DENVER — Broomfield freshman Bella Barajas was conflicted at the state wrestling tournament Saturday evening. Standing inside the tunnels at Ball Arena, now in street clothes, she beamed when asked about her sister, Shayla Martinez, the early headlining champion who had just won her second straigh t 5A girls 190-pound title. As for Barajas’ own tournament — where she’d placed sixth at 170 pounds — her face momentarily fell before finding some consolation. DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez caps a perfect season, winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) “She placed (on the podium) her first season, and then went on to win twice,” Barajas said of Martinez. “I want to be wrestling for the top of the podium next year with her. I want to follow in her footsteps.” Barajas eventually caved and said she was proud of herself for making the podium in her first season. But she was more interested in talking about her sister — the athlete and mentor. Big sister was listening in. “She wants to follow in my footsteps, I heard her say,” Martinez said as she shook her head and smiled, watching Barajas as she disappeared into the distance. “I want her to create her own footsteps for other people to follow and look up to.” Martinez then paused. For the first time since winning gold Saturday, her eyes welled up with tears. “My sister — she’s a hard worker,” Martinez continued. “She’s a three-sport athlete. I want her to keep her head up high. I’m so proud of her.” Of course, Martinez would characterize the joy of winning her second straight state title largely through the fact that she got to wrestle on the same team as her sister. But she could’ve framed it in many ways: like the fact that she called her shot to repeat an entire year ago, before she’d even left Ball Arena after last season’s state tournament. This winter, she went on to declare that winning a second straight state title wouldn’t be enough — it needed to be on the back of an undefeated campaign. “So last year she had one loss,” Broomfield first-year girls wrestling coach Luci Schement said last month when she was told Martinez put her undefeated goal in the public sphere. “And so this year, she wanted to come back better.” Martinez never wavered. She finished a perfect 40-0 as a junior, registering 34 pins — 12 of which came inside the first 30 seconds of the match. At the state tournament, she pinned everyone, sticking Loveland’s Abigail Stearns in the exact same time as she did in last year’s final — 63 seconds. With her hand raised in victory Saturday, Martinez put up two fingers to signify the repeat. She needed a few more to count all of the people she said helped her reach this moment. She thanked the Broomfield boys team, whom she wrestled with, along with the girls team, during the season. She highlighted the Eagles community and the one at Brighton High School, her training grounds during the offseason. (She even donned a half-and-half sweatshirt split between Broomfield and Brighton High School before and after her finals match.) “Matilda Hruby,” Martinez said, naming Brighton’s 155-pound girls wrestler, who’d later wrestle in the night’s most anticipated match. Hruby was attempting to win her third title against Pomona’s Timberly Martinez, who was eyeing her fourth. “I’ve been working with her for a long time and she really pushed me to be the best version of myself,” she added. “She got me here. I’m not going to lie.” Martinez — who attends Monarch High — then cracked a wry smile, “I want to be like Matilda but create my own path, you know?” That’s right. Even on her biggest day in the sport, Martinez couldn’t go long without thinking of her younger sister. “She’s young. She’s our baby,” Martinez said. “I told her to keep her head up high and move forward. Like, ‘You’re still a champion in my eyes.’” As for Martinez herself? Well, she called her shot. Again. “I’m coming for it all,” she said. “I meet hard opponents outside of Colorado, but I want to be the best, so I’m going to do whatever it takes. I want to be the best. I want to be big — something big.” DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez runs to hug her father Sam Barajas after capping a perfect season by winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez caps a perfect season, winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) Broomfield's Shayla Martinez capped a perfect season by winning her second straight state title in the Class 5A 190-pound bracket Saturday night at Ball Arena in Denver. (Brent W. New/BoCoPreps.com)DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez caps a perfect season, winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez caps a perfect season, winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez caps a perfect season, winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) Show Caption1 of 6DENVER — Broomfield’s Shayla Martinez runs to hug her father Sam Barajas after capping a perfect season by winning her second straight state title at 5A girls 190 pounds at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Brent W. New/BoCoPreps) Expand View a list of Prep sports and high school teams we cover. ...read more read less