Bartlesville’s Christian Ketiku
Wrestling is a sport unlike any other. The practices are just as hard as the match and the grueling workouts rival anything you would do while playing football. Every year wrestlers like Christian Ketiku enter their varsity years as freshman, but most have wrestled for years prior to wearing the singlet of their high school.
“I started wrestling when I was eight years old,” said Ketiku.
This season Ketiku will wrestle at one of the lighter weights (120-pounds) which will help the Bartlesville Bruins in duals. BHS head coach Bryan Vashus called Ketiku a, “natural talent.”
“I feel my best strength on the mat is to continuously apply pressure on my opponent to open my offense,” said Ketiku.
As a freshman, entering the wrestling room can be intimidating, but Ketiku is comfortable in his abilities and loves being around the upperclassman.
“The thing I love the most about our team and teammates as a unit is how we compete during practice to make each other better,” Ketiku said. “I don’t necessarily have a specific person I work with in the room. I love to roll with teammates who weigh 5-10 more pounds than me.”
Ketiku has set his sights on a goal for this season. Obviously having a solid season and helping the team win is important, but Ketiku said he wants to make the podium at Junior High State and leave the event as a state champion. The freshman said his father has been a big influence in his life, on and off the mat.
“My Dad has coached me since I started wrestling and still coaches me in junior high and high school. So, my dad has definitely been one of my biggest influences on and off the mat,” said Ketiku.
When time allows, Ketiku said he enjoys spending time with family and working out with his dad. For more information on the Bartlesville Bruins wrestling team, schedules, and stories visit www.bruinactivities.org
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