When Matt Martin went out for the track team at Riverside High School as a freshman, he was a jumper. Then came those infamous words.

"My coach said, 'Jump in and run the 400' at a meet," Martin said. "I ran 56 [seconds] and it has been all downhill from there."

In a good way.

A senior, Martin has blossomed into one of the top 400-meter runners in the WPIAL Class AA ranks. He finished fourth at the Baldwin Invitational last weekend, coming in behind Penn Hills' Brandon Bailey, Mt. Lebanon's Evan Schardt and Clairton's Trenton Coles. Of the trio, Coles, a freshman, is the only one in Class AA.

"I think he'll get it at the WPIAL championships," Riverside coach Chuck Kotuby said.

"It" is a time of less than 50 seconds in the 400. Martin's best so far this season is 50.45. At the WPIAL northern qualifier Tuesday at Mars, Martin placed second in the 400 with a time of 50.5 and anchored the 1,600-meter relay to a first-place finish and time of 3:30.9.

"That's my goal to get under 50," Martin said. "If I can get down into the 49s, especially at the [PIAA] championships that should at least get me into the final."

Before the Baldwin Invitational -- he ran a 50.49 there to Coles' 48.89 -- Martin did not have much competition in the 400. He cruised to wins in the event at the Tri-County Invitational at Shenango and the MAC championships at Mars. He was third in the 400 behind Bailey and Schardt at the Butler Invitational.

Martin, who plans to attend Ohio Wesleyan University and run track, isn't a one-trick pony. He has also run the 200-meter dash, the 800 and legs on the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays this season.

He is one of the main reasons Riverside advanced to the WPIAL Class AA team track finals today at West Mifflin. The Panthers are the defending champions and will take on Freeport, Mohawk and Deer Lakes.

"The big thing with Matt is that he's so coachable," Kotuby said. "He gives everything he has all the time. He's one of the best young men I've ever coached."

Once it was decided running middle distances, not jumping, would be his thing, it was suggested that Martin run cross country in the fall.

He did and doing that helped improve his endurance for the 400.

"You could just tell he was going to be good at the race," Kotuby said. "I always tell the kids, as freshmen, they can do whatever events they want to do. But it was obvious Matt was a better runner than a jumper."

Martin has the perfect body time for a 400-, 800-meter runner. He's tall and lean with long legs. Plus, he isn't worried about running with pain. That's a prerequisite for the 400.

The race is not for the weak of spirit. Even at the high school level, it's a one lap sprint around the track that causes leg muscles to scream as the finish line approaches.

"Every now and then you'll have one of those perfect races when you feel strong all the way through," Martin said. "But most of the time you hit what we call the bear with about 50 meters to go and it starts pulling you back."

He said there is no secret to running the 400.

"It's a feel thing. Some guys like to go out faster than others, some get out a little bit slower and bring it back faster. I'm one of those guys who likes to try and run a little faster in the second 200. We've been working on practicing pacing and that's probably the most important part of the race."

Martin holds the school record of 22.5 seconds in the 200 and had run an 800 split of 2:02 in the 3,200 relay. The Riverside record in the 400 is 49.9 set by Tony Morgan in the 1980s.

Last year at the WPIAL championships, Martin finished eighth, mostly because he ran in the slower of the two heats.

"He's dedicated himself this year," Kotuby said. "Last year, he didn't have the strength. He worked out all winter with the weights and you can tell. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the final."

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AROUND THE TRACK -- The Freedom girls' team is in the WPIAL Class AA championships today at West Mifflin and will go against South Park, Mohawk and Shady Side Academy. ... Center's Chris Kimbrough and Aliquippa's Devin Polzot finished second and third, respectively, behind North Allegheny's Brian Austin in the 100 at Baldwin. ... Quaker Valley won the Class AA team title at Baldwin with 25 points, while Aliquippa was second with 24. ... Freedom's Ashley Adams won the girls' shot put and discus at the Baldwin meet. ... Freedom's Devin Sauers won the 400 in 51.49 at the Pine-Richland Invitational last Friday.