Time might have been against her, but Lemont junior Molly O’Connor had other ideas.
The odds also were against her, but O’Connor showcased her tenacity Saturday, attacking aggressively and coming through with a desire and a resilience to change her fortunes.
“I never believed that I could not win the match,” O’Connor said. “I’ve been in this situation before and I knew what I had to do. I’m dominant on top and I always try to put people away.
“I just always believed in myself.”
Indeed, O’Connor rallied from a six-point deficit with a stunning win by pin over Naperville Central’s Dezi Azar in the 125-pound championship match of the Hinsdale South Regional.
A defending state qualifier, O’Connor (39-5) was down to 6-0 after Azar posted two takedowns. O’Connor began the third period from the top position and produced a four-point near fall.
From there, O’Connor caught Azar on her back for the impressive victory at 5:42.
“I always had a lot of faith in myself,” O’Connor said. “You just have to believe in yourself and trust the process, during practice and everything else, knowing that you can always come back.
“It’s my favorite part about the sport and why I’m good at it. I love pushing myself past the limit and seeing how much I could actually do.”
All four of the victories were by pin for Molly, who’s the third member of her wrestling family, following older brothers Johnny and Noah.
Two years ago, during her freshman season, Molly watched Johnny and Noah each qualify for the individual state meet. Last winter, Noah went 44-5 and finished fifth at 150 in Class 2A.
“It was really nice my freshman year because I had Johnny and Noah both in the room with me,” Molly said. “It’s really not something you see very often.
“Just having them by my side helped me. Our wrestling styles are a little different, but I could always get something and learn from them. Even now, they come to the room and help me.”
Noah is a freshman wrestler at Johns Hopkins. Johnny is a sophomore at Missouri.
Their little sister was a fast learner.
“If you tell her to do something, you won’t have to ask twice,” Johnny said. “She worked hard to compete with the boys and never made any excuses.
“Like most kids, she didn’t start off winning a lot of matches, but through her eagerness to learn, she improved rapidly. Her goals drive her to do extra work and become a dominant wrestler.”
She’s also a trailblazer according to junior 120-pounder Emma Lappay, her training partner and friend.
“Molly started girls wrestling at Lemont and showed it was possible here,” Lappay said. “She’s the girl who wrestles with the guys in a burning hot room by choice to get in a variety of training.
“She was never afraid to stand out or do what she is passionate about. She treats everybody with respect and love, regardless of their status. She’s approachable, always open to feedback.”
Molly also is a dedicated perfectionist who maintains a spreadsheet of her food and caloric intake and video links to the top wrestlers in her weight class.
The only downside is her wrestling success is taking away time from her other passion as the lead set designer for school plays at Lemont.
“One of my friends was involved and I wasn’t doing anything that spring of my freshman year,” Molly said. “I designed the sets for our fall play.
“What has always motivated me is helping people in other positions. I want to drive myself to be a better person, in and outside of wrestling.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
