Batavia senior Ino Garcia likes to collect things, but his habits are atypical of a teenager.
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“Video games are a great distraction — I like playing those or listening to music,” he said. “What I really got into was foraging. I saw it and just thought, ‘I’d like to try that.’
“I bought a forge and set it up in an area in my garage.”
Besides getting into the tools of a blacksmith, Garcia is also an aficionado or collector of state medals in wrestling. He knows how to bend his opponents to his will.
As a sophomore, Garcia went 42-6 and finished fourth at 106 pounds in Class 3A. Last season as a junior, he shook off an early knee injury, going 22-6 and ending up sixth at 113.
This season, Garcia (18-4) has been good again, finishing third Saturday at 120 in the Clint Arlis Invitational in Batavia.
Like his interest in collecting, his wrestling style befits his personality.
“I guess the best way to describe it is I like to wrestle fast,” Garcia said. “I like to get off the mat quickly.
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“We have other guys like Aidan Huck, who likes to go for the big points and put up scores. I just like to take my guy down from the bottom and use that recipe of working from the outside in.”
The 5-foot-8 Garcia is wiry, angular, quick and explosive on his feet. Sophomore 126-pounder Kyle Pasco, his practice partner, said his work habits are legendary.
“His work ethic is what makes him elite,” Pasco said. “He is easily the hardest worker in the room. Even after fighting through two knee injuries in back-to-back years, he still keeps a clear head and fights through it.
“You never hear him complain.”
Following Saturday’s semifinal showdown against Marmion sophomore Nicholas Garcia (no relation), a competitive 3-1 loss, Ino Garcia responded aggressively.
He followed up with a win by fall in the second period and then a 5-2 decision, which his teammates expected, according to senior 215-pounder Asher Sheldon.
“Ino is great because he has sunk so much time and effort into the sport,” Sheldon said. “Studying it, he takes every win or loss as a learning opportunity and applies what he learns into the next moment every time he wrestles.”
Having wrestled at the highest level in the state, Garcia is never overwhelmed by the moment.
“The state experience has been really beneficial because it gets the nerves down in these other tournaments,” he said. “A tournament like ours is really important, but not that much until you really get there.
“Placing at state twice just calms me down.”
His introduction to the sport came at age 4. His earliest memories are fragmented.
It was all part of a learning process.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing the first couple of years,” he said. “Over time, I really started to enjoy it.
“I’m pretty smart on the mat, I’m kind of quick, and I have good natural defensive instincts.”
An inherent competitive nature took off and developed the further he reached into the sport. The structure is the most satisfying part of all.
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“The aggressive nature of the sport is one thing, but I just love the one-on-one part in the center ring,” he said. “It’s just you and your opponent.
“No one else really matters. It’s only your skill against his abilities. That’s what I love most about it.”
While Saturday’s match against Nicholas Garcia did not go his way, their paths could easily cross again.
“Knowing we’re probably both top quality in the state and probably the country gives me the energy when I’m up with this kid that I can go out and do well,” Ino said.
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.