Saskatchewan shot put champion JJ Martel commits to Manitoba

JJ Martel is a thrower from Central Butte, Saskatchewan, and on November 8 he committed to the University of Manitoba Bisons, a U SPORTS program in Canada West. He competes for Central Butte School and the Moose Jaw Rotary Track & Field Club, where he holds the U18 boys shot put and weight throw club records.

JJ is set to join the Bisons in fall 2027 to study civil engineering.

JJ and his mom, Jenn, ran one of the most thorough recruiting searches I have seen. In the last five years, I can't think of any families who worked through it the way they did. They talked everything through, often late into the night, and by the time the decision came, they had already done the hard part.

JJ in the throwing circle

• Shot put (5 kg): 16.21 m to win the U18 event at the 2026 Western Canada Team Challenge for Team Saskatchewan, and 2026 SHSAA senior boys champion
• Weight throw: 18.69 m indoors in January 2026, and fifth at the 2026 Canadian Indoor Championships, where he was also fourth in the shot put
• Hammer throw: 51.15 m in July 2026, and third at the 2024 Legion Nationals
• 2026: selected to Team Sask for Legion Nationals, and the Moose Jaw Rotary club's male MVP thrower

To see how performances like his line up with programs at each level, check our college track and field recruiting standards.

Engineering as a top priority

On one of our first calls, JJ told me about his interest in going D1. By August, we were thinking more holistically. We widened his search across U SPORTS and NCAA divisions and ran every program through the same filters, in order.

The academic program came first. If a school didn't have a strong engineering program, it didn't qualify, regardless of its throwers or conference. Next came the throws: is there a throws coach, are there men's throwers on the roster, and does the program have a history of developing throwers in his events? A program that values its throws usually values every point it can score. The last filter was one most athletes never think about. Civil engineering at most schools includes co-op terms, and JJ needed co-op programs flexible enough that he would never have to leave his training group.

"Five schools reached out to me, and seeing as how civil engineering required me to have a flexible co-op with my plans, it allowed me to shorten the list to three that I would visit. I was surprised at how much information there was to learn."

The visit

JJ took an official visit to Winnipeg, and what stood out to him was the organization and competitiveness of the program. He saw a team that uses "every minor detail they can to be the best."

Jenn noticed the same things: the "upgraded facilities, lots of structure," how close together the buildings JJ would use every day are, and "how close they were to winning a championship."

The detail that won me over was the "binder." Manitoba builds an individual training binder for each athlete and tracks it against competition results, so a thrower can see what worked before his best throws. I get excited when I hear about that. I love the idea of athlete accountability, but with 18- to 23-year-olds, it doesn't always work in practice. An athlete should have the environment, the structure, the coaches, and the teammates to carry him through the hard days, so he isn't always the one deciding to build the habit. In a structured program, a teammate texts that he's lifting before dinner, and you go with him.

On the visit, JJ trained with Coach Mingpu Wu. Manitoba also put a written five-year plan in front of JJ before he committed, without being asked.

"I go to the food hall and everything's there. I view the indoor track and it's top tier. Recovery rooms, dorms, proximity of dorms to everything, the structure, everything was top notch."

That dining hall line matters more than it sounds. When I chose my own university, I didn't realize the dining hall closed at 11 p.m. For JJ, a key factor was nutrition:

"I can write down all the information and soak it up like a sponge, but it's hard to get micronutrients and calorie track when abroad."

Why Manitoba

"A history of winning, a tradition of excellence, and a flexible co-op program, allowing me to stay in the city and not miss practice and lifting."

Winnipeg is big enough for an engineering student to find co-op placements without leaving town, and Manitoba's coaches told the family they would work with the co-op office to make sure of it. Through the whole process, Manitoba never gave JJ a red flag.

Poking holes

JJ's decision came down to two programs. My job on our last call was to question his analysis and see if I could poke holes in it. He had answered most of my questions before I asked them.

"Streamline Athletes also had sessions for advising, allowing me and my family to ask questions on what we should ask and 'poking holes in our thinking' so we can come to a better education decision."

The advice I gave him was the same advice I give every athlete: ask your questions, collect the information, and don't say yes or no on the visit. Give yourself time to sleep on it. JJ did, and he committed with his mind made up.

His advice to athletes starting out:

"Always be open and discuss amongst your family or your advisors on multiple days, as recency bias is a real thing."

And when a friend asks him whether Streamline Athletes was worth it:

"Unless you are the smartest person of all time, Streamline Athletes would benefit you still, with coaches being able to see you easier. Two minds are better than one, and Streamline Athletes is education and exposure, so it works for everyone."

That is the work I do with families in recruitment advising: build the list around what the athlete wants, prepare for each call and visit, and pressure-test the decision so the family makes it with confidence.

Jenn's advice to parents

"Do your research. There is lots of it. Ask your athlete what the game changers and non-negotiables are. Ask, 'When you look back in five years, what do you want to accomplish?' Ask lots of questions. Don't forget the little things: proximity to meal halls, how they handle exams, residence location compared to training, the weight room, the department buildings where they will be in class. Use AI to find some details to save you time."

What I tell every athlete, and what JJ did

• Never say yes on the visit. Collect the information, go home and sleep on it.
• See the academic side yourself. If the campus tour doesn't walk you into the engineering labs and lecture halls, go on your own.
• Ask the athletes, not only the coaches. The sophomore or junior on the roster gives the most honest answers. Turn to the discus thrower and ask what the coach is like.
• Tell every coach where you landed. A coach would rather hear that you're not coming than not hear from you at all.

Our guide on official and unofficial recruiting visits covers U SPORTS visit rules, and why you should consider a U SPORTS school explains why more Canadians are choosing to stay home.

Next stop: Winnipeg

Asked what he is most looking forward to at Manitoba, JJ answered in one word:

"Winning."

Congratulations, JJ, and thank you to Jenn and to his coaches at Central Butte School and the Moose Jaw Rotary Track & Field Club.

Manitoba is getting a thrower who has done his homework, a future engineer who highly values his education, and a competitor with the right mindset to win championships.

To future track and field recruits and their families

We have free resources to help you get started:

• Create your free Streamline Athletes account and complete your profile to be contacted by college coaches.
• Learn how to build your college track and field target list.
• Read the basics of Canadian university track and field recruitment.
• Parents: start with our parents' guide to college track and field recruiting.
• Read how heptathlete Tessa Bell chose Idaho.