There has been much talk about standout sprinters from the Pac 12 conference this year, especially when it comes to the talented young Simone Manuel out of Stanford, and many consider the sprint titles at this year’s NCAA championships to be a foregone conclusion. However, if the University of Wisconsin’s Ivy Martin has anything to say about it, we may all be in for a treat both at this year’s conference meet and at next month’s national championships.
Martin’s career with the Badgers began as a promising one, and the 2012 Big Ten Championships saw the freshman out of Madison, Wisconsin take 3rd in the 50 free (22.60), 17th in the 100 free (50.05), and 49th in the 200 free (1:52.47). Additionally, Ivy contributed the second leg of the 200 freestyle relay that smashed the Big Ten record with a winning time of 1:28.46. Even as a freshman, Martin was the only swimmer in the entire field to break 22 seconds with her split.
Martin would go on to compete at the 2012 NCAA Championships, taking 39th in the 50 free (22.67) and 47th in the 100 free (49.80). She also contributed legs on the Badgers’ 200 and 400 free relays that took 10th and 9th respectively.
After accumulating a wealth of big race experience as a freshman, Martin broke into her own as a sophomore, setting a new Big Ten record in the 50 free (21.84) before going a 21.86 to win the event in finals. She also competed in the 100 free (49.45, 12th) and the 100 fly (55.71. 23rd) while providing legs on the 6th place finishing 200 medley relay, 3rd place finishing 200 free relay, and the 5th place finishing 400 free relay.
Once again, Ivy found herself at the NCAA Championships in 2013, and she used her experience from her freshman year to help improve her placings both individually and on relays. Martin took 6th in the 50 free (22.03) and 28th in the 100 free (49.17) while also helping the Badgers claim 10th in the 200 free relay (1:29.20), 12th in the 400 medley relay (3:33.83), 9th place in the 200 medley relay (1:37.26), and 12th in the 400 free relay (3:16.55).
Martin kept her torrid pace going through her junior year, and last year’s Big Ten Championships saw a number of Big Ten records fall down in the process. She struck down her own conference record in the 50 free with a new standard of 21.58 in the morning before going a 21.68 to claim the event in finals. She also set another meet record in the 100 free with a winning time of 47.78 in finals. Finally, she rounded out her individual events with a new school record in the 100 fly (52.80) in prelims before taking 8th in finals with a 53.80.
She also stayed red hot on the relays with legs on the school-record setting 400 free relay (3:15.45, 1st), the winning 200 free relay (1:28.75), the 5th place finishing 400 medley relay (3:35.66), and the 2nd place finishing 200 medley relay (1:36.81).
At the 2014 NCAA Championships, the records continued to fall as the Badgers set a new Big Ten record in the 200 free relay (1:27.76) in prelims before settling for 6th in finals (1:27.97). Martin would also provide the lead-off leg of the Big Ten Record-setting 400 free relay (3:13.85) that would take 8th in finals with a 3:14.90.
Individually, Martin would take 4th in the 50 free (21.79) and 10th in the 100 free (48.02), both lifetime best placings at the NCAA Championships for those respective events.
Outside of the collegiate realm, Martin has also made a name for herself on the club scene with her performances in long course swimming. At the 2014 Summer National Championships. Martin took 2nd overall in the 50 free with a 24.62, only behind Stanford’s Simone Manuel (24.56). With this performance, Martin qualified for the 2014 Pan Pacific Championship roster, and she would take 7th in the 50 free (25.18) and 21st in the 100 free (55.18) at those Championships in Gold Coast, Australia.
It is an exhausting feat to list all of Ivy Martin’s swimming achievements, but that only serves as a testament to the legacy the senior has left during her four years as a Wisconsin Badger. The sky is the limit when it comes to her future with the sport, and we may all get a special preview of what this year’s training has done for her in next week’s sprint races. She has already been under 22 seconds this season with her swims at the Texas Swimming Hall of Fame Invite and the Ohio State Invitational and she has even set a new school record in the 100 fly with a 52.44 from her mid-season meet. Look for her in the middle of the pool and do not be surprised if multiple Big Ten records fall along the way.
Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 Free: 21.58**/24.62
100 Free: 47.78**/54.92
200 Free: 1:49.01/2:05.14
200 Free Relay: 1:27.76**
400 Free Relay: 3:13.85**
100 Fly: 52.44*/1:00.51
*Denotes school record
**Denotes Big Ten and school record
School Major/Degree: Psychology and Sociology
Favorite Event: 50 free (actually 50 fly, but I don’t get to swim it often)
Favorite Hobby/Hidden Talent: I don’t think I have any hidden talents or interesting hobbies. At times when I’m not swimming or studying, I mostly just relax with friends and watch movies.
Favorite Movie: Hard to pick a favorite. I really like thrillers, so Shutter Island is one of my favorites.
Role Model Growing Up/ Person You’d Like to Meet: I would love to meet Beyonce!
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: I have a huge sweet tooth, so definitely not the best pre-race meal option, but I love brownies and ice cream.
At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?
I started swimming on a neighborhood summer league team when I was 5 because my older sister swam, and I spent all day at the pool anyways. I started competing for a YMCA team a year later which eventually led me into year round swimming and transitioning to a bigger club team when I was 9.
What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why?
One good thing about being a sprinter is having the opportunity to be on relays. Relays are definitely the most fun events in swimming, and I love swimming on them at Big Tens and NCAAs. Our 200 and 400 free relays got top 8 at NCAAs in
2014 and we got the Big Ten Record in both of those events. That was super fun to be a part of!
You competed in the 50 free at the 2012 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska although you did not qualify for finals at that meet. However, you made half-second drops in consecutive seasons following that meet, leading up to your second-placed finish at the 2014 Summer National Championships, thus allowing you to compete at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships. What was your first international experience like at Pan Pacs, and what allowed you to make such impressive drops in an event like the 50 free?
Swimming at Pan Pacs was really awesome, and it was definitely a huge learning experience for me. I had never made a team for USA and had never competed internationally. Everything was new for me there, but now that I know what to
expect, I have a lot more confidence going into Kazan for Worlds this coming summer. I have progressed so much as a swimmer since joining this program, and have experienced a lot of improvement. I have improved my stroke technique a lot and have adapted well to a very challenging training regime, which has increased my strength and overall fitness. Most importantly, I have learned so much more about the mental side of swimming, and I have set higher goals than I ever thought I would.
After taking 6th at NCAAs in the 50 free at the 2013 NCAA Championships, you returned to have perhaps your biggest season yet with the Badgers, setting new Big Ten records in the 50 and 100 free and taking 4th and 10th in those events respectively at NCAAs. Would you be willing to share some of your goals for your final championship season with the Badgers?
Championship season is so much fun, and I’m definitely excited to see my results after a season of hard training! Last year, I think I let my nerves get the best of me and wasn’t 100% satisfied with all of my swims. This year, I want to just be
able to relax a little more and enjoy my last meet as a Badger!
What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?
My family has definitely been the most important catalyst to my swimming career. They have been such a huge support, and I can’t believe how much they have done for me to help me get to this point in my career.
Do you have any plans/commitments following the completion of your collegiate career?
I will graduate this May and then I will take next year off to just focus on swimming. I may look into some volunteer internship opportunities to get me a little experience, but I haven’t decided yet. That’s about as far into the future as I have planned so far!
What should we look forward to from Wisconsin as a whole at this year’s Big Ten Championships?
I have a really good feeling about the team we have right now. We have excellent team chemistry, which is an awesome thing to have as we head into a championship season. Everyone has high goals individually, and we know what it takes to set ourselves apart at a tough meet like Big Tens. I think we’re all very prepared at this point, and ready to show off our hard work!
