Afsoon Johnston named 2014 USA Wrestling Women’s Coach of the Year
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Afsoon Johnston coaches Whitney Conder at the 2014 World Championships, along with National Coach Terry Steiner. Larry Slater photo.
Afsoon Johnston (San Diego, Calif.) has been named 2014 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Johnston has won this award.
Johnston served as an official coach of the 2014 U.S. Women’s World Team Coach in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, her first assignment with a Senior World Team. The United States placed third in the team standings, led by World champion Adeline Gray, World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis. Five U.S. women reached medal matches.
Johnston has been active coaching a number of U.S. Senior teams in the last three years. She was a coach at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan in 2013 and 2014. She also coached Senior teams at the Poland Open and Grand Prix of Spain, as well as the 2013 Battle at the Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada.
Johnston returned to coaching in the last few years after taking time to raise her family. She was a coach at the 2001 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the team won four of the six gold medals and had a medal in every weight class. She also coached the U.S. team at the 2001 Junior World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, where the USA won two medals.
Competing under her maiden name Afsoon Roshanzamir, she was a star in the early years of the U.S. Women’s wrestling program, before it was an Olympic sport. She was considered one of the true pioneers of women’s wrestling in this nation.
In 1989, at the World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, she was the first American woman to win a World medal when she captured a bronze medal. In 1990, she was a World silver medalist. She made four U.S. World teams, including a fifth place finish in the 1992 World Championships
Johnston won three U.S. Open national titles and placed second twice. She was also second at the World Team Trials two times. She captured international medals in the USA, France, Russia, Poland and Canada.
She competed on the men’s wrestling team at UC-Davis, and was also on the varsity wrestling team for Independence High School in San Jose, Calif. She made her first U.S. Senior World freestyle team while still competing in high school.
Johnston became the first woman to referee a Div. I wrestling match, when she filled in as referee for a UC-Davis dual meet when the assigned official did not attend. She was a local wrestling referee on the high school level while she attended college.
Johnston worked as a physical therapist for many years. She is married to Byron Johnston, and they have three children, Aiden, Samira and Layla.
PAST WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2014 – Afsoon Johnston, San Diego, Calif.
2013 – Archie Randall, Mustang, Okla., OKCU Gator Women’s RTC
2012 – Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling
2011 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2010 – Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2009 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2008 - Tadaaki Hatta, Elyria, Ohio, New York AC
2007 - Troy Steiner, Corvallis, Ore.
2006 - Joe Corso, Metairie, La. ,Gator WC
2005 - Bill Scherr, Glenview, Ill., Sunkist Kids
2004 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
Afsoon Johnston (San Diego, Calif.) has been named 2014 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Johnston has won this award.
Johnston served as an official coach of the 2014 U.S. Women’s World Team Coach in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, her first assignment with a Senior World Team. The United States placed third in the team standings, led by World champion Adeline Gray, World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis. Five U.S. women reached medal matches.
Johnston has been active coaching a number of U.S. Senior teams in the last three years. She was a coach at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan in 2013 and 2014. She also coached Senior teams at the Poland Open and Grand Prix of Spain, as well as the 2013 Battle at the Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada.
Johnston returned to coaching in the last few years after taking time to raise her family. She was a coach at the 2001 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the team won four of the six gold medals and had a medal in every weight class. She also coached the U.S. team at the 2001 Junior World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, where the USA won two medals.
Competing under her maiden name Afsoon Roshanzamir, she was a star in the early years of the U.S. Women’s wrestling program, before it was an Olympic sport. She was considered one of the true pioneers of women’s wrestling in this nation.
In 1989, at the World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, she was the first American woman to win a World medal when she captured a bronze medal. In 1990, she was a World silver medalist. She made four U.S. World teams, including a fifth place finish in the 1992 World Championships
Johnston won three U.S. Open national titles and placed second twice. She was also second at the World Team Trials two times. She captured international medals in the USA, France, Russia, Poland and Canada.
She competed on the men’s wrestling team at UC-Davis, and was also on the varsity wrestling team for Independence High School in San Jose, Calif. She made her first U.S. Senior World freestyle team while still competing in high school.
Johnston became the first woman to referee a Div. I wrestling match, when she filled in as referee for a UC-Davis dual meet when the assigned official did not attend. She was a local wrestling referee on the high school level while she attended college.
Johnston worked as a physical therapist for many years. She is married to Byron Johnston, and they have three children, Aiden, Samira and Layla.
PAST WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2014 – Afsoon Johnston, San Diego, Calif.
2013 – Archie Randall, Mustang, Okla., OKCU Gator Women’s RTC
2012 – Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling
2011 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2010 – Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2009 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2008 - Tadaaki Hatta, Elyria, Ohio, New York AC
2007 - Troy Steiner, Corvallis, Ore.
2006 - Joe Corso, Metairie, La. ,Gator WC
2005 - Bill Scherr, Glenview, Ill., Sunkist Kids
2004 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
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