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    Ryan Allen •

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    Rev Blog Entry 6: Ryan Allen, UW-La Crosse

    Happy Holidays wrestling fans! This is Ryan Allen from UW-La Crosse, and my present to you is this blog (yeah … so I am cheap!). I hope you are enjoying the start of this year's wrestling season. Schools are finishing up for the semester and soon we will be heading into the meat of the season. I would like to take some time and attempt to enlighten you on my thoughts and give you an inside look into my last year of competition and also on the UW-L team as a whole.

    First of all, here's a little background for you. In my previous three years of college competition, I have wrestled in three national finals matches -- two of which I was victorious. Last year, I was voted the outstanding wrestler of the national tournament. I have been part of three Wisconsin Conference championship teams while capturing three individual conference titles myself. I have been voted the most valuable wrestler of our team twice. On paper, the road to the conclusion of my collegiate career seems to be paved with golden bricks.

    Ryan Allen (photo by Johnnie Johnson)
    As many of you may know, the road I have been traveling on so far this year is far from golden. I have been defeated three times already, twice by a Division III foe. I began the season with a 6-3 mark. According to some people, I am no longer the man to beat in division III at heavyweight. I once heard that when you reach the top of a mountain, there is only one way to go -- and that is down. I have recently stepped off the peak of this wrestling mountain, but my footprints remain embedded at the top.

    There is a point in every athlete's career when they realize that they need to work harder to accomplish their goals. This is when true character is defined and the elite athletes are separated from the good ones. There are people who are satisfied with what they have and there are people who decide to go after what others never thought was possible. I have reached this point in my wrestling career and have since been planning a route for myself back up to the top of that mountain.

    I do not plan on making the trip up alone, however. Recently our team has been recognized as the team to beat in Division III. Our wrestling room is filled with talented individuals who are ready to make the sacrifices needed in our difficult sport. Every team goes through hardships and ours is no different. Our team in La Crosse has recently been facing the possibility of losing All-American Jordan Kolinski for the season due to a shoulder injury. In the face of this we are sticking together strong to accomplish our goals and to finish what we set out to do. When talented individuals get together, stick together, and work together only successful outcomes will occur.

    The UW-La Crosse team is a strong team. We have been through a great deal and still have found success. Late last season, UW-L hired Nate Skaar as an interim coach due to an unexpected resignation. We then went the season without one of our captains in two-time All-American Jason Lulloff. Last season, we managed to bring home seven All-American plaques from the national tournament despite all of this. This year we dealt with a messed up hiring process that again lead to another late rehiring of Coach Skaar. Even with this confusion, and now the apparent loss of Kolinski for the year, Coach Skaar, Coach Billy Huebner, and Coach Corey Ruff have kept this team focused and as close as a family. The waves that went through the program have settled now and we are all here staring at the top of that mountain.

    Ryan Allen (photo by Johnnie Johnson)
    Right now, the team is gearing up for our next tournament that is arguably the toughest collegiate tournament out there: The Midlands Championships (December 29 and 30). It has traditionally been a tournament packed with the best wrestlers in the country and this year it looks to be a great event again. I was lucky enough to be selected to wrestle there last year, and this year nine other members from our team have received invites as well. I wrestled fairly well there last year placing fifth and going 6-2. I was quite happy with that finish. However, my goal is to place higher this year. Being one of the few Division III teams there, scoring points as a team will be tough. Nevertheless, I am confident that with our team's talent and desire to win, we will do fine.

    So, in wrapping things up, I will ask you to stay tuned and catch the results of that tournament to see how the team did at this prestigious tournament. But first and foremost have a safe and happy holiday season. Don't forget to eat a lot at Christmas dinner. I know I will (after all, I am a heavyweight).

    Yours in wrestling,

    Merry Christmas -- Ryan Allen

    Past UW-La Crosse Entries:

    Entry 5 (12/1/05)
    Entry 4 (11/16/05)
    Entry 3 (11/3/05)
    Entry 2 (10/19/05)
    Entry 1 (10/10/05)
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