Successful shift from football to swimming for West’s Oliver Martin

MARION – Oliver Martin is making the transition from the gridiron to the pool look awfully easy.

After an all-state junior season with the Trojans' football team, Martin hung up the pads for the winter and has been equally productive for the Iowa City West boys' swimming team. His victories in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 breaststroke helped two-time defending state champion West win the Linn-Mar Invitational Saturday at Linn-Mar Aquatic Center.

'I didn't feel like I was as taxed at the end of the race,' said Martin, whose butterfly time of 53.16 is eighth best in the state this season. 'Which is a good sign for me. … I'm feeling pretty good with where I'm at right now.'

West won eight of 11 events and edged West Des Moines Dowling, 430-425. Seniors Mark McGlaughlin (200-yard individual medley, 100 backstroke) and Will Scott (50-yard freestyle, 100 free) also won a pair of individual events. McGlaughlin claimed the season's top time in the backstroke in 50.23 seconds, while Scott matched the feat in the 50 free (20.79).

'They all look great,' West Coach Rob Miecznikowski said. 'I think they're all just working hard right now. They're tired, they're sore and still swimming fast. That's all you can ask of them.'

West placed second in the same meet last season. This year, Miecznikowski received added value by splitting Martin, McGlaughlin, Scott and senior Aidan Keen into two separate freestyle relay foursomes. As a result, West claimed two of the top three podium spots in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400.

'We figured we'd do things a little differently this year,' Miecznikowski said. 'Instead of stacking the relays and trying to get first on them, let's split it up a little bit and go for the points. And it worked.'

Martin led off the third-place 200 free relay and swam third in the 400. He credits a shift in his training philosophy for his early success.

'This season I tried to lay off the weights a little bit and focus more on the swimming,' Martin said. 'I think that's allowing me to build my aerobic base more, put more energy into the pool and let my body adapt that way.'

Martin has twice placed in the top four at the state meet in the butterfly, and helped West set state records in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400 free relay last season. Martin will help West pursue a 200 free relay record this year, and will likely swim the butterfly and the breaststroke at state.

'He's such a competitor,' Miecznikowski said. 'When it comes to competing, he'll step it up. He'll do whatever it takes.'

While college is still a couple of years away, it's clear the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Martin has plenty of options. He set football school records at wide receiver last season with 73 catches for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns. Martin also excels on the baseball diamond, where he hit .321 and helped West return to the Class 4A state championship game.

'I think I'd want to do one sport in college and just focus on that,' Martin said. 'Football, baseball I'd say are pretty even. I like them both a whole lot and I'd be totally fine doing either one in college.'

Schools like Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Notre Dame have already hosted Martin for football camps, Junior Days or games. He holds two Big Ten scholarship offers – both in baseball – from Iowa and Illinois, but says one football offer above all others could sway any decision.

'I think if I got an offer from Iowa, they would hold an edge just because I'm from here over other schools,' Martin said. 'If I got an offer from them, it'd be pretty tough for another school to beat.'

Defending invitational champion Monona Grove (Wis.) – winners of two of the last three Wisconsin Division II state championships – won three events and finished third overall (406 points).

Linn-Mar sophomore Matt Peng notched third-place finishes in the 50 free and 100 butterfly for the Lions, who finished fifth with 312 points. Linn-Mar Coach Tom Belin hopes the invite attracts as many as 10 schools – including some of the best teams from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois – in the coming years.

'We're trying to get them prepared for districts and state,' Belin said. 'I think what we've created with this meet is that opportunity to really feel what it's like and to plan and prepare and figure out what they need to do. … We swam incredibly well and I can't be more thrilled with the way the guys responded.'

LINN-MAR INVITATIONAL

At Linn-Mar Aquatic Center

Teams —

1. Iowa City West 430, 2. West Des Moines Dowling 425, 3. Monona Grove (Wis.) 406, 4. Pleasant Valley 395, 5. Linn-Mar 312, 6. Rock Island (Ill.) 83, 7. Clinton 59.

200 medley relay —

1. Monona Grove (Eric Storms, Bronz Geissler, Connor Keith, Shane Sackett), 1:41.04; 2. Pleasant Valley (Nick Kontos, Vincent Gnad, Kevin Burke, Henry Friederichs), 1:43.07; 3. West Des Moines Dowling (Nick Chase, Kade Johnson, Ryan Gaumer, Ryan Schweizer), 1:44.42.

200 freestyle —

1. Aidan Keen (ICW), 1:42.62; 2. Ben McDade (MG), 1:43.42; 3. Nolan Larson (WDMD), 1:46.18.

200 individual medley —

1. Mark McGlaughlin (ICW), 1:58.19; 2. Sam Lundry (PV), 2:04.68; 3. Drew Westercamp (WDMD), 2:05.00.

50 freestyle —

1. Will Scott (ICW), 20.79; 2. Erik Doll (MG), 21.85; 3. Matt Peng (LM), 22.63.

100 butterfly —

1. Oliver Martin (ICW), 53.16; 2. Storms (MG), 53.76; 3. Peng (LM), 55.20.

100 freestyle —

1. Scott (ICW), 46.25; 2. Doll (MG), 48.29; 3. Larson (WDND), 48.72.

500 freestyle —

1. McDade (MG), 4:41.68; 2. A. Keen (ICW), 4:44.61; 3. Lundry (PV), 4:56.05.

200 freestyle relay —

1. Iowa City West (A. Keen, Ben Berhow, Brennon Keen, Scott), 1:28.54; 2. Monona Grove (Doll, Vincent Giallombardo, Sackett, McDade), 1:28.95; 3. Iowa City West (Martin, Ethan McAreavy, Noah Bruns, McGlaughlin), 1:29.94.

100 backstroke —

1. McGlaughlin (ICW), 50.23; 2. Storms (MG), 52.81; 3. Kevin Burke (PV), 57.51.

100 breaststroke —

1. Martin (ICW), 1:00.67; 2. Jerry Xu (WDMD), 1:03.88; 3. Lane Griffis (ICW), 1:03.92.

400 freestyle relay —

1. Monona Grove (Doll, Storms, Giallombardo, McDade), 3:17.46; 2. Iowa City West (B. Keen, Sam Deyak, A. Keen, Scott), 3:19.02; 3. Iowa City West (Bruns, McAreavy, Martin, McGlaughlin), 3:19.19.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com