ROCKINGHAM — Punching his ticket to the state championship over the weekend, senior wrestler Jaxson Martin has been named the Official Richmond County Male Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
One of eight Raiders competing in the NCHSAA 4A Mideast regional on Saturday, Martin was the lone Richmond wrestler to place and qualify for the individual state championship.
Earning his first career recognition, Martin wrestled his way to a third-place finish in the 145-pound weight class.
Athletic Profile
Year: Senior
Winter Sport: Wrestling
Division: 145-pounds
Years on Varsity: 4 Years
“GOING TO STATES” WITH JAXSON MARTIN
Richmond was one of 26 teams competing at Fuquay-Varina High School and placed 16th overall with 38.5 points. Martin, who entered the day with a 22-8 record, was responsible for a team-high 14 points.
Wrestling in five matches, Martin went 4-1 on the day. He earned two victories by decision, one by pinfall and secured his third-place finish in sudden-victory fashion.
Starting in the championship bracket, Martin earned a 1-0 decision over Avery Soular (Chapel Hill High School), who had a 22-16 record.
That was followed by another one-point decision during the quarterfinals match, as Martin held on to defeat No. 2 Southern Alamance High School’s Jace Rich 7-6.
Martin’s lone loss of the day came in the championship semifinals when he was edged 8-7 by Xavier Jones of Southeast Guilford. That sent Martin to the consolation semis, where he pinned Valerio Luftig (Riverside High School) with 1:16 left in the third period.
Bringing home the hardware in the third-place match, Martin scored the first two points of his bout with No. 4 Thomas Taylor (Jack Britt High School). That gave him an 8-6 win in sudden death.
Now with a 26-9 record, Martin will continue preparing for the NCHSAA 4A state championship meet later this week.
RAPID RESPONSE VIDEO WITH JAXSON MARTIN
Martin talks about his performance in the 4A Mideast regionals, his expectations and preparation for the state championship and what he plans to do after graduation.
The Richmond Observer will publish two more Official Richmond County Athletes of the Week next week.
