PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH MARTINEZ

Rio Rancho, New Mexico- We have a ton of talent in New Mexico, and each week, we want to highlight a couple of athletes to build on the already strong community that we have, here in the Land of Enchantment.

Next in our series is Rio Rancho high school’s Sarah Martinez, a junior who has been a dominant Ram athlete in multiple sports. Martinez recently took home an individual state title in powerlifting, and has been a pivotal part of the Rams back-to-back state champions in track and field. Here are the questions we asked her.

This post is graciously sponsored Velocity Sports Performance who encourage all athletes to trust the process. Velocity Sports Performance is a sports performance and fitness center that has helped numerous athletes throughout New Mexico. For more information, you can reach out to them on Instagram: @velocity_sports__performance25

Q: What sports do you play, and what school do you attend?

A: I’m in powerlifting and track and field for Rio Rancho High School! 

Q: What got you involved in the sports that you currently play?

A: My family has done high school track for generations, I was interested in keeping that tradition alive and giving it a try. 

Q: Any favorite memories during your high school career?

A: My favorite moments have been spending quality time with my current and previous teammates. Whether at meets or on our own time, creating relationships outside of our team have helped us with accountability and working easier together. Some of these include getting groups together at state, our team bonding’s, and making silly videos.

Q: Do you have a ritual or routine before a game or meet?

A: The night before a meet I envision myself throwing and training the way I want to perform and using that feeling in the meet the next morning. 

Q: How would you describe your senior year thus far?

A:  Not available.

Q: What is a necessity for you at a meet or at a game? AirPods, a certain snack, anything like that?

A: I always like to have a passion purple Monster, and my Beat headphones! 

Q: What are some of your go-to songs to get you in the right headspace for a meet or game?

A: “Enter Sandman” – Metallica, “Iron Man” – Black Sabbath, “Low Rider” – War

Q: Besides sports, what are some things you enjoy?

A: I am in our student council, and I’ve grown to love making art and doing dances with our team. I also love baking and cooking for my family.

Q: After a meet or game, how do you celebrate? Sleep, go to your favorite restaurant, hang with teammates, what do you do?

A: After meets, I usually go celebrate with my boyfriend and get food and Dutch Bros!

Q: Plans after high school?

A: I plan on going into the medical field, and taking my throwing career to the next level through consistent training. 

Q: Who are some athletes we should be looking out for in Rio?

A: As always for powerlifting, I will always suggest keeping an eye on our very own Alayah Gonzales because she is always getting better and her performances are always entertaining. For track, I would recommend keeping an eye on our pole vaulters as they progress, more specifically, Mesa Savitsky. On our throwers team, I believe Luis Campos will be big one day, he is an incredible thrower and his dedication is unmatched. Campos plans to take his spot for first in state next year for boys discus. 

Q: What would you tell someone who will be a freshman this upcoming year? Any advice?

A: My advice is to commit. Don’t show up when you want or only do half a workout. If this is a sport you enjoy, don’t be afraid of embracing it. The harder you work, the more it pays off!