2017-18 Wrestling Roster
Isaiah Martinez
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Lemoore, Calif.
- High School:
- Lemoore
- Weight:
- 165
Career Highlights
- 2015 & 2016 NCAA Champion and 4x NCAA Finalist
- Four-time All-American
- 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor
- 116-3 overall record
- Four-time Big Ten Champion (16th to win four B1G titles)
- University Nationals 74kg Champion & World Championships Qualifier
- 2016-17 Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year
- Holds the Illinois career win percentage record (.975)
- 2015 Big Ten, InterMat, and Amatuer Wrestling News Freshman of the Year
- Won 54 consecutive matches from 11/9/14 to 1/23/16
- Two-time Midlands Champion (2014 & 2016)
- Ranks 10th on Illinois' All-Time Wins List (116)
- Two-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships (2016, 2018)
- USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week (3/7/18)
2017-18
- 2018 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient
- 165-pound NCAA Finalist
- 18-1 overall record
- Named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week on March 7
- Defeated Vincenzo Joseph 4-1 in 165-pound title bout to win fourth Big Ten title
- Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships after defeating three top-10 wrestlers in route to title
- 11-0 regular season, scoring 53 dual team points
- Won by tech fall in eight of his 11 regular season matches
- Defeated top-10 wrestlers Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) and Evan Wick (Wisconsin) during the regular season
- Recorded his 100th career win at Fresno State, a 28-13 tech fall against Isaiah Hokit
2016-17
- Placed runner-up at 2017 NCAA Championships
- Compiled a 31-1 overall record
- Defeated No. 4 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) 2-1 in NCAA semifinal
- Beat No. 2 Logan Massa in the Big Ten final, 10-4, to win his third Big Ten title
- Defeated No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph 5-2 at Penn State and 8-5 at Big Ten Championships semifinal
- Pinned No. 9 Anthony Valencia (ASU) in 6:49 on Jan. 29
- Defeated No. 2 Logan Massa, 3-1, on Jan. 20
- 2016 165 Midlands champion, defeating Chad Walsh 10-6 in the title bout
- Defeated #3 Daniel Lews (Missouri) 7-4 to win the UNI Open
- Competed at USA World Trials, advancing to the tournament semifinal where he lost by decision (10-9) to former Illini Jimmy Kennedy
2015-16
- NCAA 157 pound National Champion, defeating Jason Nolf of Penn State 6-5 in the final, third Illini to win back-to-back titles
- Finished with a record of 32-1
- University of Illinois Dike Eddleman Male Athlete of the Year
- Won the Big Ten Championship with a 4-3, double overtime victory over Jason Nolf of Penn State
- Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships
- Led the NCAA in technical falls (14) for the second year in a row
- 23 of his 32 wins came by major decision or greater
- Led the team with 83 dual points scored
- Recorded nine wins over ranked opponents
- Won Reno Tournament with a 6-0 record
- News Gazette Male Athlete of the Year
- University Nationals 74kg Champion
- Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (12/1/15)
2014-15
- NCAA 157 pound National Champion, defeating Brian Realbuto of Cornell
- Won the Big Ten Championship
- First Undefeated freshman to win NCAA title since Cael Sanderson (Iowa State, 1999)
- 2014 Midlands and Roadrunner Open Champion
- Named InterMat Freshman of the Year
- Amateur Wrestling News Rookie of the Year
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- Named Dan Hodge Trophy Finalist
- 2015 Fighting Illini Male Newcomer of the Year
- Led NCAA Division I in wins by technical fall (11)
- 24 of 35 wins came by major decision or greater
- News Gazette Male Athlete of the Year
2013-14
- Redshirt season
- Compiled a 7-0 record in open tournaments, including a first place finish at the William Penn Open
- Placed fourth at the Midlands Championships
- Finished the season with a 13-2 record
- Placed second in the 74kg/163 lb weight class at the FILA Junior National Championships
High School
- Three-time CIF State Champion (140 pounds in 2011, 152 pounds in 2012, and 160 pounds in 2013)
- Placed third at 125 pounds at 2010 CIF State Championships
- 205-7 high school record
- 2012 USA Wrestling Junior National Freestyle Champion and Greco-Roman All-American
- 2010 USAW Cadet Greco-Roman National Champion and Freestyle All-American
Personal
- Born Sept. 2, 1994
- Parents are Alfred and Yvonne Martinez
- Has two brothers, Isaac and Steven, and one sister, Alyssa
- Hobbies include being outdoors, swimming, and reading
- Majoring in sociology
Career Record
| Year | W | L | F | Big Ten | NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14* | 13 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2014-15 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 1st | 1st |
| 2015-16 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 1st | 1st |
| 2016-17 | 31 | 1 | 6 | 1st | 2nd |
| 2017-18 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 1st | 2nd |
| Total | 116 | 3 | 16 |
*redshirt season
Updated April 2018
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Saturday, May 17
Illini Wrestling I Lucas Byrd National Champion Highlight Reel 3/31/25
Monday, March 31
Illini Wrestling I Lucas Byrd Media Availability 3/27/25
Thursday, March 27
Illini Wrestling I Mike Poeta Media Availability 3/27/25
Thursday, March 27
