In his last outdoor track season, Christian Martin is eager to make this his best season.
At Minnesota’s first outdoor meet, Martin recorded a 110m hurdles time of 13.67 seconds, falling 0.01 seconds short of the school record set by teammate Michael Buchanan.
“I hope to accomplish a lot more than just the school record, but it would be an honor to be able to have it at some point,” Martin said.
From Garden State to the Cornell Big Red
Born and raised in North Plainfield, N.J., Martin wears his home state like a badge of honor.
“I think the best athletes come out of New Jersey,” Martin said. “It gets a bad rap, but I think it’s one of the best states in the country.”
At Whippany Park High School, Martin was a two-time national elite qualifier for the 110m hurdles and a 2018 team sectional champion at the N.J. State Championships.
After high school, Martin became the first member of his family to attend an Ivy League school and would go on to compete in track at Cornell University for four years.
While at Cornell, Martin became close friends with teammate Jelani Williams.
“We have a similar sense of humor, so we got along quickly,” Williams said.
Williams was immediately impressed by Martin’s determination and drive to compete.
“It’s awesome seeing how much he’s able to sacrifice and give to the sport, even when he experiences setbacks,” Williams said. “I find both his patience and his strength very impressive.”
In his freshman year, Martin had 11 top-five finishes. In his junior and senior seasons, Martin competed in the NCAA East Regional Championships.
“The hardships that came from going to an Ivy League School literally forged me into the person I am today,” Martin said.
Mental health troubles and the transfer portal
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Cornell in 2023, Martin began graduate school at the University of Alabama, his father’s alma mater.
Although he was originally excited to enroll at Alabama, Martin dealt with depression during his three months there.
“It was the roughest stretch I’ve had in my life,” Martin said.
The decision to enter the transfer portal was a difficult one, but it was what was best for his mental health, Martin said.
“I’m not going to toot my own horn and say I got Chris here, but our coaches did give me his contact information,” Buchanan joked.
Martin said discussions about Minnesota’s team culture played a major role in his decision to transfer to the University of Minnesota.
“The culture that we’ve built here and the friends that I’ve made here have made transferring one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life,” Martin said.
Final season thoughts
Last outdoor season, Martin competed in his first-ever Big Ten Outdoor Championships for 110m hurdles and finished eighth.
“As much as that experience helped me grasp what Big Ten competition is like, it served as a wake-up call,” Martin said. “I want to both return to that meet and win this year.”
Buchanan credited the team’s culture of support for both his and Martin’s optimistic outlook after falling short of goals.
“I told Chris he’d get ‘em next year, and look at what how successful he’s doing now,” Buchanan said.
Although his goals include representing Minnesota at the Big Ten Championships, Martin is setting his mind to competing on an even larger stage.
“Another goal the team has is getting to the NCAA National meet and competing our hearts out,” Martin said.
Martin still keeps in touch with Williams through phone calls almost daily, and Williams sees a bright future ahead for Martin.
“I don’t want to spoil too much, but I do see a lot of things aligning for Chris this season,” Williams said. “There’s a lot more in the tank for him.”
