Nate Johnson, sophomore, competed in the class AAA State Championships at the Xcel Energy Center, on Feb. 26th.

Johnson competed in the tournament for the 120 weight class. His first match of the tournament was against defending state champion, Shakopee’s Brent Jones.

Shakopee’s Jones proved to be a tough matchup for Johnson as he jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Jones controlled the tempo for most of the match and made it hard for Johnson to score. The Match ended with a technical fall as Johnson was shut out 15-0. Jones went on to defend his title and repeat as a state champion in the 120 pound weight class.

In Johnson’s next match, he faced St. Paul Harding’s Keinnan Thacker, who came into the tournament ranked tenth in the 120 pound weight class. Thacker took the lead early in the second 4-0 and didn’t look back. Johnson began to make a comeback as he scored two points late in the match, but it was too late.  The match ended with a final of 9-2.

Overall, Johnson was pleased with his results this season and is ready to make the necessary improvements to take his game to the next level.

“I need to work hard over the offseason so I can make it back to state next year, and make some noise while I’m there,” Johnson said.