At CNE, families that wrestle together win together
By Dick Maloney
State tournaments aren’t often compared to family reunions, but family was a big part of the story for three Clermont Northeastern High School wrestlers and one coach in Columbus earlier this month.
Senior Colby Johnson was there, with his sister, freshman Liberty Johnson. Both were appearing in their first state tournament. Freshman Janelle Donahue was also there, with her father, girls coach Tom Donahue.
Oh, and junior Jesse Foebar became CNE’s first individual state champion, winning the 145-pound weight class.
More storylines than one school should be allowed.
“Unbelievable … brother sister, qualifying for the state tournament … getting to wrestle next to each other the only time that that could have even possibly happened,” boys coach Scott Wells said. “He's down on the floor screaming for his sister … it was cool. It was … it was just unbelievable”
Colby Johnson qualified to state at 144 pounds by placing third in the Division III regional tournament at Troy. The two matches at Schottenstein Center were likely the last of his competitive career; he finished the season with a 45-8 record. He talked about the experience sitting on a mat in CNE’s wrestling room, on the ground floor of the early childhood center in Owensville, where along one wall are listed the names of the school’s previous state qualifiers – including J.J. Johnson, Colby and Liberty’s father. Their brother, Kendal, wrestled at Williamsburg High school, winning more than 150 matches.
Another family connection.
“Their whole family is just a wrestling family. So he was probably coming out of the womb ready to wrestle,” Wells said.
Colby Johnson described the state experience as “overwhelming.”
“It's just a different wrestling environment. I don't know how else to explain it. Everybody there they wrestled different. I didn't feel nervous when I walked in there, but I think nerves did get the best of me,” he said.
His demeanor was much more businesslike the week before, when he clinched his state berth by placing third in the district tournament at Troy.
“I went to give him a hug and he just walked right by me,” Wells said.
“The job wasn’t done,” Johnson said.
“I asked him, ‘Are you excited?’ he said, ‘It’s just third place,’” Wells said.
His sister, a first-year wrestler, reveled in her moment a bit more. Liberty Johnson placed fourth at 125 pounds in the regional meet at Harrison – the final qualifier from that location. An 8-0 victory over Mason’s Julie Sung clinched the trip to state.
“I was very excited right when I got off the mat. Everybody came up and started hugging me,” she said. “I guess the entire time during regionals I was very, very nervous because I was (afraid) I wasn't going to make it because I lost to two girls I already beat before and I was (afraid) that I wasn't going to make it my brother's final year.”
Brother pushed sister to excel.
“Once she decided she was going to wrestle it was on then. She's just like me. I never wanted to push myself to do anything. I hate doing extra, but I always have to … do extra to be good. So I always do extra and then I this year I made her do extra and she hates it,” Colby said.
“I get way more nervous for her wrestling than I do for me.”
Tom Donahue has coached other daughters in the state tournament. Trinity placed third in the 2020 state tournament and Alexa fifth in 2020 and fourth in 2021, both for Bethel-Tate High School. This is his first year as CNE coach.
Those tournaments were conducted by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association; the 2022 tournament was the first sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Tom Donahue won a gold medal in the United World Wrestling Veterans Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in early October, after winning a bronze medal in the same event in 2021, that time in Loutraki, Greece.
When Janelle secured her state berth at 130 pounds by placing third at Harrison with a 3-0 win over Northwest’s Olivia Gilliand, she hugged her father.
“It was really cool and just following in his footsteps like means a lot,” she said.
“She kind of had the expectation going in, but I love coaching my kids and I think everybody will testify them probably harder on them than everybody else” Tom Donahue said. “But they know that what it takes to be (good) and they all grow leaps and bounds. I’m so proud of them.”
Janelle Donahue and Liberty Johnson will both have chances to return to state in coming seasons, and the experience gained in 2023 will benefit them.
“I now know that I have to wrestle smart always and I’ve got to control my nerves because especially before my matches my nerves would get so high I couldn't concentrate on anything,” Janelle Donahue said.
As a team, CNE placed 13th – there is only one division in the girls tournament. Wells said Tom Donahue joining the program is one reason they performed so well.
“I think when (assistant coach Taylor Shinkle) and I can tell Jesse and these girls and Colby that they can do it … I think they believe us. But when he says it, they believe in him now. They believe in themselves. He carries a lot of weight with everything that he does.”
Janelle Donahue went 1-2 at state and finished 27-13. Liberty Johnson lost both her matches to finish 32-12.