Metro area Madison, Wisconsin Founded 2004 Venue Alliant Energy Center | Country United States Track type(s) Flat | |
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Teams Dairyland Dolls (A team)
Team Unicorn (B team)
Quad Squad
Reservoir Dolls
Unholy Rollers
Vaudeville Vixens | ||
Mad Rollin' Dolls (MRD) is a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2004, MRD is a founding member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), and was the fourth league to join the fledgling organization. Since 2006, Mad Rollin' Dolls have qualified for WFTDA Playoffs and/or Championships every year.
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League structure
Mad Rollin' Dolls was started in 2004 by "Crackerjack," whose sister "Lucille Brawl" had helped found Texas Rollergirls in Austin, Texas, and "Pamdemonium." Currently, the organization has a four-team home league that competes for an annual championship. The league also has two travel teams that compete internationally. Mad Rollin' Dolls games in Madison are held at the Alliant Energy Center and have been known to sell out, with crowds of 1500 people.
Travel teams
MRD has both an all-star and B interleague team, the Dairyland Dolls, which are composed of skaters from the four home teams. These teams compete against other WFTDA and non-WFTDA leagues across the United States.
Starting in 2008, the Mad Rollin' Dolls added a 2nd travel team, Team Unicorn. Their first bout was in Hamilton, ON on July 26, 2008.
Home teams
MRD is composed of four home teams; the Quad Squad, the Reservoir Dolls, the Unholy Rollers and the Vaudeville Vixens.
League Champions by year are:
MRD also includes a recreational league in Madison, originally known as the Mad Wreckin' Dolls and re-named Madison Wreckers Roller Derby in 2016.
WFTDA competition
At the first WFTDA Championships, the 2006 Dust Devil tournament, Madison placed 7th overall. The following year at the first WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, the "Heartland Havoc" event, Madison did not get past the second round.
In October 2008 the Mad Rollin' Dolls hosted that year's East Region Playoff, "Derby in Dairyland". At that tournament, Madison won their opening game against the Minnesota Rollergirls 143-67, but then lost in the quarterfinals to Gotham Girls Roller Derby of New York, 138-70. Following a win against Grand Raggidy Roller Girls and a narrow loss to Boston Derby Dames, Madison finished the weekend in 6th place.
In 2009, now part of the North Central Region, Mad Rollin' Dolls placed second in the North Central Regional Tournament, "Brawl of America" in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At the 2009 Championships, Madison was eliminated by Boston, 104-98. At the 2010 North Central Playoffs, Madison came in third place, winning their final game 164-143 against Cincinnati Rollergirls, to again qualify for WFTDA Championships. For the second straight year, Madison was defeated in the opening round, this time by Philly Roller Girls, 213-53. In 2011, the Dairyland Dolls entered the North Central Playoffs as the 6th seed, but lost each game and finished the weekend in 10th place. In 2012, Madison entered what would be the final North Central Regional Playoff as the 10th seed, and improved on their seeding by defeating Arch Rival Roller Girls in the 7th place game, 217-119.
In 2013, the WFTDA changed their playoff structure, and Madison qualified for the WFTDA Division 1 International Playoff tournament in Asheville, North Carolina as the 6th seed, ultimately finishing in 9th place with a 265-195 victory over the Columbia Quadsquad. As the 7th seed in Charleston for Division 1 Playoffs in 2014, the Dairyland Dolls improved on their seeding with upset victories over Boston (176-175) and the Naptown Roller Girls of Indianapolis (166-101) to finish in 5th place. At the 2015 Division 1 Playoff in Tucson, Madison again pulled rankings upsets (this time over Arizona Roller Derby and Baltimore's Charm City Roller Girls)to improve their position over the weekend, going from a 9th seed to a 6th place finish.
For the first time since 2008, Mad Rollin' Dolls hosted a WFTDA Playoff tournament in September 2016. Held at the Alliant Energy Center, the Dairyland Dolls also competed at the Division 1 tournament, where they entered as the 10th seed and left in 7th place. With upset victories over No Coast Derby Girls (Lincoln, Nebraska) and Chicago's Windy City Rollers, Madison had achieved the most D1 playoff upsets in WFTDA history.
Rankings
As a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the Mad Rollin' Dolls were originally member of the WFTDA's East Region, but by the end of 2008 were moved to the North Central Region, and were ranked 6th in the North Central at the end of 2012. The WFTDA moved away from regions and into a division system in 2013, and MRD has consistently placed in WFTDA Division 1 since that time.