Martisus continues Essex run on Gatorade Player of the Year
ESSEX, Vt. (BVM) — Brady Martisus has had a front row seat over his high school career to watch former teammate Henry Farrington bring home back-to-back Gatorade runner of the year honors. With Farrington moving on to the collegiate level, Martisus was ready for his chance at continuing the school’s run on the award.
“It has just been so informative to have a teammate like Henry [Farrington] who achieves at such a high level and goes into it with such a positive mindset,” Martisus said of his time with Farrington. “My biggest takeaway from Henry is to just always have fun with it. He really helped me in the sport of track and cross country by just always showing up with a smile on his face and he’s always been there to help me achieve at a high level. He’s a great guy because he has been in it for so long and he’s been doing it at such a high level that it really sets a precedent for guys in Essex and in Vermont in general.”
The Essex star runner made sure to apply the lessons he learned to his senior season, capping off the year with two special performances at the Meet of Champions and the state meet at Thetford Academy. Martisus finished first at both events, clocking in with a time of 16 minutes and 24 seconds at Thetford Academy and 16 minutes and 2 seconds at the Meet of Champions. The two big meet wins for Martisus helped pave the way for his turn as the Gatorade Vermont Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.
Brady Martisus finishes 1st in DI #vthsxc championship race! @vtprincipals #vtplayoffs pic.twitter.com/yyUszwDHCy
— Patrick Merriam (@EHSHornetPride) October 31, 2020
Winning the award was special for Martisus, who was happy to be recognized for his work in the sport. But what was truly important for the Essex senior was the help he could provide with it. Martisus chose to give his $1,000 Gatorade grant to ‘Run Vermont,’ an organizer for meets within the state.
“It’s really awesome what [Gatorade does] and being able to give back to the community a little bit,” Martisus said. The recognition is great but it’s really cool to see how they help other people … in terms of youth sports.”
Martisus, who is part of his school’s Athletic Leadership Council, uses his free time to volunteer locally and help out with youth sports. The long-time runner grew up running in the local recreational programs and always looks to give back.
“Our focus [with the council] is just making sure youth sports and sports at our high school are run well and we give back to our community,” Martisus said. “I’m very into working with other student leaders and other athletes who are dedicated to bettering sports at our high school and in-state in general. That’s something I like to do and have been a part of for the last couple of years now.”
With all of Martisus’ efforts away from running, his work in the sport is not to be overshadowed. The Essex senior has come a long way since his arrival at the school and the time put into the craft has paid off.
“I think my work ethic kind of set me apart pretty early, but really running has helped me develop that,” Martisus said. “I was lucky to have some great teammates … who really helped and showed me what a hard-working athlete does and kind of what it takes to put in all the work. I do a lot of things that are consistent and focused on doing everything I can to recover and train as hard as I can.”
With his accomplished senior year now behind him, Martisus is getting ready for his next challenge at the collegiate level. He will continue his track and cross country career at the University of Portland.
“It fit what I wanted to do really well,” Martisus said of his decision. “They’re a team that’s really distance-focused, very focused on their athletes and coach Rob Conner has been around forever and he achieves at a very really high level. The program itself is just so storied. They’ve got a lot of guys that have gone on to do great things so … I’m very excited for that.”
