{"id":485591,"date":"2021-08-21T18:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-08-22T01:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=485591"},"modified":"2021-08-21T18:43:58","modified_gmt":"2021-08-22T01:43:58","slug":"ella-martinez-follows-brothers-footsteps-with-verbal-commitment-to-cornell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ella-martinez-follows-brothers-footsteps-with-verbal-commitment-to-cornell\/","title":{"rendered":"Ella Martinez Follows Brother’s Footsteps With Verbal Commitment to Cornell"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW COMMIT:\u00a0<\/strong>Cornell University has received a new verbal commitment* for the 2022-23 season and beyond from U.S. Open qualifier Ella Martinez\u00a0<\/strong>of Boca Raton, Florida.<\/p>\n

Her older brother, Ricardo Martinez<\/strong>, is a senior on the Big Red’s roster. She will join Lindsay McCormack<\/strong><\/a> of San Francisco, Calif. as a member of the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n

She told\u00a0Swimming World:<\/em><\/p>\n

“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at Cornell University! I have been truly blessed to have worked with so many amazing coaches who have helped me get to where I am today. From Seattle to St. Petersburg and now Boca Raton, I have had the privilege of being part of many teams and I want to thank every coach, teammate, and competitor who pushed me to be my best and made me laugh during even the toughest sets. I want to thank my family for their support, especially my brother Ricardo, who made me want to be just like him. I also owe a special thanks to Cornell coaches Patrick Gallagher and Carolyn Meier for offering me this great opportunity. I can\u2019t wait to continue my swimming and education at such an amazing place. GO BIG RED!”<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Martinez’s swimming journey has included swimming on six club teams — West Seattle YMCA, Bellevue Club Swim Team, St. Petersburg Aquatics, Clearwater Aquatics, East Coast Aquatics,\u00a0<\/span>and Saint Andrew’s Aquatics. Along the way she has\u00a0been selected to National and Zone Select Camps, won\u00a0numerous Coaches’ Awards, and broken two Florida LSC backstroke records.\u00a0<\/span>A versatile mid-distancer, she has U.S. Open and Junior National cuts in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 back, and 200 free.<\/p>\n

She has swum club with Saint Andrew’s Aquatics since April 2019. Last spring, she competed<\/span> in the 2021 Open Water 7.5K Junior National Championship, finishing 11th in a field of 21 women. This summer, Martinez got personal best LC times in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 100 back. At the NCSA Summer Championship in Huntsville, Alabama, Martinez participated in the team’s winning 4x200m free relay.<\/p>\n

Her best times include (SCY \/ LCM):<\/p>\n