University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Jerry E. Lee
Alumni Corner: Three-time All-American Sonny Yohn
6/11/2019 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling, M Club
Sonny Yohn (Class of 2012) finished his career in the Maroon and Gold as a three-time All-American improving on his finishes at the NCAA Championships each season of his career. Yohn is now back home in Colorado and is married to a fellow former Gophers athlete!
Check it out!
GopherSports: Since graduating for the University of Minnesota, what have you been up to?
SY: I moved back to Colorado, married to Jessica Schmidt who ran Track and Cross Country at the 'U'. I've finished climbing all the 14,000ft. mountains as well as a hand full of 13,000ft+ peaks in Colorado. I have also had 15 MMA fights!
My brother Cody and I coach a very talented group of wrestlers and we also started our own small business doing window tinting (vehicles and commercial buildings), paint protection film, and some vinyl work. We also have a few investment properties in our hometown.
GopherSports: Where do you live and work professionally?
SY: I live in Denver and we do the majority of our work in the Denver metro area.
GS: What are your favorite memories of Gopher wrestling that you still look back on?
SY: There are way too many to write down, but some of the best were just the times spent with all my teammates. Everyone involved with Minnesota Wrestling, be it teammates, fans and/or boosters, was genuinely like family. Some of my best memories were:
Just hanging out with everyone whether it be at a campfire, playing disk golf, riding motorcycle/mopeds around like we were a biker crew, or making a run to Wendy's for ice cream.
GS: What was it like becoming a three-time All-American?
SY: At the time it was just my expectation. I was upset that I didn't make it my freshman year and my goal was to win a national title.
I didn't win a national title but looking back on it now, becoming a three-time All-American was an awesome accomplishment that I'll get to keep with me for the rest of my life.
GS: What lessons did you learn as a Gopher wrestler?
SY: That no matter how cold you think your hometown in Minnesota is colder!
I owe just about every lesson I have learned to the sport of wrestling and a good chunk of them to my time as a Gopher. Hard work, goal setting, teamwork (even in an individual sport) mental toughness, and overcoming adversity from injuries are some of the most important lessons that come to mind.
The connections you make in this sport are important and lasting.
GS: What has fighting mixed martial arts (MMA) been like and how has wrestling helped you?
SY: Fighting MMA has been a goal of mine since I was young watching Randy Couture and Matt Hughes. I strongly believe wrestling is the best base for MMA. Having the option to decide where the fight goes is a huge upside that I have gained through wrestling.
There are some little things that need adjusting to work in MMA, but overall there is no way in hell I'd be locked in a cage with someone trying to take my head off without having the confidence in my ground game I've gained from all those years of wrestling.
GS: What advice would you give current Gopher wrestlers?
SY: Set your goals high, train hard but smart, be confident in your training and you'll never have any regrets. Focus more on the process and performing instead of the wins and losses. Make sure, every once in a while, to sit back and remember what got you to the level you're currently at and appreciate that.
GS: Are you still involved with wrestling?
SY: Absolutely! My brother Cody and I run one of the locations for Mile High Wrestling Club here in Denver. We have an awesome staff of coaches and an even better group of athletes.
When I moved back to Colorado I wanted to see the state become one of the top states in the country and I feel like coaching at Mile High was by far the best way for me try to accomplish that goal.
Check it out!
GopherSports: Since graduating for the University of Minnesota, what have you been up to?
SY: I moved back to Colorado, married to Jessica Schmidt who ran Track and Cross Country at the 'U'. I've finished climbing all the 14,000ft. mountains as well as a hand full of 13,000ft+ peaks in Colorado. I have also had 15 MMA fights!
My brother Cody and I coach a very talented group of wrestlers and we also started our own small business doing window tinting (vehicles and commercial buildings), paint protection film, and some vinyl work. We also have a few investment properties in our hometown.
GopherSports: Where do you live and work professionally?
SY: I live in Denver and we do the majority of our work in the Denver metro area.
GS: What are your favorite memories of Gopher wrestling that you still look back on?
SY: There are way too many to write down, but some of the best were just the times spent with all my teammates. Everyone involved with Minnesota Wrestling, be it teammates, fans and/or boosters, was genuinely like family. Some of my best memories were:
- Becoming a Division I All-American for the first time after the longest 24 hours of my life leading up to it just thinking about it.
- Family coming out to visit for home dual meets.
- Winning the National Duals at Oklahoma State by beating Iowa and OK State.
- The amount of respect people at Penn State showed by congratulating us after beating them in a dual meet.
- The lack of respect people showed during the Iowa dual. Always fun!
Just hanging out with everyone whether it be at a campfire, playing disk golf, riding motorcycle/mopeds around like we were a biker crew, or making a run to Wendy's for ice cream.
GS: What was it like becoming a three-time All-American?
SY: At the time it was just my expectation. I was upset that I didn't make it my freshman year and my goal was to win a national title.
I didn't win a national title but looking back on it now, becoming a three-time All-American was an awesome accomplishment that I'll get to keep with me for the rest of my life.
GS: What lessons did you learn as a Gopher wrestler?
SY: That no matter how cold you think your hometown in Minnesota is colder!
I owe just about every lesson I have learned to the sport of wrestling and a good chunk of them to my time as a Gopher. Hard work, goal setting, teamwork (even in an individual sport) mental toughness, and overcoming adversity from injuries are some of the most important lessons that come to mind.
The connections you make in this sport are important and lasting.
GS: What has fighting mixed martial arts (MMA) been like and how has wrestling helped you?
SY: Fighting MMA has been a goal of mine since I was young watching Randy Couture and Matt Hughes. I strongly believe wrestling is the best base for MMA. Having the option to decide where the fight goes is a huge upside that I have gained through wrestling.
There are some little things that need adjusting to work in MMA, but overall there is no way in hell I'd be locked in a cage with someone trying to take my head off without having the confidence in my ground game I've gained from all those years of wrestling.
GS: What advice would you give current Gopher wrestlers?
SY: Set your goals high, train hard but smart, be confident in your training and you'll never have any regrets. Focus more on the process and performing instead of the wins and losses. Make sure, every once in a while, to sit back and remember what got you to the level you're currently at and appreciate that.
GS: Are you still involved with wrestling?
SY: Absolutely! My brother Cody and I run one of the locations for Mile High Wrestling Club here in Denver. We have an awesome staff of coaches and an even better group of athletes.
When I moved back to Colorado I wanted to see the state become one of the top states in the country and I feel like coaching at Mile High was by far the best way for me try to accomplish that goal.
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