Seton Hill's Hunter Martin gets jump on competition

The first time Hunter Martin tested positive for covid-19 in September, the Seton Hill junior track and field standout lost his sense of taste and smell, and he struggled getting through a simple workout.

The second time Martin tested positive, which happened about a month ago, the Belle Vernon graduate was asymptomatic and determined to maintain his level of fitness.

And considering Martin is an elite Division II athlete, his fitness level is considerably high.

“I was able to work out pretty hard the last time I had covid. I was working out five days per week,” Martin said. “The first time, I could really feel a difference. I was even struggling just going for a bike ride. I definitely felt out of shape. This time, I never felt out of shape.”

Martin’s ability to workout while being covid-positive made his return to the Griffins indoor track and field team a seamless one.

In his first meet back at the Al Hall Freedom Games on Jan. 15 at Edinboro, Hunter placed second in the long jump at 6.8 meters (22 feet, 3.75 inches) and third in the triple jump (13.31 meters, 43-8).

At Seton Hill’s next meet, the Marietta Invitational on Jan. 22, Martin topped those marks and the field. He won the long jump at 6.99 meters (22-11.25) and the triple jump, reaching 13.77 (45-2.25). Those efforts earned Martin Seton Hill’s male Griffin Athlete of the Week award for the second time during the indoor season.

While the marks upon his return were impressive, the first meet wasn’t without its challenges.

“The interesting thing about Edinboro was that the bubble was probably about 35 degrees, so it was a struggle to stay warm for six hours or however long it lasted,” Martin said. “But things are going pretty good.”

Martin’s best jumps of the indoor season came Dec. 4 at the Mount Union Toy Drive when he won the long jump (7.02 meters, 23-0.5) and was second in the triple jump (14.11 meters, 46-3.5). At the YSU mid-Major Invitational on Jan. 29, he placed fourth in the triple jump (13.78 meters) and 10th in the long jump (6.78), and most recently added a third-place finish in the triple jump (13.65) amd fourth in the long jump (6.94) at the Jud Logan Open on Feb. 5 at Ashland (Ohio) University.

“Hunter is progressing incredibly,” Seton Hill track and field coach Bobby Over said. “He might be a little bit ahead of where we thought he’d be. … But when you see him work, it’s not much of a surprise.”

Over credits Martin’s work ethic and focus on proper jumping techniques in becoming a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion.

Martin won the conference outdoor long jump title in May, reaching 7.17 meters (23-6.25) on his final attempt of the competition. If he can stay healthy, Martin expects to compete for more conference championships at the PSAC indoor meet, beginning Feb. 26 at Edinboro.

There’s also the Division II indoor championships in mid-March, though Martin said obtaining a qualifying mark for NCAA’s isn’t a top priority at the moment.

“That’s not something I really ever think about,” Martin said. “I know if I get stronger and faster and keep working on my techniques that I can make it.”

Which would be quite an accomplishment for someone whose top sport was soccer and favorite track and field event was hurdles while at Belle Vernon.

Martin was a standout on the pitch — he said Seton Hill’s soccer coaches actually recruited him harder than the track staff — before concussions forced him to drop the sport.

Now, as for hurdles, Martin misses the event, and though he is part of the Griffins 1,600-meter relay team that placed second Dec. 11 at the Youngstown State Collegiate Holiday Classic, he has been itching to add the event.

“There’s nothing like toeing that line, knowing a race is about to start,” said Martin, a criminal justice major who wants to become a member of the Pennsylvania State Police after graduation. “The jump pits are exciting, but it’s not quite the same.”