Belle Vernon track athlete Hunter Martin makes his mark

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, May 5, 2019 | 10:50 PM

Belle Vernon senior Hunter Martin didn’t know after the Baldwin Invitational on Friday if he was going to try to improve his marks at one of the Last Chance meets Tuesday.

That decision would be made by Monday.

Martin competes in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, the long jump and triple jump.

At Baldwin, he rallied late to win the 300 hurdles. He placed second in the triple jump, third in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the long jump.

“I was very enthused,” Martin said. “I was pretty mad that I placed third in the 110 hurdles, so I went after the 300 hurdles. I caught the kid on the last hurdle.

”My coaches and I are trying to figure out if I should do all four events or will I get tired at WPIALs. But with Friday’s performance, I feel I can do all four. I’m going to try my best.”.

At the Last Chance meet at West Mifflin, he might just run the hurdles.

On the latest WPIAL heat sheet, Martin is second in both hurdles, fourth in the triple jump and 10th in the long jump.

After his performance at Baldwin, those marks will elevate him in every event.

Martin qualified for the PIAA track and field championships in 2018 in the long jump and finished 15th. He feels the 300 hurdles is his best event. He said he has seen the most improvement in that event, and his times have consistently dropped all season.

“I didn’t do as well as I hoped at states,” Martin said. “I fouled one jump that probably would have gotten me in the top eight.”

At the WPIALs, he got disqualified in the 110 hurdles, placed fifth in the long jump and hit the qualifying standard. In triple jump, he didn’t hit the standards.

Martin will attend Seton Hill on a track scholarship, but track and field wasn’t his first sport. He loved soccer.

But a concussion in soccer led him to track and field.

“When I was 12, the doctors told me my soccer career was over,” Martin said. “I never was going to run track, but the injury forced me a different direction. I got into track, and I fell in love with it.”

The way he’s performing, Martin figures to be a busy man May 16, the day of the WPIAL championships.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

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