(Oakland) Riverside’s Molly Allen is one of 15 finalists for the Dan Gable Ms. Wrestler of the Year Award presented by Fareway Stores, Inc. and IAwrestle.
After winning a girls state title and qualifying for the boys state tournament with Underwood last year, Allen made her debut for the Lady Dawgs on December 9th. She went 4-0 with three pins to win the 125 pound weight class at Riverside’s home tournament. “Having Molly in the room is a huge addition for our girls. She came in one day and I had to ask her what she was doing. She said she was here to practice and said, ‘I go to school here now.’ I was like, ‘Oh, Okay!’ Having her in that practice room is huge for us. She brings that intensity and focus. She’s so smooth going from one move into the next.” Head coach Taylor Frain says, “A lot of our girls right now are one track minded. Having her help us explain and show how moving from one thing to the next flows together, she’s been amazing help for all of our girls. Showing us how things should be run and what to look for with the small details, she’s been tremendous.”
Fans can vote for the Wrestler of the Year once per day at IAwrestle.com through January 15th. The Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association has a committee of 12 coaches and officials with input on the award.
Riverside got back on the mat for practice on Tuesday. “Our girls have been working their tails off and I can’t be more proud of them. The biggest thing right now is just keeping them going and saying give me 5-6 more weeks of hard work and you’re going to be able to do anything in life. We just keep telling them that to keep going and keep grinding.”
Frain admits the holiday break practices are critical for getting back in shape and refining some things. “Before we know it state qualifier is going to be up. My expectation right now for the girls is to hit the ground running. We need to fine tune some things here and there, but let’s just keep going. Keep the pace and intensity up, be hard-nosed, and let’s just get going.”
On January 6th and 7th they’ll compete at the Joe Crouthers Invitational in Missouri.
Riverside coach Taylor Frain:
