Martinez will face two-time All-American Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech. Brascetta will be the second of three Hokies to compete in the event as heavyweight Ty Walz and 174-pounder Zach Epperly also accepted invitations. Epperly's matchup will be announced in the coming days.
Isaiah Martinez runs to the elevated mat in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Martinez and Brascetta met once during the 2014-15 season, a 10-4 win by Martinez in the quarterfinals of the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis.
"When you look at what Isaiah Martinez did last year as a freshman, you can't help but be impressed," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "In 34 matches, he scored 25 bonus victories. He's exciting and high-octane -- he's the type of wrestler this event is intended to showcase to the sporting public."
Of those 25 bonus victories, Martinez earned 11 technical falls and seven major decisions, including a 10-2 major decision over Cornell's Brian Realbuto in the 157-pound Division I final.
Brascetta moved up from 149 pounds after a redshirt year and earned his second All-American honor, finishing fourth, after an injury-shortened season. Going 15-4, Brascetta was unseeded entering the tournament and upended ninth-seeded Joey LaVallee of Missouri and eighth-seeded John Boyle of American before falling to Martinez in the quarterfinals.
Brascetta earned All-American honors with a 5-2 win over fifth-seeded Cody Pack of South Dakota State and then picked up an 8-0 major decision over two-time All-American Mitch Minotti of Lehigh. He fell in the third-place match to Nebraska's James Green 3-2. Green recently finished with a bronze medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in freestyle.
This is the second straight year Virginia Tech has multiple entries in the event. Last year, Devin Carter and Joey Dance represented Virginia Tech.
Martinez will make Illinois' 19th individual appearance in the All-Star Classic. The last time Illinois had wrestlers in the All-Star Classic was in 2011-12 when Jesse Delgado, B.J. Futrell, and Jordan Blanton all competed in the event.
Illinois wrestlers are 10-8 all-time in the event, but haven't won an individual matchup since 2009 when Jimmy Kennedy defeated Minnesota's Jayson Ness 7-5 at 133 pounds.
Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups
125:
133:
141:
149:
157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech)
165:
174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech)
184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro)
197:
285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech)
WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter
WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern
WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga.
TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15
PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here
TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider)
EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com
About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)
The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities.
About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN)
The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org
About ESPNU
The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.
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