Former Tiger state champ Isaiah Martinez wins Big Ten wrestling championship

See the winning match

Martinez, the tournament's top-seeded wrestler, finished off a 3-0 weekend with a 12-5 victory over No. 2 Dylan Ness in the championship bout. Martinez' win, along with eight other podium finishes from Illinois grapplers, helped the Illini score 96.0 points to finish sixth.

Martinez took control of the championship match from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 4-1 lead after the first period. Ness stifled the offensive-minded Martinez in the second period, cutting the Illini grappler's lead to 4-2, but Martinez put an exclamation point on the win with a dominating third period. In the final period, Martinez put Ness on the mat three times, sealing a 12-5 win for the first conference title of his career. Martinez was also named the conference "Freshman of the Year" after posting a 30-0 record thus far.

"Isaiah just keeps getting better with every match," said head coach Jim Heffernan. "I really don't know what else to say about him. He keeps meeting the challenge, no matter the opponent he is wrestling against. His accomplishment this weekend is great but he still has to work to do at nationals."