Cohen Long
MALE
Cohen Long // Columbus North junior wrestler
Long won his first two matches by pin, then avenged a sectional final loss to Columbus East’s Caleb Kirkpatrick with a 13-3 major decision in the 150-pound final at Saturday’s Jeffersonville Regional.
His performance last week: “I came out with the win, but there’s always stuff to improve and work on. Tournaments usually get harder through the state finals, so I have to get better every day.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I just find a routine I like and do the same routine every day.”
Favorite drink: “I like Diet Coke.”
Favorite food: “Spaghetti or Steak”
Favorite class: “Weights. I like to lift every morning. It starts my day off right.”
Favorite sports team: “I’m a big Michigan fan.”
Favorite athlete: “(Former Michigan and current NFL player) Jabrill Peppers.”
Role model: “My dad (Jimmy Long).”
Best advice: “Mistakes are something that you need to welcome and accept. They’re going to happen, but they’re a part of the process and are just going to make you better.”
Athletics goal: “I want to win a state championship in high school and then go on to wrestle in college.”
If you could travel anywhere: “I want to travel all over the world just to see all the different things and experience everything there is to see.”
FEMALE
Avery Johnson // Columbus North junior basketball player
Avery Johnson
Johnson scored 10 points in Friday’s 80-48 semifinal win over Whiteland, then led the Bull Dogs with 12 points, three assists and three steals in Saturday’s 40-28 win over East Central in the Columbus East Sectional final.
Her performance last week: “I felt like we came out and played really hard and strong, and even though offensively, we may not have gotten exactly what we wanted to get, we still played hard and kind of persevered on defense.”
Do you do anything special to prepare? “I just listen to some pump-up music. Last week, I tried to get a lot of sleep and really prioritize my sleep and hydration.”
Favorite drink: “Blue Gatorade”
Favorite food: “Sushi”
Favorite class: “English”
Favorite sports team: “Indiana University football”
Favorite athlete: “(IU linebacker) Aiden Fisher”
Role model: “My dad (Brad Johnson).”
Best advice: “Keep pushing through the hard times because they won’t last forever. Just keep on living life day by day.”
Athletics goal: “To see how far we can go this season and win regional and just play hard.”
If you could travel anywhere: “Maybe Italy, because it’s really aesthetic, and I can get some aesthetic photos.”
