Martin led the Runnin' Bulldogs to their second most successful conference season in their ninth year of existence during the 2023 season. The squad finished in sixth place in the ten-team league as they picked up three wins against Big South competition. She mentored a trio of All-Conference selections with Grace Briggs' earning a spot on the First-Team.while Bria Foley and Heather Lobas each earned nods for the Second-Team.
Martin was named as the program's Interim Head Coach on October 28, 2022 after joining the staff in July 2022 as an assistant coach. A team captain and all-Big South first team selection for the Runnin' Bulldogs this past season, Martin returns to Boiling Springs after helping lead Gardner-Webb to its best finish in program history prior to graduating in May 2022.
A student-athlete for the Runnin' Bulldogs from 2018-22, Martin played in 56 career games and made 28 starts, including all 19 games during her final season that saw Gardner-Webb win 10 games and advance to the Big South Championship semifinals for the first time in team history.
A native of Warrenton, Virginia, Martin holds the school record for career draw controls (268) and ranks fourth all-time in both ground balls (106) and caused turnovers (52). A midfielder for the first four years as a Runnin' Bulldog before transitioning to a starting defensive role, she holds the top three draw control records at Gardner-Webb for a single season, highlighted by a program-high 121 in 2022, the fourth most in a single season all-time in the Big South. Her final season in red and black also included personal bests in ground balls (53) and caused turnovers (23) punctuated by a 15-14 triumph over #4 Campbell in the conference tournament.
Martin became the first player in program history to earn Big South Defensive Player of the Week twice in a single season when she did so this past spring. Her 6.35 ground balls per game during the 2022 regular season also ranked as the highest average of any player among the 10 Big South lacrosse schools.Â
Martin, who attended Fauquier High School in Virginia, majored in sport management at Gardner-Webb with minors in both criminal justice and psychology. She graduated in May 2022.Â
