Belle of the Wrestling Mat Weighs in

The embodiment of glamour, power and physical prowess, Jennifer Martin and her training partner, Afsoon Roshanzamir, transcend athletic sexism as the only members of the UC Davis women's wrestling club team. Martin, a second-year UC Davis veterinary medical student, weighs in at only 116.5 pounds and competes nationally against other women in her weight class. She is training for the California Classic women's wrestling qualifier tournament in Modesto this April, where she hopes to qualify for the national competition that will be held 11 days later in Las Vegas. Martin's former boyfriend was a wrestler and helped draw her into the sport. She now finds the competition a nice break from the rigorous demands of veterinary medical training and her job at the campus primate research center. Her summer workouts consist mostly of weight training and running, while her winter workouts are strictly practice wrestling matches and competitions. Martin and Roshanzamir, a recent UC Davis graduate and U.S. National Women's Wrestling Team member, are drawing attention and lending athletic credibility to their sport. Their competition appearances have inspired prospective UC Davis students who are looking for a chance to compete in the little known sport of women's wrestling.