On Dec. 16, Harrison wrestler Jay Martins picked up a milestone win, securing his 100th career victory with an 8-0 win over Newburgh Free Academy’s Dylan Dellatore. With the win, Martins becomes the 12th wrestler in Harrison history to eclipse the century mark, and the 126-pounder is eager to add to his win total as the season continues.
Martins’ win over Dellatore was the second meeting between the two this year, and although the Goldbacks’ grappler acquitted himself better in the rematch, he still proved no match for the Harrison standout.
“I had wrestled [Dellatore] the week before, but I think he was better prepared this time,” Martins said. “He was really able to lock down when he was on the bottom, which made it tougher for me to score points.”
At the conclusion of the match, Martins said the enormity of the moment finally hit him.
“It felt great, obviously,” he said. “My family was there, the whole team was yelling, but I know that this isn’t the end; there is still more that I want to do this year.”
Martins said that the quest for 100 wins started in earnest following his terrific freshman year.
“I had 27 wins as a freshman, so I knew that if I was able to keep that up, I had a chance,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve improved, mostly with my technique and working out, but the biggest thing has probably been getting mentally prepared.”
In addition to improving his own game, Martins has also taken on more of a leadership role this season, something that he feels has helped contributed to the Huskies’ 10-2 record.
“I think we have a bit of a different feel this year, with me and the other senior wrestlers really trying to establish a more unified team,” he said. “We try to go out and eat together, it really feels like a team, and I think that helps the younger guys, because they’re not afraid to ask for help from the seniors.”
The Huskies will head down to Disney World in Florida over the winter break to compete against teams from outside of New York state, before resuming their in-section schedule on Jan. 3 when they travel to Rye to take on the Garnets.
With his 100th victory in the rearview mirror, Martins said that he’s hoping to reach new heights in 2017. “My main goal is to be a section champ,” he said. “And I’d also like to win the Westchester County Championship.”
