Published: February 19, 2008 11:32 pm         

Plainsmen’s Castor uses motivation to make first state trip

Kia Castor is a big wrestling fan, being a regular visitor to Oklahoma State University duals and the NCAA Tournament.

But the Enid High School junior couldn’t bear to watch last year’s state championships, even though teammates J.B. Stuart, Shane Perosi and Justin Glenn qualified.

“I didn’t want to look at it because I was so mad that I didn’t place,’’ said Castor, who finished fifth place as a sophomore. “It hurt too much.’’

That pain turned into motivation for Castor, who qualified for state for the first time last weekend by finishing second at 152 pounds in the Eastern Regional at Broken Arrow. He takes a 21-9 record against Edmond North’s Virgil Walker in a first-round match Friday.

“I just thought I should have placed higher last year,’’ he said. “I guess I didn’t work hard enough that year. I worked a lot harder this year. I guess it was a good reality check for me.’’

Castor moved from 140 to 152 pounds just before the Geary Tournament. He went from having trouble making weight to not having to worry about it.

“I think it relaxed him mentally more than anything else,’’ said Enid coach Shane Kerr. “It takes the worrying (about making weight) out of it. It was real beneficial for him.’’

“It was one less worry for me,’’ Castor said. “I didn’t have to run three miles any more to try to make weight. That’s not much fun when it’s cold and you’re just getting off work. I can eat whatever I want as long as it’s healthy.’’

The negative might be Castor is, by his own admission, “the weakest wrestler physically’’ in the 152-pound field.

“There really isn’t that much difference,’’ he said. “I just wrestle the way I always have.’’

What he may lack in physical strength, he makes up for in experience. He has wrestled since he was 3 years old at the urging of his grandfather, Hubert Carmichael.

“He asked me if I wanted to go out for wrestling and I said ‘yeah,’’’ Castor said. “I’ve been out ever since.’’

Kerr sees that maturity in Castor’s mental approach.

“He’s real good at seeing things before they are there,’’ Kerr said. “When he goes in with the right attitude and thinks he can win, he usually does.’’

Castor said his conditioning has been the key for him this year.

“I got a lot of wind,’’ he said. “Some of the bigger kids have died in the third period. That helped me qualify this year. I don’t have as much strength as some of those guys, so I have to rely on my brains.

“I don’t have one particular style. If I know the guy is real good, I’m not as aggressive and I try to slow down things a little bit more to my speed and take control of the match.’’

Castor avenged a 6-4 loss to Union’s Ronnie Balfour in the regional quarterfinals. That was especially sweet since Balfour beat him on a takedown in the final few seconds in a recent dual in Enid.

“It was awesome,’’ he said, “especially when I put him on his back and held him there.’’

Castor beat Muskogee’s Josh Stewart 5-4 in the semifinals, before losing to top-seeded Ryan Freeman, of Sand Springs, 3-1 in the finals.

“I was too nervous in the finals,’’ Castor said. “I didn’t go as hard as I should have. I learned something from that. Instead of going 20 seconds as hard as I can, I need to go hard the whole match.’’

He expects to be a “little nervous’’ for his state debut. He said that can help him.

“I feel good about my chances,’’ he said. “If I wrestle hard, I can be a state champion.’’

Castor’s confidence was bolstered during the season when he was the outstanding wrestler at both the Piedmont and Metro Tournaments.

“I never expected to win two in one year like that,’’ Castor said. “I never won one in my entire career. To win two was something I didn’t think I could do.’’

The “think’’ is being replaced by “can’’ now.

“I won a lot of close matches that I shouldn’t have won,’’ Castor said. “People didn’t think I could win those, but I pulled it out.’’

He was motivated when he went unranked by the Oklahoma Wrestling Web site until after the regionals. He was the No. 5 seed at the regionals.

“It feels pretty great,’’ Castor said, “this (qualifying for state) has been my goal ever since I started wrestling.’’