Coshocton native honored for contributions to OSU wrestling
Perry Martter
COLUMBUS – The late Perry Martter, who is a native of Coshocton, was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletics Hall of Fame during a ceremony held Sept. 18 in Columbus.
Martter was one of the pioneers of the sport of wrestling at Ohio State, staring on the first varsity team in 1921 and winning conference championships in both 1921 and 1922. As a sophomore in 1921, he won the Big Ten title at 158 pounds and then repeated in 1922, winning the 145-pound weight class. Before an injury derailed the end of his senior season, Martter led the Buckeyes to an undefeated record and conference championship in 1923, just the team’s third season in existence. He was also named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year (the first of five Buckeyes over 94 years to win the award) and finished his career with a 19-1 record (.950), the highest winning percentage until Logan Stieber broke the mark in 2015.
Following his graduation in 1923 with a degree in engineering, Martter made the Olympic team and competed in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. At those games, he was joined on the Olympic team by fellow Buckeye and Athletics Hall of Fame member Harry Steele. An excellent student, Martter was admitted to the Bucket and Dipper and Sphinx honor societies.
An engineering graduate, Martter was born in Coshocton, and graduated from Grandview High School. He passed away June 13, 1954.
You can watch a video interview with Martter’s son, who accepted the award on his behalf, by visiting: http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/092215aal.html.
