FOX CHAPEL — Noah Wright would regain consciousness in the bleachers with people trying to help him get fluids into his body.

Wright remembers being taken down during the match and blacking out.

What happened to the Mars sophomore wrestler in-between is a mystery to him.

Wright, who qualified for the Class AAA WPIAL Tournament by placing second at 152 pounds during the Section 3 Tournament last Saturday at Fox Chapel, struggled with this affliction in middle school and during his freshman season.

What exactly was causing the blackouts is unclear.

“They didn't diagnose it and that was my biggest mental block. We didn't know what it was,” said Wright, who is 29-4 this season. “We went to doctor after doctor and they could never figure anything out. We stopped trying and decided to push through it instead.”

Wright also has arthritis in his lower body. That may be genetic, as both his parents have rheumatoid arthritis.

Seneca Valley assistant coach Bart LaLonde, who was the varsity coach for the Planets last season, noticed him struggle after matches.

After an early home match where Wright won by pin was where LaLonde noticed the problem.

“He came straight off the mat and started drive-heaving,” LaLonde said. “It was at the point I thought we needed to figure something out. He fought through it all and I give him credit for trying.”

LaLonde and the Mars staff would encourage Wright to take breaks during tough conditioning.

Wright drank more water in general, but struggled to make weight.

He floated between 126 and 138 pounds, compiling an 11-7 record, but didn't compete in the section tournament.

“In practice, he was good,” LaLonde said. “He would go and go and go. When he would go out for a match — whether he'd pin a kid in 45 seconds or go into overtime — he'd come off the mat and throw up.”

When Wright bumped up weight classes this year, he became more strict with his diet and conditioning.

Carrying a bottle around with him serves as a permanent reminder.

“I carry around a jug of water every day to make sure I'm getting the fluids I need to,” Wright said. “I haven't done it alone. With help from doctors and parents, it's been a lot easier.”

Bumping up to 152 pounds has also been a help. He hasn't struggled to make weight and feels healthier.

“Number one, he's staying hydrated,” said Planets first-year coach Jason Wilk. “What's changed from him from last year to this year is his body. He's staying hydrated, eating properly and not cutting weight.”

At sections, Wright beat North Hill's Nathan Mankey 7-3 and pinned Knoch's Brandon Yobst in 2:34 to advance to the finals.

Wright lost 20-5 in the finals to Central Catholic's Vincenzo Joseph, who is a Penn State University signee and ranked No. 2 nationally by Intermat.

“Noah's strength is mental toughness,” Wilk said. “He never worries about being in trouble. He may look like he's in trouble sometimes, but he always gets out of it.”

Wright's problems with blackouts were a lot more frequent in middle school and only lasted for a moment.

He's happy to feel he has things under better control.

It's led to him appearing on the medal stand.

“Last year was painful mentally and physically,” Wright said. “This year, we've done different remedies. It's boosted my confidence a lot.”

Twenty-two Butler County wrestlers will attempt to earn a bid in the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championship during the WPIAL Tournament, which starts Thursday at Penn Hills High School. Here are all the wrestlers who qualified:106 pounds: Louis Newell (Seneca Valley), Alex Hornfeck (Mars).113: Alex Lynch (Seneca Valley).120: Ben Lynch (Seneca Valley).126: Scotty Dietrich (Butler).132: Alex Fischer (Seneca Valley).138: Silas Bender (Mars), Caleb Baxter (Butler).145: Donovan Malovich (Butler).152: Noah Wright (Mars), Brandon Yobst (Knoch).160: Tony Palumbo (Central Catholic)*, Jeremiah Bortmas (Butler), Matt Steinmiller (Knoch).170: Austin Leon (Seneca Valley), Christian Sequette (Butler).182: Nick Roth (Butler).195: Justin Johnson (Butler).220: JD Bojanac (Butler), Bailey Savage (Knoch).285: Dante Santelli (Seneca Valley), Seth McCrea (Butler).*Palumbo is a Cranberry Township resident.