Quaker Valley athlete of the week: Conner Redinger

By: Shawn Annarelli
Monday, December 30, 2019 | 10:41 PM

Conner Redinger

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Wrestling

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Conner Redinger’s dad wanted him to get tougher for football, so he signed his son up for wrestling years ago.

Redinger has never looked back on the mat and has been one of the state’s top wrestlers for three seasons. He recently placed eighth at the Powerade tournament.

How did you feel about your performance at Powerade?

I felt really good until my time got cut short, and I had to take an ambulance ride to the hospital.

You were ahead in the last match you competed in. How were you injured?

The kid I was wrestling started on bottom, shot up to his feet and was dropping away. I snaked his feet behind him and he went to pull (me) and my head just hit the back of his leg and scrunched. A fire feeling went down the left side of my neck and my whole left arm went numb.

When will you be ready to return?

I’m on my way to practice right now, so I’m ready right now.

You were down in the match against Burrell’s Anthony Corrado, who is one of WPIAL’s best at 152. How’d you start your comeback?

I just focused on setting a high pace. I knew if I could make him go the distance, I could wear him down. I just wore him down.

How’d you get the pin in overtime?

He shot in, and I just hip tossed him to his back.

What’s the biggest difference between wrestling two years ago at 106 and gaining about 60 pounds since then?

It’s definitely a change, and I’m definitely bigger and stronger. I finally feel like I’m adapting to wrestling bigger kids, and I feel like I’m holding my own. I still wrestle a little bit like a lightweight.

What do you want focus on improving this season?

Probably starting on top, where I need to be more aggressive and take more risks.

What’s your greatest strength?

Being on my feet. A lot of these bigger guys aren’t used to someone who wrestles like me since I was so small to start high school. I’m usually faster than them.

What would it mean to win a state championship?

It’d be huge. My goal is the same as last year. I want to be the first Quaker Valley state champ ever and put the school on the map for wrestling.

What’s your favorite subject in school and what do you want to do someday?

Physics is my favorite subject, and I want to go into sports medicine in college.

Tags: Quaker Valley