Martin Match-by-Match
Honors and Accolades
• 2020 NCAA Championship Qualifier
• 2017 NCAA Championship Qualifier
• 2018 NCAA Championship Qualifier
• 2019 NCAA Championship Qualifier
• 2019 fourth place finisher in Big Ten
• Distinguished Scholar 2018-19
• Academic All-Big Ten 2018-19
• Academic All-Big Ten 2017-18
• Academic All-Big Ten 2016-17
2019-20: Recorded a fall in 50 seconds against Utah Valley's Landon Knutzen... pinned No. 16 Collin Purinton from Nebraska, securing bonus points for the Badgers... picked up a ranked win in Purdue against No. 15 Griffin Parriott with a 4-2 decision... had five major decisions in the regular season including three in a row early on... took eighth place at the 2020 Big Ten Championships with a pin over Indiana's Graham Rooks... is the 13th BAdger to ever qualify for the NCAA Championship all four years of eligibility
2018-19: Started every dual for the Badgers at 149 pounds…finished with a 21-13 overall record and went 9-6 in duals…qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time in his first three seasons…went 3-1 at Cyclone Open to take third place…took first place at SIUE Cougar Clash by going 3-0 and upsetting then-No. 10 Josh Maruca of Arizona State…recorded another top-10 victory with an upset of Brady Berge of Penn State in dual action…finished in fourth place at the Big Ten Tournament, the highest finish of his career…earned his first ever NCAA Tournament win with an overtime victory in the first round, finishing with a 1-2 record…recorded seven pins and three major decisions on the season
2017-18: Finished with a 17-14 record, going 4-4 in Big Ten duals ... bumped up to 149 pounds and became UW's starter, going 6-8 ... defeated No. 18 Malik Amine of Michigan with a takedown at the buzzer in the Big Ten Championships to automatically qualify for his second NCAA Championships ... recorded four pins, three technical falls and a major decision ... took first at the UNI Open at 141 pounds ... placed second at the Roadrunner Open
2016-17: Recorded a 19-17 overall record, including a 3-8 dual record ... clinched seventh place in Big Ten Championships by pinning second-seeded Jimmy Gulibon of Penn State in just 1:11 ... went 0-2 in NCAA Championships ... recorded six falls and three major decisions ... finished third at Cliff Keen Invite, third at Wolfpack Open and fourth in Journeyman Open … ranked No. 19 by WIN wrestling and No. 22 by trackwrestling at conclusion of season.
2015-16: Competed unattached at 141 pounds for the Badgers ... finished with a stellar 19-4 season record and 82.6 winning percentage ... claimed the first-place crown at the Pat Flash Flanagan Open with a 3-0 record ... went 3-1 at the Pointer Open ... finished 5-1 and had a third-place finish at the UNI Open ... grabbed four victories and had only one loss, taking second place at the Duhawk Open ... competed in the MSU Open, finishing 4-1 and earning third place ... compiled eight technical falls and six major decisions on the season
High School: Three-time state champion for Lancaster High School ... one of only 53 wrestlers who won three individual WIAA titles ... won titles at 120, 132 and 145 lbs. ... named the Wisconsin State Journal/WisconsinPrepZone.com All-Area Wrestler of the Year as a senior after recording 33 falls, 379.5 team points and 170 takedowns en route to a 45-1 record and the state championship at 145 lbs. ... held a 23-0 record as a junior and took the state championship at 132 lbs. ... logged 32 falls and 192 takedowns in his sophomore season when he won the state championship at 120 lbs. and was named the team MVP ... helped his team to win the state championship ... as a freshman, registered 34 falls, 90 takedowns and 352 team points ... started a stellar high school career with a runner-up finish and 42-2 record at 120 lbs. ... posted a 161-7 career record ... owned school records for takedowns, career falls and team points ... first three-time wrestling state champion at Lancaster ... placed second at the 2013 Cadet Folkstyle Nationals at 126 lbs ... earned first-team academic all-state honors all four years ... three-time team MVP ... also lettered in football and baseball ... high school wrestling coach was Bard Sturmer
Personal: Parents are Chris and Sharon Martin ... has three sisters Emily (21), Katie (15) and Abigail (11) ... cousin, Sean McDermot, is a baseball coach at UIC ... great uncle, Steve Kelly, wrestled at Loras College ... intends to major in kinesiology ... involved in Advance School of Wrestling, Eastern Iowa Wrestling Club and Young Guns Wrestling Club in high school
Why Wisconsin?
"Wisconsin is where I felt the most comfortable. I knew many other students and athletes who go or were going to go there. But overall Wisconsin felt like the best choice athletically and academically."
Off the Mat with Cole Martin
Where is your favorite place on campus? The Terrace
Where is your favorite place to eat on campus? FreshFin Poke Bowls
Why did you choose Wisconsin? I really liked all the guys on the team and I felt like Wisconsin was best suited for me to be successful and achieve my goals
How did you spend your summer? I studied abroad in Paris for 3 weeks and then I mostly worked for the rest of the summer
Where is your go-to study spot? The Student Athlete Performance Center
What is your major? Kinesiology
What are your post-college plans? I plan on working somewhere in the healthcare field whether it is in Physical Therapy, Cardiac Rehab, or something else, I do not quite know yet
Who is your favorite school to wrestle against? My favorite school to wrestle against would have to be either Rutgers or Iowa. The environments of those matches are always crazy and exciting
What is your best wrestling memory? My best wrestling memory is all the long bus trips with my teammates playing cards, watching movies and singing along to music. We always find ways to make the trip enjoyable
Where is your favorite place to wrestle? My favorite place to wrestle is the Field House. There is no better place to compete than our home arena.
When did you begin wrestling? I began wrestling around age 4 or 5
What is your favorite thing about Wisconsin wrestling? My favorite thing about Wisconsin wrestling is the team unity and brotherhood we have created. We are all very close and it makes practice and competitions so much more fun.
What is something you do before every match? I always try to relax the best I can before every match
What is one word that describes this team? Enthusiastic
My teammates say that I am the funniest guy on the team
My favorite thing to do off the mat with my teammates is attend other sporting events on campus
What is your most memorable wrestling achievement? Placing 4th at Big Tens last year and qualifying for NCAAs for the third year
What is your dream as a collegiate wrestler? My dream as a college wrestler is to win NCAAs as a team
Does the team have any nicknames for you? I have many nicknames. I go by Coley, Eddie, Eric, Dave, Osteo and Asiago. Don’t ask how I got all of those
If you would switch places with anyone on the team for a day, who would you pick and why? Trent Hillger, to see what it’s like to have that hair
What is your favorite song to sing in the car? Dirt Road by Kip Moore
If you had a completely free day, how would you choose to spend it? I would spend it at my house out on the lake with a big boat with lots of friends on a hot summer day
What is your favorite sports team? Milwaukee Brewers
What other sports did you play growing up? Baseball and Football
