Petra Martin Named BGSU Swimming Coach
September 28, 2010 | Women's Swimming & Diving, Swimming & Diving
“We are excited about having Petra join the Bowling Green family,” Christopher said. “She stood out through our search process as the perfect fit for our program's future. Petra's background, passion and drive will help our current team reach its potential, and she will help us build and recruit for the future.”
Martin comes to Bowling Green with extensive experience as both a swimmer and coach, spending eight years competing on the Czech National Swim Team and four years as a collegiate assistant coach. She also served in a handful of posts as head coach of various swim programs and clubs. Most recently, she spent three seasons as an assistant coach at George Mason University.
While at George Mason, the 32-year old coached several World Championship trials qualifiers and worked directly with swimmers who finished as high as second at the NCAA National Championships. Her sprinters broke numerous school and Colonial Athletic Association records, and they achieved NCAA Division I “A” and “B” qualifying standards.
Last season, Martin coached Ashley Danner to a second place finish at the Women's NCAA Division I Championships in the 100 breaststroke and sixth place in the 200 breaststroke. Danner was named an All-American in 2010 and honorable mention All-American in 2009 as well as being named the Female Break-Out Swimmer of the Year by the Collegiate Swimming Association.
In addition, Martin coached Eric Knight to Division I top 25 performances in the 50 and 200 freestyle. He broke the CAA record in the 200 freestyle in 2010 and received the Male Career Improvement Award by the Collegiate Swimming Association.
Martin further assisted in the coaching of Kate Zeigler, an Olympian and world record holder.
Prior to her work at George Mason, Martin served as the assistant swimming coach at the University of Maryland from 2003-2004, after graduating from the university in 2003.
While at Maryland, Martin assisted in virtually every aspect of the team. She held recruiting duties, assisted international student-athletes, supervised workouts and training, and performed fundraising and promotional work for the Terrapins.
Martin also has experience with several different amateur teams. She worked as the associate head coach for the Fort Belvoir Swim Team in Alexandria, Va. and coached 80 adult triathletes as the head coach of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.
Martin further served as both general manager and head coach of the Potomac Raiders Swim Club from 2003-2005, as well as the head coach of the Maryland Masters Swim Team.
“We are thrilled to have Petra joining our coaching staff. She brings an intensity and focus that stood out through the search process. She has very high aspirations for this swim program and a strong plan to get there,” BGSU Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Lesley Irvine said. “Petra also identified the tremendous sense of community here in Bowling Green and looks forward to being a part of it. We know she will have great success here.”
Martin's international and collegiate swimming experience served as a starting point to her coaching career. She swam for the University of Maryland from 2000-2002 and earned honorable mention All-American status in 2001 for the 200- and 400-meter freestyle relays. She also earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference status in 2001 by helping her 200-meter freestyle relay team set a school record time of 1:31.34.
Martin earned Academic All-American honors in each of her seasons as a collegiate swimmer.
She competed internationally for the Czech National Swim Team from 1996-2004 and represented the team at various events, including the European Championships. Martin was ranked in the top 25 worldwide in the 50 butterfly and the 50 freestyle during the year 2000. In that same year, she broke a Czech national record.
“I am very excited to start a new era of Bowling Green swimming,” Martin said. “My family and I are excited about becoming part of the community. I can sense tremendous support for the program within the athletics department and the university. I cannot wait to start leading the Falcon ladies to their true potential.”
After earning three separate degrees at Maryland, Martin secured a bachelors degree in physical education from Emory University's Oxford College in 2004.
She is married to Andrew Martin, a former All-American swimmer at Kenyon College, and the couple has a two-year old daughter, Caden.
Martin takes over the program from Keri Buff, who resigned in August after eight years at the helm of the Falcon swimming program.
“Petra is an outstanding coach who has prepared herself well for this opportunity. She is creative in her training ideas and has a great rapport with her athletes. She is a tireless recruiter, and I am sure she will be very successful as a head coach.
-- Peter Ward (Head Coach, Swimming and Diving, George Mason University)
“Petra is a great selection to lead the Bowling Green State University Falcon swim program. She will undoubtedly achieve great results from her athletes because of her distinct vision, innovative training, continual motivation, and relentless pursuit for greatness. She is a superb leader who inspires her athletes not only through her coaching talent but through example. Petra always does things the right way and gets great results. Watch for great things to happen in the near future for Bowling Green State University Swimming.”
-- Christy Garth (Assistant Swimming Coach, University of North Carolina and former Assistant Swimming Coach, University of Maryland)
“In hiring Petra Martin as the new head coach of women's swimming at Bowling Green, the university has made a wonderful investment in the future of the program. I have had the good fortune to work with Petra in our Total Performance Elite Sprint Camp and Elite Breaststroke Camp over the past two summers and have discovered an individual with both the talent and calling to coach. Her knowledge of the sport, combined with a poolside manner that is both challenging and reassuring, clearly marks her as a rising star in the swim coaching ranks. Her successes at George Mason caught the eye of many swimming enthusiasts. I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes with future Falcon swimmers.
-- Jim Steen (Head Coach, Men's Swimming, Kenyon College)