MADISON — The planned celebrations are a staple and crowd favorite at the WIAA individual state wrestling tournament.
A back flip, three fingers in the air, shooting an invisible arrow … they all get used.
Aquinas High School senior Tyson Martin just put his left arm in the air and waved. He didn’t try to jump into the arms of a coach and crush him for a crowd reaction.
If anyone had reason to play up the moment, it was Martin, who was twice denied a state title in the finals and had another chance wiped away due to a dislocated elbow in the semifinal round.
His 4-1 victory over Riverdale senior Grant Mathews in the Division 3 285-pound championship bout showed strength, toughness and dedication — all things that have been staples of Martin’s career.
So when he says beating Mathews in front of a full house at the Kohl Center on Saturday was just one of his 167 victories as a Blugold, he truly feels that.
“I am happy about it,” Martin said, “and I’m grateful for it.”
He didn’t smile, but the pride was evident. He also knows he is destined for bigger things than this one accomplishment.
Previous victories over Mathews may have made the moment an expectation for Martin, who will take a 44-1 record to the La Crosse Center next weekend to help the Blugolds shoot for a Division 3 team championship.
Or maybe it’s just an understanding of the big picture. Conversations with state champions in high school sports don’t generally turn into life conversation, but this one did.
“I feel both a sense of joy and relief for him,” Aquinas coach Deke Stanek said. “I know the time he’s put in and to come here already as a two-time finalist and then have the injury and not won (before) was heartbreaking.
“But in the big picture of things, this will be small peanuts for him.”
That’s because Martin is headed to a wrestling career at Division I South Dakota State after graduation, and he will be tested as a competitor in a much different way in Brookings.
Martin made most of the matches he wrestled for Aquinas into a farce — not intentionally, but through a large gap of ability and talent.
He took advantage of situations when they arose and forced them into existence if required. Martin wanted the challenge and the opportunity to rise to it. That was accomplished much more often than it wasn’t.
The challenge on Saturday was controlling the equivalent of a bear.
Mathews was physical and had no trouble taking the fight to Martin. He swiped at Martin’s head and pounded his forearms on the back of Martin’s neck.
He withstood it all, and once Martin took Mathews down with 1 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the second period, a fast early pace quickly slowed.
Martin rode out Mathews the rest of the period to take a 3-1 lead to the third period.
“That was difficult,” Martin said. “He’s big and strong, and I’m at a weight disadvantage, but I got it done. My dad always says I don’t look tired, but I was (tired) there.”
Martin neutralized Mathews for the duration of the third period to complete something that was started as a 195-pound freshman. The fact that it took some time doesn’t bother him, but he’s happy that he reached the end of the line.
Stanek said Martin’s warmup started a little early, but the four-time qualifier didn’t seem on edge before entering the area.
He stood in the tunnel, taking five steps to his right, then five steps to his left. He broke up the short pacing by standing still and closing his eyes as he faced the mats.
It was a breathing exercise that contained a message he wanted reinforced in his head.
“Whether I won or lost, the people who love me would still love me,” Martin said. “(The match) is not that big of a deal, so I should just go out there and have fun.”
By exhausting himself and earning a gold medal, that’s exactly what he did.
