Dragons grapple for glory: Ace Johnson, Dalton Kendall earn sixth-place at state
-
Lady Dragons senior Kalinda ‘Ace’ Johnson earned a sixth-place medal at the TSSAA Class A state championships on Saturday. - Tony Cox
-
Senior Dalton Kendall earned a sixth-place medal for the Dragons at the TSSAA Class A state championships at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin. - Tony Cox
-
Clinton’s Dalton Kendall placed sixth in the 215-pound weight division and scored 11 team points at the 2025 TSSAA Division 1 Class A wrestling state championships on Saturday, Feb. 22. Kendall finished the 2025 season with a record of 36-9 and won a medal. - Tony Cox
A pair of Clinton High School wrestlers, Ace Johnson and Dalton Kendall, capped the 2024‑25 season on a storied state stage Saturday at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.
Both competitors finished sixth at the TSSAA Class A state championships.
“I thought both of them wrestled really well; I was really proud of both of them,” Clinton Coach Channing McDonald said.
In the girls’ tournament, Johnson, competing in the 185‑pound class, won three straight matches on Friday before stumbling Saturday.
“Ace had a great first day (Friday),” McDonald said. “She lost on the second day, and wrestled and got a chance to get that fifth-place opportunity and she lost both of her matches in the consolation round.”
In the boys’ championships, Kendall, wrestling in the 215‑pound division, won his opening match, but faced a challenging second round.
“Dalton had a tough match in the second round and he lost in that one,” McDonald said. “But he came back the second day and won three in a row, and he got the chance to wrestle for fifth place.”
McDonald, who recently wrapped up his fourth season as head coach of the Dragons and Lady Dragon wrestlers, has guided some key winners during his tenure.
“In the four years I’ve been here, we’ve had four state placers and a state champion,” McDonald said.
“That shows how hard we’ve worked in the wrestling room, and I hope it helps us attract more athletes to the program.
“It’s great for the program; it shines for the school,” he said.
“When you do this, you not only hope to develop great athletes, but you also help shape great people,” he added.
Tony Cox | The Courier News
Lady Dragons senior Kalinda ‘Ace’ Johnson earned a sixth-place medal at the TSSAA Class A state championships on Saturday.
Tony Cox | The Courier News
Senior Dalton Kendall earned a sixth-place medal for the Dragons at the TSSAA Class A state championships at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin.
Tony Cox | The Courier News
Clinton’s Dalton Kendall placed sixth in the 215-pound weight division and scored 11 team points at the 2025 TSSAA Division 1 Class A wrestling state championships on Saturday, Feb. 22. Kendall finished the 2025 season with a record of 36-9 and won a medal.
