Women's Swimming & Diving
- Title:
- Head Women's Swimming Coach
- Email:
- mpetra@bgsu.edu
- Phone:
- 419-372-2060
Petra Martin begins her fifth season as the head coach of the Bowling Green State University women’s swimming and diving program in 2014-15. Martin resurrected a diving program that hasn't fielded a team since the 2009 season. During her first four seasons, Martin’s athletes have accomplished many impressive feats, including back-to-back third-place finishes at the Mid-American Conference Championships and an individual NCAA qualifier. Martin was named MAC Coach of the Year after the Falcons’ successful 2012-13 campaign.
Last season, Martin’s team recorded five straight wins, which was the longest streak in 12 years. Martin groomed then-freshman Victoria Griffin into a four-time MAC Swimmer of the Week. Other all-conference swimmers included freshman Daniela Carrillo, junior Jordan Bullock, and seniors Emily Waller and Joelle Scheps. She coached her team to dramatic wins over MAC rival Toledo and Big Ten opponent Michigan State.
The ’12-13 season proved to be a historic year for the Falcons, as Martin led the team to its finest MAC Championship finish since 2004, becoming the fourth swimming coach in BGSU history to be awarded MAC Coach of the Year. She also coached Carrillo to BGSU’s first NCAA Championship appearance since 1996. Carrillo also qualified for the World University Games in the summer of 2013, the first swimmer to do so in program history.
Also in 2012-13, Martin coached the Falcons’ first MAC champion since 2009, as Alexa Harris set a pool-record 1:57.30 to win the 200 backstroke. Harris was named to the All-MAC First Team, while Carrillo, Stephanie Boyle, Alexis Kain, Joelle Scheps and Emily Waller all were selected to the all-conference second team.
The Falcons rewrote the record book at the 2013 MAC Championships, shattering previous best times in 11 events to earn 467 points and a third-place finish. BGSU’s finish was the highest since 2004 and only the third top-three MAC finish since 1993. Bowling Green’s placement was an improvement of five positions from the previous year, when the team landed in eighth place. In the 2011-12 campaign, the Falcons qualified five athletes to championship finals. That number jumped to 14 in ’12-13, helping the Falcons earn valuable points. BGSU athletes also swam below the NCAA “B” standards in the 100 breaststroke (Carrillo, Kain), 100- and 200 backstroke (Harris) and 200 breaststroke (Carrillo, Kain, Boyle).
During the 2011-12 season, the Falcons established themselves early by dominating John Carroll and Oakland in a triangular meet and then finishing third at the TPSC Invitational in December. By February, the team was ready to shine at the MAC Championships. During the three-day event, the team established 35 personal records, 11 season-best times and four school records- including new individual records in the 200 backstroke (Harris) and 100 breastroke (Kain). Kain earned second-team All-MAC honors by winning silver medals in the 100- and 200-breaststroke.
Prior to the season, Kain and teammate Amanda Rom qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100-meter breaststroke event. The pair also competed at the U.S. National Championships.
Harris joined that duo at the U.S. Olympic Trials, qualifying in the 200 backstroke in June of 2012 and heading to Omaha, Neb., with Kain and Rom later that summer.
The 2010-11 season, Martin’s first year with the program, marked a culture change in Falcon swimming that resulted in improvement in the team’s fortunes. The team won three of its seven dual meets during the regular season after winning only once in 2009-10. Even in its losses, the team was competitive, falling to Eastern Michigan by only 22 points and to Michigan State by only 37.
The Falcons showed strength at the Eastern Michigan Invitational by finishing fourth overall, ahead of Michigan State and Toledo. At the MAC Championships, the team placed sixth for its best league finish in three years. Kain broke school records in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, and school records were also set in the 200 freestyle and 400 medley relays. Team members also eclipsed NCAA “B” qualifying standards five times at the MAC title meet.
At the end of the season, two Falcons (Jen Beatty and Sarah Reinink) were named to the Academic All-MAC team. Three others (Kain, Rom, Vicky Yu) were named Mid-Major All-American honorable mention by CollegeSwimming.com.
Martin has extensive international, collegiate and amateur experience as an athlete and coach. She came to the Falcons with eight years of experience with the Czech National Swim Team, three years of experience as a member of the University of Maryland swim team, four years of experience as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks and several years of experience through stints as coach of various amateur swim teams.
Prior to coming to BGSU, Martin spent three seasons as an assistant coach at George Mason University. While at GMU, Martin coached several World Championship trial qualifiers and worked directly with swimmers who finished as high as second at the NCAA National Champi- onships. Her sprinters broke numerous school and Colonial Athletic Association records, and they achieved NCAA Division I “A” and “B” qualifying standards.
During the 2009-10 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 earned All-American honors in 2010 and honorable mention All-American status in 2009. She was also 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 2003-04, after graduating from the university in 2003.
During her time 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 tri-athletes as the head coach of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.
Martin served as both general manager and head coach of the Potomac Raiders Swim Club from 2003-05 and was also the head coach of the Maryland Masters Swim Team.
Martin’s international and collegiate swimming experience served as a starting point to her coaching career. She swam for the University of Maryland from 2000-02 and earned honorable mention All-American status in 2001 for the 200- and 400-me- ter freestyle relays. She also earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 2001 by helping her 200-meter freestyle relay team set a school record time of 1:31.34.
Martin earned Academic All-American accolades 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.
After earning three separate degrees at Maryland (Bachelor of Science in finance, B.S. in marketing and B.A. in economics), Martin secured a bachelor’s degree in physical educa- tion 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 daughter, Caden and twins, Kian and Alea.
