
Johannson won the title match in 37 seconds, completing her season with a 26-0 record and 29-match winning streak.
“Throughout the last couple years I’ve had a lot of adversity because of injuries,” she explained, “so, this is the first complete season I’ve had since seventh grade and I’ve gotten to wrestle every single match and I’m so thankful for that.
“Going to yesterday I overcut. I over-thought it and I was way too light for that and felt really horrible yesterday, if I’m being honest; just in every way possible I felt bad. Every single match my legs and my arms felt like Jell-o and I remember telling our assistant coach (Justin Brown) and he like don’t think about that, think about being a three-timer.”
The pin in the finals was her fourth of the tournament and third in less than a minute. She moved into the second round with a bye, then won in 41 seconds, 12 seconds, 2:59 and, finally, 37 seconds.
“She was just very dominant in every position this week,” Weaver coach Andy Fulmer said. “Great on her feet, lot of movement, just was in control and when she got on top … she just suffocates you on top. She’s just a hammer.”
Two of her Weaver teammates finished second. Mariah Johannson was pinned in 1:18 by a double Fargo All-American in the 120 final and Ali Anderson was pinned in 1:41 in the 114 final.
“They wrestled really well this weekend and had tough draws in the finals,” Fulmer said.
Weaver finished third as a team with 128.5 points, behind champion Sparkman (191) and Daphne (180). Other local teams represented included Piedmont (19th), ASB (28th), Lincoln (32nd), Wellborn (T-41), Cleburne County (47th) and Southside (T-50).
The Lady Bearcats have brought home hardware from every tournament they’ve entered this season, but this was their first time bringing back a plaque from the state. They edged Enterprise by two points for the spot.
“We only have 10 girls total and of those 10 only seven are scorers because I’ve got girls in multiple weight classes,” Fulmer said. “All of them, my scorers and my non-scorers, both wrestled really well yesterday.
“Today, it was kind of like the Ohatchee thing (at boys state) last year, we had to have a little bit of help because we went 1-2 in the finals and Enterprise went 2-1 and we needed Baldwin County’s heavy to beat Enterprise’s heavy in the very last match (and did by pin). That’s how we ended up finishing third ahead of them.”
In two years, the state’s coaches were told by AHSAA officials, the event will be sanctioned by the state body and teams will be awarded blue and red map trophies.
The boys State Duals Championship was being competed simultaneously. For the first time in AHSAA wrestling post-season history, a father, son and daughter were officiating in a finals. Oxford’s Shannon King, son Matt and daughter Jessica Gerdts were working the 7A title match.
Ranburne takes on Dora for the 1A-4A Duals title later today.
STATE GIRLS WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
100: Alanah Girard, Daphne (38-2), 8th, pinned Erin Clarkson, Auburn (19-4), Jr., 1:47
107: Juliana Eldridge, Wetumpka (21-0), 8th, dec..Madilyn Rodgers, Arab (15-2), Sr., 10-4
114: Katherine Grigsby, Hewitt-Trussville (34-1), So., pinned Ali Anderson, Weaver (21-6), 8th, 1:41
120: Evelyn Holmes-Smith, Enterprise (36-0), So., pinned Mariah Johannson, Weaver (27-4), 7th, 1:18
126: Carly Thomas, Bob Jones (28-1) Jr., pinned Jessalynn Allen, Grissom (19-2), Fr., 1:42
132: Kalyse Hill, Daphne (35-0), So., dec. Raya Carpenter, Tuscaloosa County (5-4), Sr., 5-3
138: Lena Johannson, Weaver (26-0), So., pinned Aenaya Vines, Thompson (33-4), So., 0:37
145: Akerah Artis, Sparkman (31-0), Sr. , pinned Charlotte Parker, Montgomery Catholic (16-3), Sr., 2:36
152: Reagan Grant, Sparkman (25-2), Jr., pinned Autumn Boutwell, Arab (17-6), Jr., 0:25
165: Mackenzie Schultz, Enterprise (33-0), Fr., tech fall over Kaylee Holder, Daphne (23-3), Jr., 17-2 (6:00)
185: Aniyah Griffin, Pinson Valley (35-0), Jr., pinned Joy Hawkins, Sparkman (24-1), Jr., 1:58
235: Tamara Reed, Baldwin County (17-0), Sr., pinned Mallory Ladd, Enterprise (16-2), So., 2:20
1A-4A Duals
Dora won the last two matches of the day after Ranburne rallied from a 20-point deficit to score a 39-31 victory and win the Class 1A-4A State Duals title.
Ranburne trailed 29-9 after the 222 match, but won the next four bouts with three pins and a major decision to take a 31-29 lead after Brody Homer’s pin at 122.
Dora retook the lead when Jayden Rouse scored a pin at 128 and clinched the crown when 134 Peyton Hallman won a 16-8 major decision in the final bout of the day.
AHSAA 1A-4A DUALS
Championship match
DORA 39, RANBURNE 31
140: Damon Clayton (D) maj. dec. Brent Lovvorn, 9-0 (4-0)
147: Connor Roberts (D) pinned Miles Williamson, 3:10 (10-0)
154: John Lexin Caldwell (R) pinned Ashton Gilmore-Smith, 1:34 (10-6)
162: Delvin Taylor (D) maj. dec. Curtis Daniel, 13-5 (14-6)
172: Zack Buchanan (R) dec. Aiden Richardson, 8-3 (14-9)
184: Jonathan Foster (D) pinned Lane Lipham, 0:33 (20-9)
197: Cameron Richardson (D) pinned Isaac Calvert, 3:44 (26-9)
222: Cameron Gosha (D) dec. Zaden Benefield, 5-2 (29-9)
287: Carson Hall (R) pinned Grady Goodwin, 0:54 (29-15)
108: Carter Driver (R) pinned Nigel Bailey, 0:30, (29-21)
115: Hunter Hulsey (R) maj. dec. Jamell Saxton, 12-0 (29-25)
122: Brody Homer (R) pinned Dracen Stewart, 1:41 (29-31)
128: Jayden Rouse (D) pinned Braden Driver, 4:33 (35-31)
134: Peyton Hallman (D) maj. dec. Cash Ward, 16-8 (39-31)
Cover photo of Weaver’s Lena Johannson in action at the state girls wrestling tournament by Jimmy Smith.
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