The term “glue guy” in athletics is often used to describe an athlete who does all the little things to make their team successful. Like glue, it refers to a person who helps hold and brings the team together. For senior Elon cross country runner Sean Martyn, it is a role that he has epitomized the last three and a half years.
 
Martyn’s teammates would agree that the Ridgewood, N.J., native has been instrumental in the team’s success for his leadership both on and off the course. Words like “dependable,” “helpful,” “focused” and the phrase “driven to success” are used from members of the program to describe their friend and one of the captains of the squad.
 
“A good word to describe Sean would be authentic,” said freshman Nick Foley. “Sean is a great captain not because of his athletic ability but because of his laid back yet focused attitude toward the sport. His mix of humor and knowledge makes him a great captain and teammate.”
 
Traits that certainly drew the attention of Phoenix head cross country coach, Christine Engel, when she met Martyn for the first time before having him become a part of her inaugural recruiting class at Elon in 2009.
 
 “There’s always something special about your first recruiting class and one of your first recruits,” said Engel. “I think my first impression of him was that he is someone that’s very passionate about the sport. He’s very conscientious, respectful and is very good student.
 
“He had all the characteristics of someone who I wanted to add to the program that I thought would be not only an addition performance wise, but an addition from a character standpoint.”
 
Martyn quickly became attracted to Elon and after that first encounter with Engel he knew that he had no reservations of where he was going to attend school and compete for the next four years after a career at Ridgewood High School.
 
“After speaking with (Coach Engel) a bit myself, a part of me just felt that Elon was the right choice,” said Martyn. “It’s amazing to see how much Elon has improved since I first came here, both in terms of the campus and team.”
 
Since 2009, the men’s program has won two team titles and competed for others while rewriting the all-time individual record books.
 
“It’s been great to watch the program grow and just seeing all the guys on our team just breaking records and setting all-time posts,” said Martyn. “It’s just an awesome feeling knowing right now that we’re probably one of the best teams that Elon has ever had.”
 
Martyn himself has been able to perform well when it has mattered the most. He ran a personal-best mark in the Southern Conference championship meet last season; a crowning moment for him says Engel.
 
“He definitely showed that when it mattered the most he ran his best,” said Engel. “I think that is a testament to someone invested in the team performing well.”
 
The Phoenix won the team title in its host event, the Elon Invitational, for the second time in Martyn’s career earlier this season on Sept. 15. It was a performance a month later, however, at the Royal XC Challenge on Oct. 12 that stood out more in Martyn’s mind.
 
At that meet, nine of his teammates set new personal records including sophomore Luis Vargas breaking his own school-mark.
 
“That meet was a huge momentum and confidence boost for us heading into conference,” said Martyn.
 
The close and personal friendships that Martyn has with his teammates stems from when he ran cross country for the first time as a freshman in high school and eventually helped develop his passion for the sport.
 
“I think our men’s team in general is a pretty tight team and has great team chemistry,” said Engel. “I know for Sean they are his closest friends here at Elon and I think that’s something special.”
 
“I think team chemistry is important at this level,” Engel continued. “I think making sure that you’re adding someone that is the right fit is so important because if people come in and don’t fit in then they are not going to be happy with their experience. And if you’re not happy, you tend not to run well.
 
Martyn also echoes the same statements as his coach and credits her for the improvement and recent success of the program.
 
“Coach Engel does a great job recruiting not only talented runners but also ones who mesh very well with the atmosphere of the team,” said Martyn. “Both the men’s and women’s programs have been improving by leaps and bounds each year, which is evident from the ever-changing records on the all-time sheets.”
 
Martyn has proceeded to make his current group of teammates at Elon feel like a part of the family and not detached from each other. He often helps organize team dinners or creates an email chain during the summer to help encourage and motivate his teammates that are feeling lonely during workouts.
 
“He’s someone that is close with everyone on the team and has a good relationship with everyone,” said Engel. “He’s done a great job reaching out to the freshmen and making them feel like the classes or the ages don’t matter on our team.
 
“Everyone is on the team; it doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or a freshman you can hang out together. I think he’s really bridged the gaps as far as personalities.”
 
With his role as team captain, Martyn has embraced that responsibility and everything that comes with it – trying to lead by example and speaking up when needed.
 
“By no means am I the most outspoken person on the team,” said Martyn. “But I feel when I do speak, people respect what I say and they know that I am going out there to do everything to get better. I feel that what I do say carries a lot of weight.”
 
Martyn’s leadership also extends into the classroom as the sport and event management major has been named to the Southern Conference’s Academic Honor Roll throughout his tenure at Elon.
 
In balancing life as a student-athlete, Martyn knows that it can be trying at times, but he relies on what he has learned from being an athlete at Elon and the academic support programs like study halls and one-on-one meetings with athletic academic advisors.
 
“It took me a little bit to get used to dealing with a college-level work load coupled with the demands of D-I athletics, but I take pride in being able to say the balancing act comes almost naturally,” said Martyn.
 
Martyn is scheduled to graduate in May 2013 and plans to go into law school. He also has three meets left in his career, including the upcoming SoCon Championships on Oct. 27 in Charleston, S.C.
 
With his career coming to a close, Martyn knows that competing at the highest level for himself and his teammates is all that matters for the remainder of the season.
 
“It’s a really crazy feeling,” said Martyn. “It’s like, as cliché as it is, a chapter of my life closing. I won’t stop running, but it’s the end of my ability to run competitively. It’s sort of sad in a way, but at the same time I have to make sure that I leave everything out there because this is my last chance.”