Javelina Hall of Fame
Homer Martinez was one of the top distance runners in the nation while with the Texas A&I track and field team and while running at Falfurrias High School. He was inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 1991.
He teamed with Robert Gonzalez, also a Hall of Fame member, at Texas A&I and in Falfurrias to give the two schools one of the best distance combos ever.
Martinez won the Lone Star Conference two-mile championship in 1968 and 1969, and his performances helped guide the Javelinas to conference team championships in 1969 and 1970. The 1969 Javelinas were fourth in the NAIA national meet.
He holds the school and LSC records in the two-mile race.
Martinez ran on Javelina relay units that won medals in such prestigious meets as the Texas Relays, Kansas Relays and Drake Relays, as well as meets throughout the Southwest.
He received four letters in cross country and four in track and field.
The honoree received a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&I in 1970 and has since received a master’s degree from the University of Texas-Pan American.
He served as track and cross country coach at Burbank High School in San Antonio in 1970-76. He became boys track coach at Edinburg High School in 1976 and left that position in 1982 to become cross country and track coach at Pan American.
Martinez returned to Edinburg as girls track coach in 1985 and currently holds that position.
He is a member of the Mexican-American Hall of Fame in Laredo, served on the track advisory board of the Texas High School Coaches Association for two years and is on the track advisory board for the Valley High School Coaches Association.
He is married to the former Diana Perez of Falfurrias and the couple has two children, Melissa and Homer.
