Get to Know Your Raiders: John Lindquist

Junior John Lindquist is 8-7 this season in his final campaign on the mat for Shippensburg University wrestling.

A two-time All-Academic selection and a mathematics major, Lindquist earned a 9-0 major decision at 165 pounds against Gannon on Saturday night to improve his record to 5-3 when wrestling up this season.

The owner of 26 career victories, Lindquist, a Penndel native, finished fifth at 157 pounds at the Super Region I tournament two seasons ago with a 4-2 record, including two pins.

Lindquist and his teammates look to rebound from Saturday’s loss to the Golden Knights with a 7 p.m. dual meet Tuesday night on the road at West Liberty. The Raiders then return home to Heiges Field House on Friday night for a 7 p.m. matchup against Anderson.

Get to know John Lindquist…

What is your favorite pre-match ritual?

To get a good warm-up in before our match and listen to my music and bounce around to make sure I am mentally ready for my match.

What part of Shippensburg, either the campus or the town, do you most enjoy?

I enjoy the campus because I think it’s nice and easy to get around. There are also always fun events going on which makes being on campus enjoyable.

What is the best class you've taken at Shippensburg?

MAT 313-Statistics 1. As a math major and future math teacher, I really enjoy statistics and teaching a statistics class – especially a sports statistics class – would be my ideal job.

If you weren't majoring in mathematics, what would your major be?

I would probably be a business major because I took a lot of business courses in high school.

What is your favorite day of the week and why?

Friday, because it’s the end of the week and that means I have the weekend to take a break from wrestling and school and just relax.

Which are your favorite PSAC schools to compete against, and why?

I would say Kutztown because the matches are always close and exciting. It's a fun atmosphere to wrestle in when the match is competitive.

If we asked your teammates to say a few words about you, what do you think they would say?

That I am easy to get along with and I am fun to hang out with outside of the wrestling room and classroom. Or maybe they would say something about how I want to be a math teacher and that I do well in school.

Which individual athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

Being a two-time All-Academic pick and placing fifth at Regionals two years ago and being only a few seconds away from making it to nationals.

What's the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?

Time management, because as a student-athlete you have to worry about going to class, doing your school work, going to practice, getting extra workouts at night to cut weight and making up class work when we miss classes due to traveling.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being a student-athlete?

That need to make sure you do well in school and get good grades because if you don’t you won’t be able to wrestle. Our coach [Seth Bloomquist] has always said to us that the student is the most important part of being a student-athlete and that we come to college to get a degree.

What piece of advice stays with you at all times?

 "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect," said by Vince Lombardi, is one of my favorite quotes, which I think pertains to sports and life in general.

If you could talk to children who are just beginning to show an interest in wrestling, what would you tell them they should focus on?

Having fun and just going out on the mat and wrestling to the best of your ability. I also think it’s a good idea to wrestle as much as you can because it helps you get better and will help you become the best wrestler you can possible be.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind for future athletes at Shippensburg?

That I was a good athlete who always did his best in the classroom and on the mat. Also, as this is my last year of wrestling at the college level, I want to actually make it to nationals this year to make up for coming so close to qualifying two years ago. I want to achieve the ultimate goal of becoming an All-American.