It's been more than 11 months since Quentin Wright earned All-America status as a true freshman with his sixth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA championships.
Though he hasn't donned the Penn State singlet since that time, the Nittany Lion 184-pounder still made his presence felt on the mat this season while going 14-1 as a redshirting unattached wrestler.
Just six of his 15 bouts went the full time, as Wright pinned nine of his opponents.
"That's my goal," Wright said. "[I want] to go out there and pin the person and get off the mat as fast as I can."
That success can be traced back to the experience Wright gets inside the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex.
The 184-pounder is often paired with one of the coaches -- including head coach and four-time NCAA champion Cael Sanderson -- while practicing his skills. That interaction has helped Wright adjust to the new coaching staff and the different techniques they've introduced.
Assistant coach Troy Letters said Wright is like a sponge in the wrestling room because he's always asking questions and taking in what the coaches tell him. The coaches have worked with Wright on leg attacks and turning opponents while on the mat, which Letters said the 184-pounder transferred to competitions.
"He showed he's capable of doing what we've worked on in the open tournaments," Letters said. "Quentin is a guy we knew would make jumps and improvements."
Dave Erwin, the Lions' current starter at 184 pounds, believes Wright is taking full advantage of his redshirt year and sees improvements in his teammate.
Like Wright, Erwin redshirted his sophomore year, going 14-2 after a successful freshman campaign in which he went 23-8. Erwin, now as senior, said the redshirt season is a good time to grow up and mature as a wrestler.
Though Wright's year has been filled with victories, he still focuses on his lone defeat to Edinboro's Chris Honeycutt in the semifinals of the Dec. 6 Nittany Lion Open. His hopes for another chance to wrestle Honeycutt never came, and the Lion redshirt now awaits his next opportunity to take the mat.
Wright said he'll begin freestyle competitions following the national tournament. By then, he'll be a year removed from his freshman success at NCAAs, but Wright is excited to face the best competition next year.
When the time comes for Wright to put the Penn State singlet back on, Erwin believes he'll be special to watch.
"There are big expectations for him next year," Erwin said. "I think he'll meet and succeed a lot of them. He's got good things in store for his future."
