Kansas Dual Team: Face Us at RMN Nationals!
For the Pride of Kansas
Interview with Kansas State Dual Team Coach Eric Johnson
By Bill X. Barron
Growing in size, reputation, and competition since its inception in 2011, the Rocky Mountain National Duals have becoming increasingly popular offering two divisions for middle and high school as well as separate boys and girls divisions.
This year the team duals will conclude the 4-day RMN National Championships in Denver on June 5th. For eight of the National Duals’ ten years, the team champion has been Team Kansas coached by Eric Johnson. They have defeated all-comers, including multi-state all-star squads formed with the purpose of dethroning Kansas.
“The RMN is my favorite wrestling trip of the year!” exclaims Eric.
“Ed Gutierrez and his staff are some of the most passionate and hard-working people I know in the sport of wrestling. For over a decade, our wrestlers have especially loved the dual portion of the National Championships, as it is Kansas against the entire nation.
“Great competition, huge trophies, and awesome production! The lifetime memories that our Kansas wrestlers gain from our annual trip are priceless!”
Each year at the Kansas state tournament, Eric selects his all-class First Team starters. After presenting them with a t-shirt, he distributes flyers promoting the dual team trip to Colorado.
Eric remains disciplined in adherence to the state rankings which he researches and publishes weekly during the high school season. If the top-rated wrestler is not available to travel to Denver, Eric goes down the list to the next wrestler in ranked order to select a replacement.
In Coach J’s perspective, “there’s nothing like wrestling to get kids out of their shells. Rewarding them with rankings and a place on the state dual team is a highlight of my coaching career. We’ve had inquiries from out-of-state wrestlers, but we are committed to Team Kansas through and through.”
Beginning his own youth wrestling in Oklahoma City, Eric moved to Plano, Texas where he was a 1980 state placer. Eric’s youngest son Tanner was a Kansas freestyle state champ who later competed for Wayland Baptist University (TX).
Coach Johnson’s home youth club is the Johnson County Renegades, where he is known as “Chief Renegade.” He cites more than one coach or parent who has exclaimed that “my kid’s life changed because he became a ranked wrestler.”
“I emphasize the importance of being part of a team, which begins with checking egos at the door. We are traveling to another state for the pride of Kansas. There’s no place for prima donnas. Building relationships to last a lifetime is our first priority.”
This year’s team features six state champions as well as three high school All-Americans: one each from Fargo, UWW Nationals, and National High School Championships in Virginia Beach.
Some years the Kansas depth is such that its second team has faced the first team in the championship match. Coach Johnson’s best memories are of the years when his all-Kansas team has defeated an all-star team made up of athletes from several states.
The Kansas team’s annual 9-hour trek begins in Kansas City with stops along I-70 to pick up all the wrestlers in vans driven by Coach Johnson and his assistant coaches. “The key is communication, involving parents in the experience, and then keeping the excitement at a high level throughout the trip.”
The caravan drives straight to Colorado School of Mines for a work-out. Eric and CSM Coach Austin DeVoe are lifetime buddies from Kansas. The Orediggers’ wrestling program has had 37 Collegiate All-Americans who earned 55 recognitions.
Eric’s father served as athletic director for the Denver YMCA. As the trip reunites Coach Johnson with where he was born, he allows the boys to investigate the big city’s downtown area.
Kansas will face stiff competition from a number of other teams loaded with highly-rated wrestlers.
A few of the challengers for the team crown will be POWA: Pueblo Original Wrestling Club (CO) coached by Adam Urenda; Silverback Wrestling Club (CA) coached by MMA great Ian Butler; Team Aggression (WA) coached by Brandon Cruz and Geoff Kaylor; and Salem Elite Wrestling Club (OR) coached by Santos Cantu.
There are still openings for your middle and high school boys and girls dual teams to be part of the 2022 showdown in Denver on June 5th! Register online at https://rmn-events.regfox.com/rmn-duals. Independents may also register to be assigned to a team who is missing a wrestler at his or her weight.
2022 Team Kansas 1st Squad
106 – Grayson Hagan – 34-12 – 3rd at State
113 – Nolan Bradley – 41-4 – State Champion/3X Placer
120 – Kaden Spragis - 42-7 – State Champion/3X Placer
126 – Braden Tatum – 29-3 – State Finalist
132 – Eddie Hughart – 38-9 – 3X State Placer
138 – Jevin Foust – 33-7 – 3X State Placer
145 - Gabe Maki – 40-5 – 3X State Placer
152 – Xerarch Tungjaroenkul – 39-1 – State Champion/USAW Folkstyle Champion
160 – Dylan Elmore – 45-1 – State Champion/Fargo AA
170 – Connor Padgett – 44-4 – State Champion
182 – Garrett Davis – 39-2 – 3X State Placer
195 – Blake Jouret – 35-1 – State Champion/UWW AA
220 – Bronx Wood – 30-5 – State Placer
285 – Brett Carroll – 42-8 – 2X State Placer