Year Inducted: 1989
Nominated By: Donald "Corky" Madrid
Sports Competed In: N/A
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Contributor
Willie Wright
High School:
Attended Pueblo County H.S. (PCHS), graduating in 1966.
Achievements:
High School:
● Posted a record of 35 wins and 10 losses on the wrestling team.
● During sophomore season, he was getting off the school bus following football practice and was hit by a car...Fractured his leg in two areas and placing him in a cast for six months.
● Recorded a record of 16-6 during his Junior season and lost in the district semifinal 5-4 to Lynn Bickford (state champion from Rocky Ford).
● Missed a state birth his senior year despite putting up a career best 19 wins in 23 matches.
Related Activities:
Played fast pitch softball for the Aztec Softball Club as a pitcher/catcher.
Honors:
● Won many All-Tournament honors and 16 Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards which include International Softball Congress State (ISC) Tournament MVP (1983).
● Named the ISC District MVP in 1978 and CF&I Local 2102 League MVP five times 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980.
● Played in three ISC World Fastpitch Tournaments while a member of the Aztec Softball Club.
Contributions:
● Spent 20+ years officiating wrestling at Dual, Conference, District, Regional, and State Meets.
● Selected to officiate first State Wrestling Tournament (AA Tournament) in 1971.
● Worked first AAA State Wrestling Championships that took place in 1974.
● From 1974-81, refereed eight AA State Wrestling Tournaments and a week later refereed eight AAA State Wrestling Tournaments..
● Has been selected every years to referee the State Wrestling Tournaments making it 19 Consecutive years.
● From 1971-89, he refereed 12 AA tournaments and 15 AAA tournaments for a total of 27 state wrestling tourneys which is a Colorado record for most officiated state tournaments all-time.
● Also officiated for Colorado University until they dropped the program and for the NAIA (Adams State and the University of Southern Colorado).
● Officiated the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament twice.
● Served as both the President and has been secretary of the Pueblo Study Group of Wrestling Officials for eight years.
● One of three Area Directors for all of Southern Colorado for wrestling officials.
● In addition to officiating wrestling, also worked the sidelines in football for 17 seasons and umpired baseball for 15 years and worked in numerous play off games for both sports.
● Last year as an umpire was in 1985.
Quick Facts:
"On April 20, 1985, during a fishing trip with his son Mark at Runyon Lake two boys fell into the lake and Art jumped in and helped rescue the boys."
- Dino Aragon, Secretary of the Pueblo Wrestling Officials Association (PWOA).
Quotes:
"Art Martinez was one of the best high school wrestlers we participated against - and a fine gentleman. I had the opportunity to watch him officiate in his early years and he was one of the best in the state."
-Hoy E. Frakes, Historian GPSA
Occupation:
Worked a total of total 22 years at the CF&I, starting in 1967 (10 years) in the blast furnace, then worked in the boiler shop as a crane man.
Personal:
Lives in Pueblo with his wife, Patty.
