NEW ORLEANS – Virginia track and field’s Gary Martin has been named to The Bowerman Watchlist Update #3 – collegiate track and field’s most prestigious award, as announced Thursday (March 27) by The Bowerman Men’s Watch List Committee in conjunction with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Making his second consecutive appearance and second career appearance on The Bowerman Watchlist, Martin continues to make history.
Martin comes off an impressive run at the NCAA Indoor Championships where the junior finished runner-up in the men’s 3000-meters crossing the line in 7:52.69. Less than 24 hours prior, the junior anchored the men’s distance medley relay (DMR) to victory.
Anchoring the relay in a blistering 3:48.12 for 1600-meters, Martin led the quartet to the first NCAA DMR title in Virginia history. Martin combined efforts with Wes Porter, Alex Sherman and Conor Murphy, the same four athletes that broke the NCAA record in the event earlier in the season.
The Warminster, Pa. native contributed 18 points to help the Virginia men to the best finish in program history at the NCAA Indoor Championships as the team tied for sixth place with a total 23 points.
Leading to his Bowerman Watch List debut in the second update this season (March 6), Martin was fresh off winning the men’s 3000-meters at the 2025 ACC Indoor Championships in record setting fashion. Martin broke the ACC Championship meet record for 3000-meters clocking 7:36.69, just off his personal best time of 7:36.02. His time marks the fastest recorded in the event at a conference championship meet.
He also ran an impressive race in the men’s 5000-meters to earn the silver medal with his time of13:30.69. Martin dipped under the previous ACC Championships meet record of 13:47.85 from 2022 by Matthew Carmody of Notre Dame. With his performance, he also bested the Virginia school record in the event of 13:31.87 set in 2024 by his former teammate, Yasin Sado. The junior now owns school records in the indoor mile, 3000-meters, 5000-meters as well as the distance medley relay (DMR) team.
His season has been highlighted by ACC Championship medals and world class performances on the biggest stage. Earlier in the season, Martin recorded the eighth fastest time in the men’s mile at the time that he ran it at the Millrose Games taking down the school record and recording the second fastest time in collegiate history. After running 3:48.82 for a…