Wright, the NCAA Division I Mountain Region Female Athlete of the Year, said she had never seen New Mexico’s campus before hopping on a plane to the Land of Enchantment after finishing high school.
“I want to say it’s the best decision that I have ever made,” said Wright, a native of Worcester, England. “I came here completely alone. I had only seen pictures online.”
Wright said she had just over a month before she made her way to the southwest, and an unfortunate femoral stress fracture required a medical redshirt in the freshman campaign.
“She worked her tail off,” head coach Joe Franklin said. “Now she’s seeing the results of all the cross-training last year when she was injured.”
Although she finished first place in the Mountain Regional Championships last week, Wright said she was surprised when the NCAA distributed the prestigious award with her name on it.
“I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest.” Wright said. “It’s an honor; I am so pleased.”
Franklin said it is unusual for young runners to win the award because generally athletes receive that particular status after accumulating years of experience.
“It’s very rare,” Franklin said. “It’s usually seniors and fifth-year seniors, people who’ve had the chance to develop ... it’s a testament to her work ethic.”
Wright joined Sammy Silva, last year’s Mountain Region Female Athlete of the Year, as the Lobos only two runners to win the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association award.
While the award means a lot to Wright, she said she was not concerned with winning the award at such an early point in her tenure as a Lobo. The young runner said it just feels good to get back to competition mode.
“I am just so pleased to be running,” Wright said. “I look forward to being able to keep improving.”
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Franklin applauded Wright’s dedication in the gym and said it’s the hardest time for an athlete to stay focused and train without competing, especially through an extended period of time.
“She was injured for so long last year,” Franklin said. “It’s tiring, and monotonous, and lonely.”
Wright concurred with Franklin and said the difficult part of the injury was the length of time it took to recover.
“It was a very long and slow process,” Wright said. “It took a lot of patience, which I don’t really have that much of so it was definitely a mental battle.”
Wright said her decision to venture across the pond and leave England was a scary one, but the scholarship to come to New Mexico was too good to refuse. The redshirt freshman said she has received an unbelievable amount of backing from Albuquerque fans which has made her experience in the U.S. memorable.
“It’s really great having that amount of support,” Wright said. “It really did make it a lot easier for me.”
In her first time competing at the national level, Wright said her goal is to be an All-American, but she doesn’t have any standards for the NCAA Division I National Championships held in Terre Haute, Indiana.
“I don’t know what to expect, really,” Wright said. “I know that it’s going to be really cold so that will be a challenge.”
Wright said she is hopeful that, despite the cold weather, going to a lower altitude will provide an advantage to the competition.
“It’s her first time in a competition like this,” Franklin said. “She will enjoy the experience.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
