When you do tremendous things, you deserve tremendous rewards. Pulaski County High School senior Molly Keller received hers Thursday at the school.
On Saturday, February 25, Molly Keller became the first wrestler in the school, male or female, to ever earn a State Championship in wrestling. This came after several years of hard work, determination, and at times overcoming what must have seemed like overwhelming odds as the Virginia High School League struggled to find a way for female wrestlers to compete.
Keller earned her State Title in the 136-pound division that included wrestlers from all classifications in the Commonwealth this season. The VHSL held a separate event for all female wrestlers, having all wrestlers from all Classifications competing in their respective weight classes due to the lower number of participants. The sport is growing, and will continue to grow, but at this point there weren’t enough to hold a separate championship for each classification.
Keller spent Day 1 defeated wrestlers from Nandua High School and Justice High School, advancing her to the Championship bracket the following day. She started Day 2 with a 9-0 win over Rihana Carson of Northside High School in three periods.
In the Championship match, Keller faced 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 historic victory.
Thursday, PCHS AD Scott Vest and Principal Jennifer Bolling presented Molly Keller with her State Championship ring. Keller graduated with her classmates two weeks ago as a member of the Class of 2023. She will be wrestling at the college level in the upcoming season as a member of the Emory and Henry University Wasps wrestling team.
The school has had a successful year competitively, with several athletes and other activities earning State Championships.
Pulaski County High School has created a “ring fund” at the school, with the goal of keeping a separate account, funded by donations and other funding methods, for the purchase of State Championship rings. If you would like to make a donation to that fund, contact PCHS AD Scott Vest at the PCHS main office.