University of Minnesota Athletics
Evan Johnson - M Club Hall of Fame
Evan JohnsonWrestling, 1973-74, 1975-77
HOF Class of 2002
Evan Johnson, fresh from Orono High School, finished third in the Big Ten as a freshman Gopher wrestler in 1973 and improved from there, placing second in 1974 and 1976.
He red-shirted in the 1974-75 season, but was seen as such a strong leader that his teammates still named him captain that year.
Johnson had a breakout year in 1976 when, in the very competitive 190-pound category, he won the national championship and All-American status. Later that year, he finished seventh in the world as a 198-pounder in Greco Roman wrestling at the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal.
He was named Minnesota team captain again in 1977, and won a Big Ten title and another All-America listing as NCAA runner-up.
Johnson was inducted into the David Bartelma Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995.