(Molly Keller stands on the top spot after earning the 136-pound State Championship at the recent VHSL Girls Wrestling State Championship Meet)
For Pulaski County High School senior Molly Keller, Saturday, February 25, 2023, at Unity Reed High School, was a day that will be remembered for decades to come. It was a day that saw events unfold as if they had been written for a motivational movie. Years of hard work paid off as Keller earned the 136-pound State Championship in the first-ever Virginia High School League Girls State Championship Meet.
“It is difficult to put into words Molly's accomplishments, and truly do justice as it concerns the wrestler she has become,” Head Coach Bobby Alger said. “Molly has dedicated herself to this sport, and man does it show! Not only is she an excellent athlete, she's a model student. She has a 4.0 GPA, is a member of NHS, on the A honor roll, was nominated to homecoming court, and is a MVC candidate. It's exhausting to think about all the time she puts into her school life and her sport.”
The day started with 47 wrestlers in the 136-pound class. Young ladies from across the Commonwealth were invited to attend after a season and history of having to wrestle against their male counterparts. The event did not break down wrestlers by their school classification. Students from Class 1 through Class 6 were in the same brackets.
Keller started the day with a pin over Iris Martinez of Nandua High School in the first period. She followed that with another powerful performance, pinning Alae Houmane of Justice High School in the first round as well. Those two wins propelled her to the second day of competition in the Championship rounds.
Day two started off with a solid 9-0 win over Rihana Carson of Northside High School in three periods. Keller scored two points in the first period, three points in the second, and four points in the third to earn the win and advance to the Championship match.
That match found Keller facing off with Tallwood High School freshman Tatiana Denig. The match started with Denig getting an escape to go up 1-0 after neither wrestler scored in the first period. Near the end of the second period, Keller earned a point to tie things up. In the third, Keller first earned an escape, then a takedown to go up 3-1. A point for stalling made it 4-1 before Keller pinned Denig to earn the victory.
“Molly has been dedicated to improving her abilities in season and out, and it has shown in a big way,” Coach Alger said. “She has gone from a beginner in the sport just four short years ago to being the champion of multiple tournaments which led to a Virginia Wrestling Association state ranking of number one in the state, and a top 20 ranking nationally by USA Wrestling, which is the governing body for Olympic Wrestling in the United States. She has now punctuated it all by being crowned the first ever 136-pound VHSL Girls Wrestling State Champion.”
The State Championship by Keller is the first wrestling State Championship of any kind for Pulaski County High School. As an interesting side note, her brother Marshall, who wrestled for Christiansburg High School and now wrestles for Princeton University, was also a State Champion in high school. That means that Marshall Keller and Molly Keller are also the first brother/sister duo to win wrestling State Championships. Her father, Chad Keller, also wrestled in high school for Pulaski County.
“Molly has benefitted from the support of so many,” Alger said. “Her family, friends, community, school, the list goes on and on. At the end of the day though Molly was totally in the driver’s seat for all of this. Molly has become the gold standard for girls wrestling on our end of the state, and there is practically no one in Southwestern Virginia associated with girls wrestling that doesn't know the name Molly Keller. I truly hope that she serves as an inspiration to many more girls in the state, and especially to our program here in Pulaski County. Molly is proof positive the hard work, dedication, and an overall drive to succeed will win out every time! I have been extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to coach such an outstanding young lady! I am so happy for Molly and her family.”
Keller was not the only Pulaski County wrestler to make the trip to the State meet. Cougar freshman Patricia “Ria” Eubanks had the chance to wrestle in two matches. She lost both, but the experience will be one that will help prepare her for her upcoming sophomore season.
“Ria didn't do badly for her very first girls state tournament,” Alger said. “While she was put out in two matches, it wasn't for a lack of trying. This tournament was rich with talent, and I believe it was an eye opener to Ria and practically everyone in attendance concerning the overall depth of talent in the state. I expect to see Ria continue to make strides and grow in the sport. I believe without a doubt that Ria will start earning those well-deserved wins in the future. I am very proud of her and her resolve throughout her first season of wrestling.”
