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Isaiah Martinez continues dominance of college wrestling with first national title
All he did on Saturday was easily beat Cornell’s Brian Realbuto in a 10-2 major decision in the 157-pound final at the NCAA division I championships. His win gave him a perfect 35-0 season, a campaign that saw him win the national title as well as the Big Ten championship. Not bad for a kid from Lemoore.
In fact, Lemoore High School, in the past 20 years has produced two national champions. Chris Pendleton, a state champ and former Oklahoma State grappler, won in 2004-2005.
Watch Isaiah's press conference
Fightin' Illini Wrestling website
Obviously Martinez was thrilled and said so in a news conference following his match on Saturday. “It was a hard-fought match. I know the guy’s tough. I know he believes he’s the guy, so I knew that going in it was going to be a dog fight,” said Martinez. “I just stayed with what my coaches told me and it worked out the best for me. I’m very happy now. It’s just been an amazing journey that led up to this match on that stage and it’s been awesome.”
As a high school wrestler, Martinez won the state title three straight years. Very few collegiate athletes have done what Martinez has done in the sport of wrestling. Martinez is the first undefeated freshman since Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson, who finished at 39-0 during his freshman season in 1999. Sanderson wound up going undefeated in four years at 159-0 and won four NCAA championships.
Martinez is 35-0 this season and won the Big 10 title just one week ago, earning the NCAA’s top seed in the 157-pound weight class. Martinez rolled to two victories Thursday at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, opening with an 18-2 technical fall over Army’s Russell Parsons. He then pinned Ohio’s Spartak Chino in 1:25 of the round.
He then beat Virginia Tech's Nick Brascetta in Friday's quarterfinals, and pulled out a 3-2 win over Nebraska’s James Green in the semifinals.
In a match broadcast live on ESPN, Martinez came out strong, scoring the first points with a takedown to lead 2-01 after the first period. He then took complete control of the match in the second period with an escape and a takedown to go up 5-1. He went up 7-1 early in the third and just didn’t let up on Realbuto.
“We didn’t really have a game plan for this guy (Realbuto) because he didn’t really have anything … that I felt could have threatened me,” said a confident Martinez. “Our plan was to make it an athletic bout, make it a tough-man competition, you know, push, shove, fake and get him off balance with my athleticism, my God-given talent and the techniques I have.”
What’s next for the talented Lemoore wrestler? “Am I ready for this,” he asked? “I was made ready for it. I’ve been working at this for 14 years. Wrestling is my life and I don’t plan on doing anything else for the rest of my life. I plan on being around it forever and you know as far as comparisons go, you know we’ll get there, but we’ll get there when the time comes. If I can go undefeated I’ll do it. I’m going to try my best and I’m going to be ready every bout. I’ll be ready and hopefully it will work out in the end for me.”
He will contend for Olympic Gold and will try to earn a spot on a world team. “This freestyle season I’ll try to make a world team at 70 kilos,” he said. “I’ll definitely have aspirations to represent my country and win the Olympic Gold, and then go into coaching.”
