Finn Martin Turns Full Focus to Swimming After Wrapping Football Season as All-State Honoree

Jokes abound about the abilities of competitive swimmers when they get on dry land, but as the sport becomes more-and-more athletic, the cases of swimmers who also excel in other sports are increasing.

Case in point: Notre Dame swimming commit Finn Martin. A senior at Newton High School in Newton, Iowa, Martin is a star of both the swimming and football teams.

In fact, he led his team all the way to the Iowa Class 4A State Championship game, where they lost 31-24 against Xavier High. The game was played at the University of Northern Iowa stadium.

Martin was the leading receiver in the game, catching 7 of the team’s 9 completed passes for 95 yards, including a 3rd quarter touchdown that put the team up 17-3.

FINN MARTIN MAKES THE CATCH! #iahsfb

Newton pushes their lead to 17-3. pic.twitter.com/vqSV700wBq

— IHSAA (@IHSAA) November 14, 2025

Xavier would go on to score 21 unanswered points to take a lead, and the teams were back-and-forth before Xavier ultimately scored a touchdown with 3 minutes left in the game to put them ahead for good.

The 6’1″ Martin was named First Team All State at wide receiver after a school record 49 catches, 1,173 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns. He also

Now Martin will turn his full attention to preparing for the Iowa High School State Championship meet in February, where he is the defending champion in both the 50 free (20.19) and 100 free (44.64). He also won the 50 free in 2024 as a sophomore.

“Football and swimming are very different mentally, which I think helped me a lot,” Martin said of the duality of the sports. “Football is all about working together as a team. Every play counts on everyone doing their part, and you’re always fired up by the group around you.

“Swimming lets you be yourself a lot more. It’s just you, your training, and your mind when you’re on the blocks. Because you can’t depend on anyone else once the race starts, swimming taught me to be responsible and self disciplined.

“It also taught that hard work is a daily requirement and applying that mentality to football made me accelerate among my peers. Football helped me bring my confidence as an individual into a team setting, and swimming helped me stay calm, focused, and mentally strong when things got tough. They helped me find a balance between trusting myself and trusting the people on my team”

Newton registers as a very high potential sprinter for the Irish, bringing his power over from football. He has only swum a handful of long course meets, with a 23.60 in the 50 meter free from the 2025 Pro Swim Series being his only official summer results since he was in middle school.

“As I got older, I started paying more attention to the mindset each sport required and how that fit me moving forward,” Martin said. “I learned how to work with others, handle stress, and stay focused on something bigger than myself through football.

“Swimming changed the way I think by teaching me discipline, consistency, and how to be good with doing things over and over again and making progress over time. I thought that swimming was the best place for me to use everything I had learned mentally from both sports and continue to grow in college.

“It wasn’t about picking one culture over another; it was about committing to the path that fit the way I train, prepare, and compete the best.”

Martin says that he is excited to put all of his focus on swimming going forward.

“Having to balance football and swimming taught me a lot about mental capacity, but I’ve never been able to dedicate all of my time, energy, and attention to swimming by myself,” he told SwimSwam. “In terms of my mindset and work ethic, I feel more ready than ever now that I can. I now know how to be responsible for myself and still do well in a team setting.

“I’ve never have trained year round so I don’t think (my ceiling) is defined yet. I think the sky is the limit if I work hard, pay attention to details, and give it my all. I’m excited to see how far I can push myself.”