Versatile, athletic Martin vital piece of West puzzle

IOWA CITY – When you're on a state championship swim team led by a pair of Olympic hopefuls, it can sometimes be easy to be overshadowed.

But even on a squad with four-event state champions such as Mark McGlaughlin and Aidan Keen, Iowa City West sophomore Oliver Martin continues to make his mark as a vital cog for the defending boys' swimming state champions.

'He basically gives us the strength we need to go in and win meets,” said West Coach Rob Miecznikowski, who leads the Trojans into the Mississippi Valley Conference championships Saturday at noon at Linn-Mar Aquatic Center. 'He also gives us the added points. We're looking at state championships here this year, and he's definitely going to be one of the big point-getters for us that may tip the scales in our favor. We couldn't do without him.”

As a freshman on West's first boys' swimming state championship team last season, Martin finished third in the 100-yard butterfly and fourth in the 50 freestyle at the state meet. He also helped West win a pair of relay state championships by anchoring the 200 medley and the starting the 200 free relays.

'He's definitely a heavy link in that chain,” Miecznikowski said.

This season, he ranks in the state's top five in both the 100-yard butterfly and the 50 free. Saturday, Martin will try for an MVC championship in the butterfly, and will compete in all three relays. He'll swim the breaststroke portion of the medley relay and likely the third slot in both the 200 and 400 free relays as West chases conference and state records.

'I think we're looking really good right now,” Martin said. 'We're all in good shape, we're doing good practices. I think we're looking really good at state to drop in times and going after records in the relays.”

Martin comes from a family of prolific swimmers. His father Jeff swam at Northern Iowa, and his younger sister Ruby – a freshman at West – earned a silver medal in the butterfly at a junior national meet in December.

Oliver doesn't limit his athletic endeavors to the pool, however. Last summer, he hit .463 for the West sophomore baseball team, and enjoyed a breakthrough football season in the fall. As a receiver, he caught 61 passes for 759 yards and five touchdowns. He also intercepted five passes as a defensive back. Martin even caught the eye of CBS Sports college football recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, who tweeted on Monday that we was impressed by Martin's versatility and athleticism.

'Overall, Oliver's just an all-around athlete,” Miecznikowski said. 'He's successful in every sport he does, and where he helps our team is depth. He's a coach's guy, we can use him anywhere, wherever we need him.”

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com