Athletes of the week

More stories from Shukri Kolmale

Athletes of the week
April 26, 2018

Taylor Martinek

Junior Taylor Martinek has her name on a lot of banners after breaking a 37 year-old record at Hamline University with the Pipers’ Swimming and Diving team. The record she broke previously held by Hall of Famer Kate Lundsten was completing the two-hundred backstroke swim race with a record time of 2:05.94. That lone accomplishment wasn’t the only factor that played in part of her earning the Athlete of the Week honor at Hamline; she also broke a record of her own on the one-hundred backstroke race by clocking in at 57.14 seconds, a record she has been breaking for the past three years.

A talented athlete, Martinek is also the first Piper women’s swimmer to finish on top at the MIAC swim meet in 21 years. To add to all of that mentioned above, Martinek competed in the relay teams with finishes in seventh place for the 200 meter and 800 meter Free teams as well as the 200 Medley contingent. Martinek also had her talent showcased in the 400 meter Free quartet. Martinek’s love for the support led her to many paths including playing for another high school team when her school didn’t have a swimming team.

Proud of her team and the resilience they displayed, Martinek said, “Wwe had a great team this year with a lot of spirit.” With the season coming to an end, Martinek has her eye on next year and the chance to restart with lessons learned from this season.

Zach Smith 

When it comes to putting a basketball in the hoop, there is not many that surpass the talent that is senior Zach Smith, this week’s Athlete of the Week. On his last week of his Hamline basketball career, the senior let his game do the talking in a win against Concordia and St. Mary’s. Smith scored 25oints and had five steal in the 82-71 win against Concordia and filled up the stat sheet in the win over St. Mary’s, 92-72, Smith finished with 24twenty-four points, six steals and six assists with a play time of 24 minutes.

A brilliant guard on the floor, Smith finished his career with a couple of milestones under his belt. Eleventh on the Hamline University basketball history in points with 1384 points, third in assists with 348 assists, seventh in steals with 111 steals, eighth in made field goals with 494 field goals and three pointers with 92 three pointers made, and finally ninths in free throws made with 305 free throws. A decorated athlete on the court, he is a duel-athlete and is lacing up for the Hamline Pipers’ baseball team this spring.