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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 89 f "(It) started off a little rough, but that's a testament to our team and how stacked it is," Quiroga said. "I was fighting for a spot back on the roster and I did get back on it by doing what Coach Hinkel tells us to do. That is taking matters into our hands and making sure that there's no doubt in the coach's minds or anyone else's minds that you're the best for the weight class." Quiroga also led the team in takedowns, with 76, but that isn't a statistic he pays much attention to. "I see them tweeted," Quiroga said. "I don't keep track myself. I don't even know how many matches I've won. I can tell you how many I've lost, which is some- thing that sits a little harder with me." Whether he follows the statistics or not, Quiroga's résumé speaks for itself: Placing in the top six twice at the Big Ten Tournament as well as being named the Purdue's Most Outstanding Wrestler twice. The All-American celebrated his fifth year by leading the team with 233 points scored through the regular season and had a winning record against ranked oppo- nents, going 4-2, two of whom were ranked in the top 10. In his last match against No. 18 Illinois on senior night, Quiroga defeated his higher-ranked opponent Zane Richards in impressive fashion, 19-6. Purdue lost the meet, but Quiroga reflected on his final night wrestling in Holloway Gymnasium. "Before I went out, while I was warming up, there were a few things that I was realizing. 'This will be your last time,' but I didn't think about it too much," Quiroga said. "I didn't want it to change the fact that it was just another wrestling match, even though it was the last one." With the match winding down, Quiroga wanted to light up the scoreboard to give the fans a good show. "I looked up at the clock, I knew I had won it and I had broke my opponent," Quiroga said. "Right then, I think a lot of it set in and I realized it was the last time I'd be getting clapped for. I enjoyed it, I clapped my hands and threw my hands up … I was soaking it in." With everything he has been through, Quiroga con- tinues to be humble, putting his team and family at the top of his priorities. "He's someone that I look up and I believe in as a per- son and as a wrestler," said Tommy Churchard, a for- mer teammate and current assistant coach for Purdue. Both Hinkel and Churchard are impressed how Qui- roga leads the team. "It's by example, not a lot of voice," Hinkel said. "It's kind of like when he speaks, they listen. He's there for the guys, but when he sees the time to step up and speak, he garners everyone's attention." Said Churchard: "(He's a) hard-nosed, combat- ive-style person who is also very passionate about the team and the program and the people that have helped him." Family has had a lot of impact of Quiroga's career at Purdue as well. Quiroga attended Lawrence North in Indianapolis. Since he is just over an hour away from home, his fam- ily can easily attend matches. "My mom's always been there through thick and thin. I owe her a lot, just as much as the sport," Quiroga said. "She's always been there when she can be, including road matches when they're close enough. I love seeing her out in the stands." Quiroga's mother, Cathy Ray-Quiroga, has been on the edge of her seat for five years in Holloway Gymna- sium, filled with tears; some of joy, some of heartache. It has always excited her to watch her son wrestle, but she said it can also be very hard. "It can truly be a difficult thing to watch your kid wres- tle," Ray-Quiroga said. "I was just a mom, I cheered him on, backed him up, stood by him when needed, stood back when I wasn't and tried to be a good role model." Quiroga will leave a legacy at Purdue as not only a dominant wrestler — ranking fourth all-time at Purdue for takedowns and a 70-30 career record — but also as a great teammate and leader. He and Hinkel both joked that you could write a book on everything that's happened and what he's overcome throughout his time at Purdue. With the Big Ten Tournament and the potential to qualify again for the NCAA Tournament, Quiroga's final legacy is still to be etched in stone. But, he has left it all on the mat each and every time he has wrestled. "He's gonna be someone that people remember," Hinkel said. "He's exciting to watch wrestle. He's ac- complished. He's an All-American and captain. "But he could still do some more damage in the next few weeks. He's capable of beating anyone in the na- tion. Everyone thinks the world of him." j