#TeamUSATuesday: Greco-Roman National Team member Patrick Martinez
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by JD Rader, USA Wrestling
Patrick Martinez is a member of USA Wrestling’s Greco-Roman National Team, earning the No. 1 ranking at 87 kg/191.5 lbs.
The 28-year-old California native attended the University of Wyoming before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he was a two-time DII All-American in 2013 and 2014.
Martinez is now residing in Colorado Springs and training at the OTC, where he has become a three-time World Team member, a U.S. Open champion, and a University Nationals Champion.
Martinez took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. Here are the top 15 of his responses…
What is your favorite movie and your favorite TV show?
Gladiator is the movie and Game of Thrones is the TV show.
How did you get involved in wrestling?
My dad was the high school wrestling coach.
What made you choose Greco-Roman after wrestling folkstyle in high school and college?
I was actually really close to going to the University of Northern Michigan after high school to do Greco. I wrestled Greco in Fargo in high school and always liked it. I thought it was something I could be good at, but like most younger kids in the U.S., I had that dream of being an NCAA champion. So that’s what I did. Then after college I went back and started to train Greco full time.
Who is your favorite wrestler to watch and why?
Jordan Burroughs because of his focus. He’s a gamer and always at the top of his game.
Who is your favorite athlete in another sport?
Kobe Bryant
What was your favorite class you took in college and your least favorite class?
My favorite class was hydrometeorology. My least favorite was college algebra.
Do you have any pre-match rituals?
I don’t anymore. I used to be pretty superstitious in high school and college with the type of socks I would wear and stuff like that, but the past couple years I threw that out the window and tried to erase all superstitions.
What music have you been listening to recently?
Lil Baby
What’s the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?
I would buy a car, probably a Mercedes G Wagon.
You get to have dinner with 3 people dead or alive, who are you picking?
Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant, and Dave Chapelle.
What is something you’re afraid of
Turbulence on an airplane.
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about wrestling?
I like the values wrestling teaches and instills in you. Wrestling shows you that your hard work pays off. I think it helps guide people all around. I don’t cut much weight anymore, but when I did, that was my least favorite thing about wrestling.
Something most people don’t know about you
I grew up on a farm.
What kind of advice would you give a younger wrestler?
Have fun as long as you can. Don’t worry about the wins and losses.
What’s next for you moving forward?
I leave on Feb 6. I’m going to be gone on a six-week-long tour overseas. I’m wrestling in the first two UWW ranking tournaments of the year in Croatia and Hungary. Then after that I’ll go train for a while in Germany.
THE MARTINEZ FILE
Birthdate: April 5, 1990
High School: Temecula Valley, Calif.
Colleges: Wyoming and Nebraska-Kearney
Club: New York Athletic Club
RTC: U.S Olympic Training Center
Twitter: @Pmart_activated
• Three-time U.S. World Team member (2015, 2016, 2018)
• 2015 U.S. Open champion
• 2016 Pan American bronze medalist
• 2016 University Nationals champion
• Two-time NCAA Div. II All-American for Nebraska-Kearney
• Two-time NCAA Div. I Championships qualifier for Wyoming
• 2009 California state high school champion
Note: USA Wrestling will post a feature on a different aspect of the organization each day of the work week. Tuesdays belong to USA Wrestling’s National Team members.
The 28-year-old California native attended the University of Wyoming before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he was a two-time DII All-American in 2013 and 2014.
Martinez is now residing in Colorado Springs and training at the OTC, where he has become a three-time World Team member, a U.S. Open champion, and a University Nationals Champion.
Martinez took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. Here are the top 15 of his responses…
What is your favorite movie and your favorite TV show?
Gladiator is the movie and Game of Thrones is the TV show.
How did you get involved in wrestling?
My dad was the high school wrestling coach.
What made you choose Greco-Roman after wrestling folkstyle in high school and college?
I was actually really close to going to the University of Northern Michigan after high school to do Greco. I wrestled Greco in Fargo in high school and always liked it. I thought it was something I could be good at, but like most younger kids in the U.S., I had that dream of being an NCAA champion. So that’s what I did. Then after college I went back and started to train Greco full time.
Who is your favorite wrestler to watch and why?
Jordan Burroughs because of his focus. He’s a gamer and always at the top of his game.
Who is your favorite athlete in another sport?
Kobe Bryant
What was your favorite class you took in college and your least favorite class?
My favorite class was hydrometeorology. My least favorite was college algebra.
Do you have any pre-match rituals?
I don’t anymore. I used to be pretty superstitious in high school and college with the type of socks I would wear and stuff like that, but the past couple years I threw that out the window and tried to erase all superstitions.
What music have you been listening to recently?
Lil Baby
What’s the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?
I would buy a car, probably a Mercedes G Wagon.
You get to have dinner with 3 people dead or alive, who are you picking?
Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant, and Dave Chapelle.
What is something you’re afraid of
Turbulence on an airplane.
What is your favorite and least favorite thing about wrestling?
I like the values wrestling teaches and instills in you. Wrestling shows you that your hard work pays off. I think it helps guide people all around. I don’t cut much weight anymore, but when I did, that was my least favorite thing about wrestling.
Something most people don’t know about you
I grew up on a farm.
What kind of advice would you give a younger wrestler?
Have fun as long as you can. Don’t worry about the wins and losses.
What’s next for you moving forward?
I leave on Feb 6. I’m going to be gone on a six-week-long tour overseas. I’m wrestling in the first two UWW ranking tournaments of the year in Croatia and Hungary. Then after that I’ll go train for a while in Germany.
THE MARTINEZ FILE
Birthdate: April 5, 1990
High School: Temecula Valley, Calif.
Colleges: Wyoming and Nebraska-Kearney
Club: New York Athletic Club
RTC: U.S Olympic Training Center
Twitter: @Pmart_activated
• Three-time U.S. World Team member (2015, 2016, 2018)
• 2015 U.S. Open champion
• 2016 Pan American bronze medalist
• 2016 University Nationals champion
• Two-time NCAA Div. II All-American for Nebraska-Kearney
• Two-time NCAA Div. I Championships qualifier for Wyoming
• 2009 California state high school champion
Note: USA Wrestling will post a feature on a different aspect of the organization each day of the work week. Tuesdays belong to USA Wrestling’s National Team members.
