Lemoore’s Isaiah Martinez in the 2012 State Championships. Photo by Tony Rotundo/ WrestlersAreWarriors.com

Isaiah Martinez – Lemoore HS, Senior
By Pablo DiMaria
High School Correspondent

One aspect of the sport is maintaining your weight, what are the best methods for maintaining weight?
IM: I think it comes down to the choices you make every day. Staying disciplined and maintaining a certain diet is probably the most important. Things like that influence the difficulty of maintaining weight. I just make the right choices in my diet and the weight comes off very easy

Could you share with us how got into the sport of wrestling?
IM: I think this is kind of funny a funny story. I don’t come from a family full of athletes. As a kid I drove my parents crazy. I was an extremely hyper kid. So they wanted me to funnel all that energy into something productive. They put me in baseball, basketball, soccer and wrestling. Turns out I was just god-awful at them all. But I showed a little promise in wrestling; I was about a .500 wrestler when I started, so I just stuck with wrestling.

In your view, what makes wrestling different from other high school sports?
IM: The amount of dedication and sacrifice that goes into wrestling is immense. It’s for a good reason in the end. Wrestling more than any other sport teaches you lessons that you will need for the rest of your life. Those lessons include dedication, sacrifice, adversity and structure. All of those elements, and many more, go into what makes wrestling different. I think many people leave the sport with a great appreciation for it. Wrestling has absolutely molded me into the person I am today.

What were the factors that made you decide to attend Illinois this coming fall?
IM: The coaching staff was a huge factor. Coach (Jim) Heffernan, (Mark) Perry and (Jeremy) Hunter are all great guys. I see myself really growing as a wrestler under that kind of coaching staff. These guys want to win badly; they are all fanatics about the sport. Especially coach Perry, he and I have a lot of similarities.

The second factor was just the wrestlers that were already there. I felt like I fit in very easy. I really believe Illinois was the best fit for me. I think we can do some big things in the future. I’m really excited to be going there.

In your opinion is wrestling more of a mental sport or physical sport?
IM: Wrestling is full of its ups and downs. You face adversity and new challenges almost daily, so you have to be strong mentally. You must have confidence in yourself. If you have your head on straight with a good mentality, the physical part of the sport will follow. So yes I believe wrestling is more of a mental sport.

What was going through your mind when you took second at Walsh Iroman once again?
IM: I was pretty torn inside. I wanted to win more then anything I’ve ever wanted in my life. I worked for it, I thought about our first match every single day for an entire year.
So I was upset for a few moments, but then I moved on. I realized we will meet again. And that I just need to keep working to be the best that I can be.

Are you and Bo Jordan (St. Paris Graham) friends off the mat?

IM: Well that’s kind of tricky. He and I had a short exchange of words after the Ironman finals. I told him that I look forward to many more match ups, seeing that we are both going to be in the Big Ten. Other than that we have never communicated.
I’ve watched some of his interviews, he seems really focused and to love wrestling. Which makes the two of us similar in some ways. I have tons of respect for the guy. But at the end of the day he is the person that’s standing in the way of what I wanted to accomplish. So I think I will always harbor that competitive spirit towards him.

What is it like to be coached by a NCAA All-American in Marcio Bothelo?
IM: It’s awesome having a coach who understands what it’s like to be at a high level. He really keeps me focused; he always lets me know what I need to work on. He has had the biggest influence over my high school career. I absolutely love the guy; he treats me like a son.

What’s the atmosphere like in the Lemoore wrestling room?
IM: It’s competitive and intense for one thing. Overall it is fun, I’m excited everyday I walk through the wrestling room doors. I am thankful for the many coaches we have. Each coach brings a different kind of coaching style and personality into the room.

What was the most memorable moment in your high school career?
IM: Probably my freshman year at the state tournament. Specifically, my third place bout. I was wrestling Jesse Delgado, who now is going to be my teammate, which is kind of ironic. But it was a great feeling winning that match, and finishing 3rd. I will always remember that feeling of accomplishment.

What’s your favorite food?
IM: I like all food, but if I had to choose it would be Mexican food. Specifically, the tortas that my mom and dad make.

What music do you like to listen to? 
IM: I only really listen to country. I’m a huge George Strait, Joe Nichols, Jason Aldean fan.

Favorite TV show?
IM: The Walking Dead. Such an awesome show.

What is the last book you read and the last movie you saw?
IM: The last book was The Young Travelers Gift. The last movie was Bruce Almighty. Which is a favorite of mine.

What are your goals for the future?
IM: I want to finish my high school career and win another state championship. Then move onto college. I want to major in biology. I want to win four NCAA national titles. I also have Olympic aspirations after my college career.

Then I want to be a college wrestling coach. Preferably in the big ten and hopefully at the University of Illinois. There were so many great wrestlers through out history who have made such an impact. Ultimately, I just want to leave my mark and give back to the sport that has given me so many great opportunities.

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