“I’ve never done a sport harder than wrestling.”
Zorina Johnson, sophmore at Ida B. Wells High School (IBW), started her wrestling career started when she was only four years old. Her father, Coach Lance Johnson, used to coach wrestling at West Linn High School and brought Johnson to every practice since she was a newborn. “Usually, I would just kind of run around and play, ” says Johnson. “But when I was four, I got put into my first tournament.”
Even in her first tournament, it was clear she was going to be a star. Johnson was wrestling other kids her age, placed in a six and under bracket. In her very first match, she lost to another girl who only used two wrestling moves: the double leg and the half Nelson. She used these two moves to win every other match in the tournament, and they were the only two moves Johnson used to take down opponents for the first two years of her career.
“And I just dominated,” said Johnson.
On top of her knack for the sport, Johnson’s talent is a result of her dedication. Most days, she practices two to three times, including specific training sessions, cardio and weightlifting. Even during her lighter months without a tournament, Johnson always works hard. “I spend a lot of time on the mat. It’s not [always] super necessary, but I really love it,” says Johnson. “Putting in that work and seeing the results is so rewarding.” Johnson believes it’s one of the hardest things she’s ever done, but she loves the intensity.
According to Johnson, the best part of wrestling is the relationships with her teammates and coaches, which is why she fell in love with wrestling. “Even now, my wrestling friends are some of my best friends ever, because … the type of people that wrestle are just amazing people,” she says.
Of course, as a woman in a typically male-dominated sport, there will always be challenges, but Johnson doesn’t see this as a barrier to her career. “You have to understand that there were no girls, it was all boys. You had to train with the boys. I think, when I was little, that wasn’t at all a problem for me. I would just be able to keep competing and keep growing,” she said. “I think that’s really translated into my life now, being more fearless and knowing that I can compete with whoever.”
Finding the right competitive approach to wrestling can be challenging. “Learning the correct competition mindset is something wrestling really taught me. I used to be really anxious about the sport when I was little,” Johnson says. “Now I’ve learned that anxiety can be good. It can help you perform, but too much of it is not good. So it’s like learning how to find that balance and keep yourself occupied.” Mindset is an important part of any sporting career. “But let yourself be a little nervous.”
Now, she wrestles for IBW and is coached by her dad, Coach Lance Johnson. Recently, Johnson became the first-ever IBW girl’s state champion, and the first IBW wrestler to win a state title since 2012. Gearing up for the final match, it was clear she had worked hard for this. Her first matches were won easily, along with her quarter and semi-final matches. In the final, Johnson wrestled Renae Cook, another sophomore from Forest Grove High School. The two had wrestled previously at districts, with Johnson winning 7-0. The state match ended in a 9-3 decision, with Johnson taking home the title as champion.
“The feeling after winning a tournament is probably one of the best feelings that you can have because you put in so much work, it paid off. You don’t have to be stressed anymore. You can just enjoy the presence, I think, just being done and feeling satisfied with how you did,” she said.
Her hard work paid off, and Johnson continued to national championships, where she placed fifth overall for her weight class.
In addition to wrestling, Johnson runs track for IBW and in the summer of 2023, founded the first IBW girl’s football team. Over 20 girls attended summer practices and seven joined the men’s team for the fall season.
Managing more than one sport, especially with wrestling, can be difficult. With wrestling being her priority, finding a balance between her sports is essential to her success. “For the past two weeks, I’ve kind of had to tell my coaches I wasn’t going to be there as much for track,” says Johnson. “But I think it’s all about communication… as long as you communicate with your coaches, you can do it. Ultimately, cross-training is good.”
Johnson says she loves how much the sport of wrestling has grown. Over the last few years, girl’s wrestling has become the fastest-growing sport in high schools across the country.
“We used to have one girl’s tournament a year and barely enough people to fill it, and now we have a girl’s National Championship, with too many people to fit in a bracket. It’s crazy.”
