Arvada’s Allen fights through more than opponents

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

To watch Arvada High School’s Elisha Allen compete in girls wrestling, it would be hard to see that the road to a potential college wrestling future wasn’t evenly paved.

First things rst: Allen is the 11th-rated wrestler at 110 pounds, according to Tim Yount at On the Mat Magazine. e senior has drawn some interest from Hastings and York colleges, Mesa State University, Augsburg and Waldorf universities, places that are willing to pay her to come and wrestle.

Allen was the rst female wrestler at Arvada High to compile a winning record. She was one of the rst women to qualify for the state meet, and she is in the last class of women who had to wrestle against boys before the Colorado High School Activities Association sanctioned girls wrestling.

“My older brother got me interested in wrestling,” she said. “I have always looked up to him. I watched him wrestle and became inspired. I saw how fun and challenging this sport was.”

Pre-wrestling years

Allen was born premature, underweight and with a kidney issue. She had ve surgeries before her rst birthday. She also dealt with intestinal issues and faced four more surgeries between the ages of 10 and 12.

She joined the Bulldogs as a freshman. She also was interested in cheerleading and volleyball “and wanted to do it all.”

“I decided to split time between the three sports,” Allen said. “However, I quickly realized that I was a better wrestler than a cheerleader or volleyball player and felt myself leaning toward that wrestling room. I felt stronger there. Additionally, there weren’t any girls wrestling for my school at the time.”

Her brother’s coach, Anthony Sandoval (Allen’s coach the past four years) encouraged her to be on the girls team and to bring her friends.

“Once I decided to give it my all, I was quickly discouraged,” she said. “I felt like I wasn’t improving, I wasn’t winning. So many times, I wanted to quit. Instead, I pushed myself. I had to remind myself that I am not a quitter. I was committed to the team and I wasn’t going to stop doing what I loved. I also wanted to make an impact for women in this sport. I was wrestling at a time when women weren’t yet sanctioned and so was on the boys’ junior varsity squad.”

She had some chances to compete on the varsity team. Allen earned her varsity letter wrestling against boys on the varsity team.

“I had to win two varsity matches and didn’t feel con dent that I could but wasn’t going to let my freshman year pass without it,” Allen said. “I knew I wanted to letter all four years. Once I got those wins though, things really changed for me. I did it and gained massive con dence.”

The next two years

In spite of COVID, Allen put together a winning record two years ago.

“ is was extremely tough as the pandemic crushed my sport,” she said. “Wrestling carries the most germs and we are a winter sport. Each year, we work hard to keep the cold and u away as it is. Practices were few and far between, and competition was very limited. We got through it, and I got more wins under my belt. In the o -season (summer before junior year), I was also wrestling with my club team, Elevated Wrestling, and quali ed for the national tournament in Fargo.”

During that tournament, she

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