A mainstay on the basketball, volleyball and track for Kemmerer High School will continue her playing career at the collegiate level next season.

Natasha Martinez — a point guard for the Lady Rangers on the hardwood — has signed a letter of intent to play at Rocky Mountain College in 2025. She’ll join her brother AQ Peternal — a starter last season at defensive back for the Battlin’ Bears football team – as a student athlete at RMC, located in Billings, Montana.

“One of the reasons I chose Rocky Mountain is because my brother goes to school there, so I knew a little about the school,” Martinez explained. “They also have a really good Human Performance program, and I want to study sports medicine, so that’s really nice.”

The Battlin’ Bears play in the Frontier Conference in the NAIA. RMC posted a 20-11 record (11-4 in Frontier Conference play) during the 2024-25 season, winning the Frontier Conference regular-season title. In tournament play, Rocky advanced all the way to the Frontier Conference championship game, finishing runner-up to Providence; they also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, though they lost in the first round to St. Francis.

“Rocky has a really good sports program, which is another reason I chose them,” Martinez said. “I’m looking forward to being able to compete along with my brother — it should be really fun.”

Martinez earned 2A West All-Conference Honorable Mention honors following the 2024-25 season; she was also named to the 2A Southwest All-Conference volleyball team last fall. Martinez was also a member of the 2024 2A State Track and Field championship team, running legs on the winning 4x100 and 4x400 teams; she also earned All-State honors in both of her individual events, placing second in the 200 meters (26.73) and second in the long jump (16’11”).

Tamey Peternal — Natasha’s mom — said she’s “over-the-top excited” to have both her kids competing at the same school.

“I never thought in a million years that I would have one collegiate athlete, let alone two and going to the same college,” she said. “I’m very proud of AQ and Natasha for never giving up on their dreams. Mostly I’m excited because they will be there for each other, supporting each other, which is what we’ve always done as a family. And when I travel, I’ll get to see them both, as their seasons won’t be conflicting.”

Asked what kind of player — and person — Rocky is getting in Natasha, Paternal said a hard-working, outspoken one.

“The Lady Battlin’ Bears basketball team is getting a fiercely competitive, hard-working, spunky, quirky, funny girl who tells it like it is,” Paternal said. “She is loyal, coachable and will work hard for the betterment of the team. She wants to connect with her coaches and teammates so they become family to her.”

Asked what she’ll miss the most about being a Lady Ranger, Martinez said it’s hard to pinpoint just one thing.

“There’s not really a specific moment – there are too many to count,” Martinez said. “I’ll miss playing with my friends, who I’ve been playing with since the 6th grade. The chemistry we have is huge, and I’m going to miss playing with them.”