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3Four Corners SPORTSAPRIL 2016
content| 4 | The Sky’s
the limitBelle Toney has been a member of The
First Tee of San Juan County, NM since
2006. She has advanced to the Eagle
Certified level within The First Tee life
Skill Curriculum.
| 8 | Winter SportsReview
There’s an old adage about how the more
things change the more they stay the
same.
| 18 | Small town,big sportsSports fans will tell you that the size of
your city is relative to the amount of big-
time sports in that city.
| 24 | NM SportsHall of FameThe New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame has
announced its class of eight members for
2015.
| 12 | Nordic LanglaufSeveral Durango Nordic Team skiers step
into their skis at the starting line of the
annual Durango Nordic Center langlauf
or, literally translated, the “long race.”
| 22 | Boating rule changes
| 22 | Area Fishing Report
| 26 | Catching up with the county
| 30 | 3-Gun Competition
| 30 | Compete with class
| 31 | March is Boys andGirls Club Month
| 28 | Ty Waborn Memorial Rodeo
| 27 | NMAAscholarships
| 29 | The Golden Football
| 32 | NASCAR Nellie
| 16 | Editorial Columnistby Rick Hoerner
Don Vaughan
PuBlISHER
Cindy Cowan Thiele
EDITOR
Rick Hoerner
Dorothy Nobis
Tom Yost
CONTRIBuTING WRITERS
Josh Bishop
Curtis Ray Benally
CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Suzanne Thurman
DESIGNER
Clint Alexander
Tonya Daniell
SAlES STAFF
lacey Waite
ADMINISTRATION
For advertising information
Call 505.516.1230
www.fourcornerssports.com
Four Corners Sports magazine is published six times ayear by Majestic Media. Material herein may not bereprinted without expressed written consent of the pub-lisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writersare not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FourCorners Sports magazine. Every effort has been madeto ensure the accuracy of this publication. However thepublisher cannot assume responsibility for errors oromissions. © 2016 Four Corners Sports magazine.
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STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS
covercredit
Please send to
Photo by Curtis Ray Benally
4 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016
Belle Toney has been a member of The First
Tee of San Juan County, Nm since 2006. She
has advanced to the Eagle Certified Level
within The First Tee Life Skill Curriculum. Toney
has been actively involved with the Junior Re-
serve officer Training Corps (JRoTC) program
at Piedra Vista High School where she is na-
tionally ranked as a marksman. And she will
also be competing for the Class 5A team state
championship in may as a starter on the var-
sity girls golf team.
Pretty impressive feats for a young lady who
is soft-spoken, extremely polite, and is some-
times referred to as “Sweet Belle.” But behind
the respectful and courteous young lady is a
goal-driven perfectionist with a fire and work-
ethic not often seen in young people her age.
She confronts the challenge of each day, and
has for many years, with one driving goal
pushing her since early childhood – the Air
Force Academy.
THE EARLY YEARS
When you ask most children what they want
to be when they grow up, the answer usually is
in the field of police officer, fire fighter or vet-
erinarian. You might be able to count on one
hand the number of times a young child has
said that they want to become a cadet in one of
the United States military academies. But at
the ripe old age of 6, that is exactly what Toney
decided she wanted to do.
“Since I was 6 years old, I knew I wanted to
attend the Air Force Academy,” explained Belle.
“ I was playing with my dolls and needed a
drink of water and as I was walking across the
living room, my dad asked me to stay and
watch this documentary that was playing on
the television about the cadets at the Air Force
Academy.”
Toney was a bit frightened by watching the
documentary where people were getting their
hair shaved off, but as her dad Lorenzo was ex-
plaining what the Air Force Academy was
about, a transcendental moment happened in
a young girl’s life.
“my dad looked at me and said, ‘Belle, I want
you to go there.’” said Belle. “Just those few
words, made me want to do something great
and to do something that made my dad happy.”
Growing up in the Toney family as the oldest
of four children, Belle showed a penchant to-
ward responsibility.
“Belle was a very loving, respectful and re-
sponsible daughter at an early age,” said her
mother Cerelia. “She was very motivated, help-
ful and did everything to the best of her ability.
She took on the role of being the oldest sister
and taking care of her brothers without ever
being asked to.”
“She would pick up on things that needed to
be done,” continued Cerelia. “She even started
doing laundry at 6 years old, which shows just
how independent she was.”
THE FIRST TEE INFLUENCE
Sports was an area that never really piqued
Belle’s interest growing up. Her dad bought
her a set of golf clubs when she was young
and took her to Civitan occasionally, but it did-
n’t stick. She was also involved with swimming,
but even Belle said it was more of an activity
than a sport.
“I just wasn’t a sports gal,” joked Belle.
That is until her mom and dad enrolled her
in The First Tee of San Juan County, Nm as an
8-year-old. She spent summers on the golf
course learning life skills and character values
through a new program that had just been in-
troduced to the area. Toney would spend most
of the next 10 summers in Kirtland at
Riverview Golf Course, honing her skills and
progressing from the Par Level, to Birdie and
TomYOSTThe First Tee
Belle Toney has an impressive list of achievements
limitthe
the sky s’
5Four Corners SPOrTSAPRIL 2016
then Eagle – and she is an Eagle Certified Par-
ticipant today, the highest of any participant
in the program’s history.
“I have learned a lot from The First Tee,” ex-
plained Belle. “I learned how to play golf better
than I ever would have thought I could. I
learned about the Nine Core Values, including
respecting others and the people around you. I
also learned valuable organizational skills that
I use every day.”
Probably the most poignant thing that Toney
has learned about herself through The First
Tee involved patience – which golf either
teaches you or forces you to quit because a
person is lacking in the area.
“Golf taught me that things are not in our
control all of the time, so I learned not to beat
myself up for things that I had no control over,”
continued Belle. “I learned how to be more pa-
tient with myself, which is a lesson that I con-
tinue to use to this day.”
As a 13-year-old, Toney was selected as a
Top 100 Participant nationwide in The First Tee
and attended The National Life Skills and Lead-
ership Academy at Hofstra University.
Not only is Hofstra on the east coast, but it
is located in Long Island, New York – a polar
opposite of Farmington, New Mexico in almost
every way imaginable.
“I was terrified about getting on the plane by
myself as a 13-year-old,” explained Belle. “This
was the first time that I had ever been on a trip
by myself without my parents.”
Once at the academy, Belle lived in the col-
lege dorms for a week, met people from
around the country with whom she still keeps
in touch, and had the chance to experience life
away from home.
“I got to see a world outside of New Mexico
and learn things about myself that I never
knew were inside of me,” explained Belle. “The
trip taught me how to be independent by not
having to rely on others and proving to myself
that I could get on a plane without any adult
supervision – it made me feel more grown up.
It gave me so much self-confidence that I didn’t
have before the trip. It changed my perspective
of what I was able to accomplish on my own.”
As for her golf game, she consistently
shoots in the 80s and is one of the top three
players on one of the top teams in the state at
Piedra Vista High School.
THE WILL TO SUCCEED
Probably the most notable accomplishments
in Belle Toney’s brief life involve her commit-
ment to academic excellence. With the goal set
at an early age to gain acceptance into the Air
Force Academy, Toney put most of her energy
into her schooling.
“As I was growing up, there were many late
nights of homework where, in the back of my
mind, I was always thinking that I wasn’t doing
this just for myself, but for the Air Force Acad-
emy,” explained Belle. “My thought process
was that I was going to make it to the Air Force
Academy and that perfect grades were a step
in making it to my end goal.”
“I knew that school was the most important
aspect of getting accepted into the United
States Military Academies,” continue Belle. “I
was determined to give my best effort on every
assignment and study my butt off to try to get
a perfect grade on each and every test that I
took.”
And, for the most part, the strive for perfec-
tion has kept toney on the path towards great-
ness – but the road has not been without its pot
holes and road blocks.
“I think the toughest part of it all is trying to
overcome the exhaustion,” explained Belle. “As
late as I stay up to get homework and studying
done, I wake up the next morning exhausted and
not motivated to do much of anything that next
day. But to achieve what I want to achieve, I
know that I have to give it my all the next day as
well.”
And if “senior in high school Belle” could go
back in time and offer any advice to “just enter-
ing high school Belle” it would be to warn her of
how difficult it would be.
“I would tell her that high school is difficult –
you go through so many struggles – and that
nothing is going to come easy,” said Belle. “And I would add that you are
going to have to overcome so many obstacles, but even though things are
difficult and you wonder why things are happening, it is because in order
to achieve your goals you have to give your all.”
“oh, and not to stress out so much about every-
thing,” Belle joked.
tHE FUtUrE LooKS BrIGHt
to this day, toney’s resume has awarded her
two nominations from United States representa-
tives from the state of New Mexico to both the Air
Force Academy and the United States Military
Academy at West point. And while she hasn’t been
formally accepted to either as yet, it certainly
would be hard to omit her, based on her resume.
that resume includes a sparkling educational
career, a high school extracurricular list that in-
cludes golf, JrotC and orchestra (did we mention
she plays the viola too?). And if that isn’t enough,
Belle has become an expert air rifle shooter.
the icing on the proverbial cake is Belle’s na-
tional ranking as a marksman, a discipline that
she learned in JrotC, and she has worked hard to
become one of the best in the nation. this fall,
Belle finished first in the Army JrotC postal 3x10
competition in the overall individual precision cat-
egory. In that same category she finished 8th overall, which included all the
other JrotC services (Marines, Navy and Air Force).
Is there anything that this extraordinary young woman cannot accom-
plish? Her dad Lorenzo was overcome with emotion when asked that very
question.
“Every day there is something that she does, something special that she
is involved with,” explained Lorenzo. “She takes so much pride in every-
thing she does. She touches my heart with all of her accomplishments and
I look forward to coming home and hearing what her day was like because
it’s always special.”
Her mother, Cerelia, concurs.
“Her father and I are very proud of all of the accomplishments that she
has achieved. We know we have surprises with her future, but are confi-
dent that Belle will achieve her goals and dreams in the future because of
the choices she makes and how motivated she is.”
And what does the future hold for Belle after college?
“I am planning on graduating from college and going to medical school,”
explained Belle. “I see myself as a cardio-thoracic surgeon.”
the future is indeed bright for Belle toney. Whether she is studying for a
test, shooting her rifle, has a golf club in her hand, or is playing the viola,
the fire that burns inside of her is great and her ability to overcome obsta-
cles to reach her dreams is extraordinary. And through it all, she is still
“Sweet Belle” giving credit to her family for the life she has been awarded.
“I am so very grateful for my parents and the household that I grew up
in,” explained Belle. “I would not have been able to experience all of the op-
portunities in my life if it wasn’t for them. It has made me the person I am
today.”
6 Four Corners SportS APRIL 2016
8 Four Corners sPORts APRIL 2016
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9Four Corners SPoRTSAPRIL 2016
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There’s an old adage about how the more
things change the more they stay the same.
When it comes to winter sports in San Juan
County, that adage seems to hold. Very little
changed in 5A or 4A basketball and wrestling
was once more dominated locally by the Piedra
Vista Panthers.
Wrestling
In 5A Piedra Vista fell a notch off the podium
finishing second to Belen ending the Panthers
five year winning streak. Individually the Pan-
thers won four individual state championships
led by Wes Rayburn who captured his second
straight individual title at 138 pounds. Dylan
Greenhaus captured the individual title at 120
pounds while Aaron Rino won at 145 earning
back-to-back state championships as well. Al-
berto Marquez capped off the Panthers individ-
ual titles with a win at 195 pounds. PV's Taylor
Atencio and Aztec’s Austin Littlefield finished
second at the state championships.
Like their San Juan County neighbors, Bloom-
field finished second at state in the team compe-
tition just behind Cobre. The Bobcats had two
individual champions with JD Robinson winning
at 182 and Avery Scott at 152 pounds. Levi Whit-
ley finished second at 126, as did Michael De-
herrera in the heavyweight division. Aidan
Cockrell of Kirtland Central won his second con-
secutive individual title beating Ivan Rodriguez of
Cobre at 138. Berry Tom and Cody Manuelito
added second place finishes for the Broncos.
winter sports
reviewLots of wild crowds and great finishes
Girls Basketball
Undoubtedly District 1AAAAA was the toughest division in their
class placing four of five teams in the state tournament bracket.
Gallup was the dominant team taking an undefeated record into the
state tournament. For piedra Vista, Farmington and Aztec it was a
nightly battle with Aztec coming in the second spot followed by pV
and Farmington. the Scorpions made a terrific run in the district
tournament knocking off both piedra Vista and Aztec on their way to
playing for a district title.
Apparently the state committee didn’t think much of the district.
While they gave undefeated Gallup the No. 1 seed, Aztec and pV were
given the 8th and 9th seed respectively meaning the winner would
face Gallup in the next round. Farmington was given a No. 11 seed
and traveled to Moriarty.
With three of the four teams locked together it would insure only
one of those teams moving on to the semifinals. While Farmington fell
at Moriarty, piedra Vista eliminated Aztec and moved on to play No. 1
Gallup.
the panthers gave the Bengals a scare losing only by three with a
chance to tie at the buzzer. Gallup’s coronation on a perfect season
was ended by roswell who knocked off the Bengals in the champi-
onship game.
As tough as District 1AAAAA was, 1AAAA was no slouch. While
Shiprock was once again the district champion, it was far from easy
for the Chieftains. A revitalized Kirtland Central knocked off Shiprock
tying for the district title where Shiprock took the tiebreaker champi-
onship game. Bloomfield put together another great year joining the
two perennial tournament powerhouses with all three teams receiv-
ing top eight seeds and home games. No. 8 Bloomfield knocked off
robertson before falling to No. 1 portales. No. 4 Kirtland eliminated
pojoaque before falling to No. 5 Hope Christian. Meanwhile No. 2
Shiprock breezed their way right to the state title game where heart-
break with the Chieftainsonce again losing by a single possession for
the second time in three years with a 51-48 loss to the Hope Huskies.
At Navajo prep the Eagles were a young team to begin with that got
even less experienced with the loss of senior all everything player
Jasmine Coleman. the Eagles struggled with their always difficult
pre-district schedule but rallied well to finish second in district and a
birth in the state playoffs. the Eagles lost to Cuba in the opening
round as the rams won their first state game in the school’s history.
Boys Basketball
the Farmington Scorpions were the best team in the area finishing
the year with a 22-win season, an undefeated district season and a
No. 4 seed in the state tournament. the defensive minded Scorpions
look poised to make a solid run at the state tournament, but it was
not meant to be for Farmington.
the Scorpions hosted Bernalillo in the opening round and strug-
gled with the Spartans early and then suffered a heartbreaking loss
as the Spartan’s Austin Darnell dropped in the game winner at the
buzzer.
piedra Vista and Gallup joined Farmington in receiving state tour-
nament bids. Gallup lost in the quarterfinals to No. 2 Grants while pV
had to travel to Española where they lost to the eventual state
champs 65-56. In District 1AAAA Bloomfield appeared to be coasting
along with a perfect record in district play.
then what became an unpredictably wild district tournament
began. on the night of the semifinals Wingate, who was only 4-6 in
district, upset the Bobcats.
Across the county Kirtland, whose only losses in district were to
Bloomfield, was being upset by Shiprock. this set up a showdown be-
tween the third and fourth seed in the tournament. Shiprock went on
10 Four Corners SportS APRIL 2016
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11Four Corners SPOrtSAPRIL 2016
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to win the championship in a classic three-overtime game.
Shiprock’s elijah Harry scored back-to-back 30-point games to lead the Chief-
tains. State was short for the four teams in 1AAAA. No. 15 Wingate lost at No. 2
robertson. No. 10 Kirtland Central fell at Portales and No. 12 Shiprock couldn’t con-
tinue the magic at Silver.
Only bloomfield survived the opening round with a win over Santa Fe Indian, but
the bobcats lost a back and forth game to West Las Vegas in quarterfinals.
At Navajo Prep it was a season to remember. the eagles won their first regular
season district championship in over 20 years with a 20-6 regular season, more
wins than they had in the previous three seasons combined. Led by junior Nachae
Nez and senior Isaiah Chavez the eagles qualified for the state tournament for the
first time in 15 years and won their first state tournament game in the school’s his-
tory with an overtime win over the No. 7 seed estancia. the eagles season ended
with a loss at state to the eventual state champions texico.
Winter sports are always an exciting season with wild crowds and great finishes.
Changes will be coming for the local teams as reclassification rears its head
again next year.
bloomfield, Piedra Vista and Navajo Prep will most likely pay the price moving up
in class. Prep becomes the smallest school in 4A and joins Shiprock’s district.
bloomfield replaces Farmington in District 1AAAAA and PV moves up to 6A joining
the district that already has powerhouse programs in Cibola, Cleveland, Volcano
Vista and rio rancho.
berrettBENTLEYFArMINGtON HIGH SCHOOL
12 Four Corners SporTS APRIL 2016
Ben BrashearStory and photos
Several Durango Nordic Team skiers step
into their skis at the starting line of the annual
Durango Nordic Center Langlauf or, literally
translated, the “long race.” It is well before
race start as they set out on a “test flight” of
sorts to ensure that they have made the right
choice in wax, LF-4. The wax is intended for
temperatures ranging between -25 degrees
Fahrenheit and 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s cold
in the shade, but with the sun out in full force
course conditions are rapidly changing.
In competitive Nordic racing at the junior
level there are standard length courses where
racers compete depending on the style of race
and the associated age category of the racers.
Shorter distances such as the 3K are usually
reserved for the under 10 age bracket, 5-10K
for under 14, 10-15K for under 18 and 15-30K
for under 20.
Today, Gary Colliander head coach of the Du-
rango Nordic Team has asked each of his team
members to face distances at which they have
not normally competed, and any advantage
that they can achieve with the right wax will
prove invaluable.
norDic langlauf: Tough course pushes participants beyond their limits
Durango annual
13Four Corners SporTSAPRIL 2016
The skiers push out hard. The classic skiers
bob up and down with the traditional kick-and-
glide technique firing like pistons and the
skate skiers propel themselves with a rapid
succession of double pole plants and churn
the snow with each skate as they utilize the
powerful V2 double pole technique. They ski
for several hundred yards down the track be-
fore they slow and make their return trip back
to one of three waxing stations set up in the
shade of the Nordic Center.
With the increase in snow temperature it is
becoming much more difficult for the racers
to find that “perfect wax.” Volunteers Miles
Venzara and Greg Lewis frantically scrape wax
from the “slow” running skis and lay down
new coats of wax just minutes before the 10
a.m. race start.
“Glide wax used on the skate skis has a
wider latitude and is easier to work with,” Col-
liander says.
He looks up from “corking-in” kick wax—
burnishing wax into the ski base by using a
square block of cork— to greet one of the jun-
ior racers who has come back to his waxing
station. The racer is critical of the kick wax
that he has chosen, “It’s too slick; there’s not
enough grip,” the racer says to Colliander.
“Kick wax has a much narrower tempera-
ture range and the real challenge today is get-
ting it exactly right,” Colliander smiles.
The Langlauf or marathon distance race
tends to expose the limits of endurance and
mental tenacity of each racer. And, Colliander
has asked just that of his racers, to intention-
ally push themselves farther and harder than
they normally would.
In doing so, Colliander hopes to allow for
each racer making an age category “jump”
next season to become more familiar with the
distance in which they will be competing. It
also serves as an opportunity for them to de-
velop a sense of just how hard they can push
their body for the entirety of the race. “Most
kids have come in at the end of these races re-
alizing that they conserved too much energy,
that they could have gone harder,” he says.
It’s 10 a.m. and the under 18, under 20 15K
racers and the adult 30K racers ready them-
selves “to really suffer,” 30K racer Venzara
says. They all auger their ski poles into the
snow at a steep angle for maximum power to
propel them to the front of the pack. Legs
14 Four Corners SPORTS APRIL 2016
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twitch beneath their racing tights as they shift
their weight back and forth from one ski to the
next in time with the announcers’ countdown
until he shouts “GO” and they are bolting
around the Lake Loop and toward the first
steep descents of Bench Loop.
“This is a unique course,” Colliander says.
“It’s a really tough course because it is hilly
and it is at altitude. At least the scenery is dis-
tracting and the crowds cheering out here
make it easier.”
The U14 racers quickly line up for the start
of the 5K and then finally the U12 racers, who
have foregone their formal skate attire in favor
of superhero costumes, are sent off on their
3K course.
Only 14:39 minutes in Logan Moore makes
his final descent of the 5K for the U14 boys win
and is followed by Georgia Mynatt for the
women’s U14 at 16:45. Katja Freeburn U18,
takes first for the women’s 10K in 26:24. Mag-
gie Wigton U18 for the 15K women’s sets a fast
time of 44:18 and Abe Ott has nearly a ten-
minute lead over men’s second place in the
15K with a 37:57 finish. For the adults and the
30K race, Greg Lewis takes the win for the men
with a time of 1:24:18 and is closely followed by
second place Miles Venzara at 1:27:03 and
Paige Elliot hot on Venzara’s heels to take the
first place women’s finish at 1:28:01.
“I really had to train for this one a lot,”
Lewis says still trying to recover his breath
after his first place finish. “It’s all strength out
there, your strength is your form and I really
hammered out there for the “W” and you only
get so many of those.” He smiles.
Colliander, after watching the awards, heads
down to pack away the waxing stations; and as
he does so he congratulates several of his kids
as they pass by.
“We only have one more “at-home” race this
season,” Colliander seems to say in disbelief.
“And then we head up to Vail and then the U14
Rocky Mountain Nordic championships in
Aspen,” he says. “From there in the first week
of March are the Junior Nordic National Cham-
pionships in Cable, Wisconsin. There will be
four races and the best of the very best junior
Nordic racers will be competing,” he says.
16 Four Corners SPORTS APRIL 2016
This month i will be giving my editorial
space away to someone who i’m incredibly
close to in order to vent. So there is witty
repertoire this week. instead i turn my column
over to Navajo Prep boys basketball coach
Rick Hoerner.
So here it is another selection Sunday with
the New Mexico Activities Association and i’m
hunkering down to be once again be com-
pletely disappointed.
Let me just go on record as saying that i
honestly believe the folks that run the NMAA
are caring people who take on a difficult task
and do the best they can. i also honestly be-
lieve that it’s the system that is flawed, not the
people within the system. That being said let’s
step back and look at the
mechanism that is the
NMAA selection process.
if you were to go online
at the NMAA website the
criteria for selection and
seeding appears quite eas-
ily.
So, here it is:
1. Finish in regular
season district play
2. Head to Head
3. Wins against district champions re-
gardless of class
4. Overall Record
5. MaxPreps Freeman Rankings
6. Member School input
The committee will consider these six items
in no particular order. This is supposed to
make the process completely objective, but
here is where the system breaks down.
How does one objectively view teams that
likely have never seen each other let alone
played each other?
Numbers 1 and 4 appear quite easy. Look at
the simple records of the team. But how does
one measure how good one team’s district is
compared to another?
Also how does 7-1, mean 7-1 or is it some-
how measured by human elements like repu-
tation of the district or the team’s history?
Head to Head competition seems easy as
well, but then you see that Dulce beat Laguna
Acoma but then lost to
Navajo Prep.
in the south, the same
thing happened among
many schools. How does
one decide head to head if
they beat each other?
So now it comes down to
the Max Prep rankings,
which are supposed to be
the high school version of
the NcAA’s RPi ratings. Just
one problem with this idea – budgets. This
isn’t the NcAA and most teams don’t have the
ability to travel all over the state in competi-
tion within their own division.
consider this: it’s closer to Denver than it is
to Texico for Navajo Prep to play and there is
little to no chance that most teams at that dis-
tance will ever see each other play.
Finally, it goes to Member Schools input.
This again is flawed. Without the ability to
see each other play, most coaches, this one in-
cluded, turn to the Max Prep Rankings. They
say a team is good so it must be true. i don’t
really have any idea. So as the head coach i
have to derive an argument for where i believe
my team should be placed.
Here is the input from my school.
in the regular season district play Prep fin-
ished 7-1, the fifth best record in class 3A.
Against other district champions, regardless
of class, Prep was undefeated at 3 - 0. The only
other team to go undefeated was No. 1 Lords-
burg…
Prep also has a win against 4A’s sixth
ranked team, Bloomfield. Actually, only three
teams in class 3A have wins against top six
teams in classes above 3A, Lordsburg, Laguna
and Navajo Prep.
There are only 29 teams in the entire state
that have attained 20 wins or more this sea-
son. That should be enough to place Prep in
the top eight seeds and give Prep its first
home state playoff game in its history.
With my input in i settled down with my
Google chrome to watch the selection show.
As it begins to go from class to class it’s ap-
parent the announcers know little to nothing
about any team outside the i-25 corridor or
without a previous reputation.
Multitudes of commentary about corridor
teams, mispronunciations and misinformation
about most others – not a good sign for those
in the northwest.
As the show progresses i begin looking at
teams with 20 plus wins. The 1A all teams with
20 wins got a home game. The 2A exactly the
same so i’m feeling pretty good about playing
at home. But it’s not to be. All the teams in 3A
with 20 wins got a home game, except Prep.
Prep shows up at No. 10 and hits the road to
Estancia. Not happy, but not really shocked ei-
ther. i continue to watch the show. The 4A all
teams with 20 wins get home games. The 5A
has eight teams with 20 wins or more, all
eight got home games and 6A holds serve too.
So 29 teams with 20 or more wins, 28 getting
home games.
RickHOERNEREditorial columnist
The NMAA: It never fails to disappointment
I’ve always been told and believed that complaining without solu-
tions is just whining.
Hence, here is my unique solution - play it out with no selection com-
mittees, no “objective” criteria.
First, each district must decide how they rate their teams, by tourna-
ment or by regular season. Second, drop three games.
third, add two regional tournaments, one in the north and one in the
south, for the top four teams from every district. Have teams bid for
the right to host the tournament. Imagine the crowds for regional tour-
naments held at a single site .
this is what it would look like in Class 3A, but it would be similar in
other classes as well.
Districts 1, 2 and 6 would play in the north regional, let’s say at
Gallup. District champions and a rotating second place team, tohatehi
from District 1 for this example, would get byes.
Everyone else gets brackets by how they finished in district, a higher
seed playing slower seed from another district. then play it out for
places first through fourth. those four teams move on to state. the
same is going on down south with Districts 3, 4 and 5 at a single sight.
When the final eight arrive in Albuquerque they cross bracket. Num-
ber 1 North would play No.4 South, No. 2 North would play No. 3 South,
No. 1 South would play No. 4 North and No. 2 South would play No. 3
North. the winners move on, the losers are done. So there it is, a state
playoff with no seeding, no selections - just playing through with a win
you move on with a loss you go home.
of course this is just a pipe dream. I understand the NMAA’s prof-
itability rests on the state tournament, but just imagine what north and
south regionals would add.
the real problem with our current system is no “eye test.” the selec-
tion committee rarely, if ever, sees teams play and if they do only within
probably a 50 -mile radius. one can’t expect the NMAA to travel the fifth
largest state to see every team.
So while I sit here disappointed, I do understand. But once again the
NMAA did not fail to disappoint me.
post Script: prep defeated No. 7 Estancia, the only lower seed to win
a road game in boy’s 3A. to pat our district on the back, tohatchi and
prep had the two closest tournament games with the eventual state
champion texico Wolverines while being seeded No. 15 and No.10.
������ �����������������
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Located at 111 N. BehrendFarmington, NM 87401
505-325-9600#OneCall Connects
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San Juan County’s Choice for Home Care!No Doctor’s Order required!
17Four Corners SportSAPRIL 2016
18 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016
Steve Bortstein
Sports fans will tell you that the size of your
city is relative to the amount of big-time sports
in that city.
Green Bay, Wisconsin, is a perfect example of
a small city (population-wise) that may boast
one of the most historically relevant teams in all
of sports.
The Duke Blue Devils are the most well-known
sports program in Durham, North Carolina, but
the Durham Bulls baseball team, a Triple-A minor
league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, immortal-
ized by the film “Bull Durham,” also call that city
home. The population of Durham makes up
barely 5 percent of the entire state.
Farmington, New Mexico, is a rarity.
A town without a major freeway, presenting
not one, but three, sporting facilities with nation-
ally recognized competition, puts the city in a
very envious spot for sports fans.
Ricketts Park annually hosts the Connie Mack
World Series, one of the most important and in-
fluential amateur baseball events in the country.
Aztec Speedway, with nationally sanctioned
dirt track racing, gets wide support from the
community as well as surrounding states.
But it is SunRay Park and Casino, preparing to
open its newest season of live quarter horse and
thoroughbred action next month, where history
has been made for nearly half a century.
It’s a good debate on a mid-afternoon as to
when precisely the first sanctioned racing was
held on the grounds of McGee Park, just a few
miles east of downtown Farmington.
Some go back to the days of the Mile High
small town big sports
SunRay shines bright light on racing in New Mexico
19Four Corners SPORTSAPRIL 2016
Mule Races in 1974, some recall the days of the
Four Corners Horseman’s Association meeting in
1972.
One thing is clear, however, with most horse-
men inside the Sports Arena Bar and Grill inside
the casino. Racing has seen its share of defining
moments at this small facility tucked away in
San Juan County, away from the hustle and bus-
tle of tracks in nearby Albuquerque or El Paso,
Texas.
Since 1999, when the track re-opened after a
seven-year hiatus – after racing formerly as San
Juan Downs – SunRay has been the home for
champions and nationally recognized achieve-
ments that very few tracks of its size can boast.
SunRay Park and Casino has been home for
nearly two decades to trainer Chip Woolley, who
saddled Mine That Bird to a shocking win in the
2009 Kentucky Derby.
The Mine That Bird story was later immortal-
ized in film with the movie “50 to 1,” chronicling
the tale of Woolley and the connections of the
storybook winner.
Justin Evans, the leading thoroughbred
trainer in the state of New Mexico for the past
five years, is annually recognized as one of the
winningest conditioners in the country, along-
side names like Todd Pletcher, Bob Baffert and
Steve Asmussen.
Peppers Pride owns one of the most presti-
gious records in all of racing, retiring unde-
feated after winning all of her 19 career starts.
She tied the previous record of 16 wins at Sun-
Ray Park in 2008, equaling the record at that
time held by Citation, Cigar and Mister Frisky.
These monumental achievements are the
product of hard work, discipline and determina-
tion, characteristics found at all racetracks, but
also defined at SunRay by the people and their
history.
“There’s a lot of tracks on larger circuits
where people just go to compete, they don’t feel
comfortable at those tracks,” explained SunRay’s
director of racing Lonnie Barber. “(Horsemen)
come here from all different parts of the country
and do well here.”
Trainer Wes Giles, who started his racing ca-
reer in Utah and Wyoming, came to SunRay in
2005. After several years of winning stakes races
locally, his barn has now become one of the top
in the state, as well in the country, achieving its
greatest moment in 2014 when he sent Too Flash
For You out for victory in the $1.9 million All
American Derby at Ruidoso Downs.
“When we (locally based connections) win
races like that, outside of SunRay, the people
here just go nuts,” recalled SunRay general man-
ager Brad Boehm. “Even when there are mo-
ments that aren’t ours, like a Triple Crown
winner, we provide those moments for fans and
horsemen.”
Some of the sport’s most notable jockeys in
history have also appeared at SunRay Park and
Casino, including G. R. Carter, considered by
many in the sport of quarter horse racing to be
the greatest in the game.
Some of the sport’s historically leading ridersChip Woolley
have called New Mexico home, including Breed-
ers’ Cup Classic winner Mike Smith and Ken-
tucky Derby winner pat Valenzuela.
“the quality of riders who have passed
through here at some point is legendary,” Bar-
ber said. “And that speaks not only to them,
but the horses they rode.”
And it is the strength and the quality of rac-
ing that Barber is most proud of in his time as
director of racing.
“We were struggling when I first arrived
here in 2005,” Barber said. “But once we got
things going, eventually we got good horses
and good purses, and that’s what I’m most
proud of.”
Barber’s work at Sunray has been not only
as an executive, but also comes from years on
the backstretch.
“I ran my first horse here in 1978,” Barber
said. “I’d come here with a number of longtime
horsemen between meetings at other tracks just
to get a few races in. I had some great horses
where we’d earn just a couple hundred dollars a
race. Now they’re getting $6,000 a race.”
Barber, who started in horse racing as a
jockey in match races as far back as the
1950s, is an embodiment of the sport’s his-
tory as much as its future.
“(Barber) brings an immense amount of
history to the table,” Boehm said. “I know
when I go to him on racing matters, he’s
going to give me the perspective not only of a
horseman, but also a businessman.”
Sunray park and Casino’s upcoming rac-
ing season, which will open in late April,
serves not only as a chance for locals to
enjoy professional sports, but also provides
hundreds of employment opportunities dur-
ing the near two-month campaign.
20 Four Corners SportS APRIL 2016
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21Four Corners SPORTSAPRIL 2016
“At least 100 jobs created during the season
just inside the casino,” Boehm said. “That does-
n’t even take into account all the grooms, the
horsemen and their impact on the local econ-
omy.”
With horsemen coming in from many re-
gions around the southwestern United States,
it is common for businesses to see increases
during the racing season, which will run
through June 20.
“We have horsemen coming in from Arizona,
Colorado and not only do they eat here, but
they impact the local businesses as well,”
Boehm said. “It definitely has a ripple effect.”
Like almost any business in a smaller com-
munity, job growth and disposable income
plays a part in the success of that business.
The recent wave of uncertainty in the local
economy has played a role in recent months at
SunRay. In addition to increased competition
from other casinos, SunRay also has had to
deal with the impact of rising unemployment
over the past year.
“Farmington is an oil and gas community, so
we naturally feel the impact here,” Boehm said.
“Everyone has felt the effects in the Four Cor-
ners.”
From both a historical standpoint and eco-
nomic impact, racing at SunRay Park has long
been a staple in the community, but they are
only one of five tracks in the Land of Enchant-
ment.
Ruidoso Downs races during the summer
with their annual season concluding on Labor
Day with the All American Futurity, the richest
race in the world for 2-year-old horses of any
breed.
Sunland Park, located just outside the state
border in El Paso, Texas, runs the longest of
any track in the state, with their current sea-
son having been allotted 72 dates.
Zia Park in Hobbs – the newest of all the
racetracks in the state – races primarily dur-
ing the fall season, with The Downs at Albu-
querque hosting two separate seasons during
the summer months.
Over the years, racing in New Mexico has
also been held at Raton and Santa Fe.
And like SunRay, they’ve all shared their
place in history.
Real Quiet, winner of the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes in 1998, ran as a 2-year-
old the year prior in the Indian Nations Futurity
Cup at Santa Fe Downs.
The first known racing in the state took
place at Raton, several years before Ruidoso
opened its doors.
Through both the best and worst of eco-
nomic times, racing has played a large eco-
nomic role in New Mexico.
22 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016
SANTA FE – All boats soon will be subject to inspection and possible
decontamination before launching in New Mexico waters under new
rules adopted to combat the spread of harmful aquatic invasive
species.
The new rules, approved by the State Game Commission took effect
Feb. 12.
Changes to the AIS rules include:
Mandatory watercraft inspection required any time an inspection
station is set up and in operation.
Mandatory inspection and, if necessary, decontamination of all out-
of-state registered watercraft or watercraft re-entering the state of
New Mexico.
Fourteen-day advance notification of intent to transport watercraft
26 feet long or longer into New Mexico.
All boaters are required to “pull the plug” and drain watercraft
when transporting in New Mexico.
Implementation of a voluntary watercraft seal program to expedite
boater access to a waterbody with limited need for inspection.
The amended rules were sought to help combat the spread of highly
destructive aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, quagga
mussels and other aquatic invasive species.
New Mexico is one of only six western states that remain free of the
invasive mussels, but is surrounded by neighboring states where the
mussels are established.
Invasive mussels attach to structures and grow quickly, clogging
inlet pipes and other equipment.
The most effective deterrent to their spread is to clean, drain and
dry watercraft after each use.
For more information about the rule changes, watercraft inspection
station locations and other news about aquatic invasive species, visit
www.wildlife.state.nm.us/ais or www.facebook.com/aquaticaliens; or
contact the department’s aquatic invasive species coordina-
BOATING RULE CHANGESNew rules approved to combat aquatic invasive species
According to The Jockey Club, the official
breed registry of thoroughbred racing in the
United States, there were more 1,400 thor-
oughbred races held in New Mexico in 2015
with total purse moneys for horsemen ap-
proaching $29 million.
As lofty as those numbers are, they are ac-
tually short of the best year for the sport in the
state, in 2008, when total purse moneys in
thoroughbred racing topped $31.8 million.
How much has racing grown in the state in
recent years?
In 1995, the first year of The Jockey Club’s
study on the state of the business in New Mex-
ico, the total purse money available for thor-
oughbreds was just over $6.6 million.
A far cry still from the 1970s when racing
started in the Four Corners.
SunRay Park and Casino is a far different
racetrack today than it was during the old Mile
High Mule Races, but in many ways the sport is
exactly the same.
Wins and losses are felt by not just horse-
men, but bettors alike. The thrills of winning
and the agonies of defeat come in many differ-
ent ways.
And as one of only a handful of professional
sports in the state, racing has come a long
way.
SunRay continued from 21
23Four Corners SPORTSAPRIL 2016
Navajo Lake:
Fishing was fair using grubs
and perch and rainbow colored
soft swim baits for northern
pike. Fishing was slow to fair
using roe sacs for rainbow
trout. We had no reports on
other species.
San Juan River:
Water flow below Navajo
Lake on Monday morning was
418 cfs with a visibility of about
two feet. Trout fishing through
the Quality Waters was good
using chamois
leeches,
cream egg
patterns,
BWOs and
small
midges.
Fishing
through the bait waters was
good using worms, salmon
eggs, jerk baits, flashback
pheasant tails, egg patterns
and chamois leeches for trout.
Farmington Lake :
Fishing was good using
PowerBait, salmon eggs, home-
made dough bait and Pistol
Petes for trout. Nonmotorized
watercraft are now allowed on
Farmington Lake . Fees are $50
for the season or $5 daily.
Jackson Lake:
Fishing was slow to fair
using PowerBait for trout.
Jemez Waters:
Stream flow on the Jemez
River near Jemez Springs on
Monday morning was 114 cfs.
Fishing was slow. Fishing on the
Cebolla was good using worms
and small bead-head nymphs.
We had no reports on other
streams in the area.
Area Fishing reports
from New Mexico Fish and Game
San Juan River
Farmingto. nLake
Navajo Lake
24 Four Corners SpORTS APRIL 2016
The New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame has
announced its class of eight members for
2015. One of the eight members has a special
place in the hearts of many residents of
Farmington.
On April 3, 2016, Coach Marvin Sanders will
be inducted into the hallowed Hall of Fame
based on his 44 successful years as a basket-
ball coach and as a two-time all-conference
player for Western New Mexico back in the
late 1950s.
Coach Sanders had an unbelievable career
as the head coach for the boys basketball
teams of Hatch, Silver, Lovington and Farming-
ton, as well as one season as the girls coach
at Capital. Sanders amassed the third highest
win total for any coach in the state of New
Mexico by winning 743 games, winning close
to 70 percent of his games all time.
He won his first New Mexico state champi-
onship while at Hatch in 1964 and another
with Silver in 1975. In 1980, his decision to
take the job at Farmington High School
changed the lives of many in our community.
Sanders won 427 games while the head
coach of the Scorpions. From 1980 until he re-
tired in 2004, Sanders’ boys basketball teams
won two Class AAAA State Championships
(1982 and 1986), finished second to Kirtland
Central in 2003, and won nine district champi-
onships, and Sanders was named coach of
the year in 1982 and 1986.
“Coach Sanders was everything you would
expect out of an HOF Coach,” explained former
Farmington High School Baseball Coach and
Athletic Director, Don Lorett. “Coach Sanders
was a scholar of the game strategically which
he demonstrated as a mastermind of the X’s
and O’s. He knew how to put together an out-
standing staff and utilized all of the staff’s
strengths to maximize the athletes’ abilities.
Coach Sanders brought a level of intensity to
Scorpion Basketball that fans loved, and
which they showed by packing the gym every
time they played a game.”
Ron Dalley played for Farmington High
School in the early 1990s and credits Coach
Sanders for making him a better basketball
player and a better man.
“While I was a player in high school he
(Sanders) taught me the importance of work-
ing hard as an individual, getting in shape
physically, and mental toughness,” said Dal-
ley. “He taught me that all the individual hard
work was important, but the team was the ul-
timate goal. I never felt any one person on the
team was more important than the other and
I learned that the team’s success was more
important than my own.”
More important than any wins or champi-
onships, Sanders impacted the young men on
his teams as a positive role model and
molder of wonderful citizens in our commu-
nity.
“Coach Sanders instilled a level of expecta-
tions in his players that challenged them to
become more than what you would imagine
possible,” said Lorett. “He was an outstanding
role model for young men and always
stressed to his players to be champions in
the classroom as well as on the floor.”
Dalley seemed to reiterate all that Lorett
had to say about Coach Sanders and his pas-
sion to make his players better men.
“He had principles, and that has stuck with
me my entire life,” reflected Dalley. “I always
felt like he cared about his players, was inter-
ested in them and what they were doing, and
he tried to be in tune with things in their
lives, whether it was family issues or at
school. Marv always taught us that we repre-
sented our families, our school and our-
selves, and that we better carry ourselves in
a way that would represent them well.”
NM SPORTS HALL OF FAME Marvin Sanders leads list of 2015 inductees
25Four Corners SPORtSAPRIL 2016
Also, Sanders is credited by many local
basketball coaches as a mentor and as the
source of a wealth of knowledge. His legacy
and impact at Farmington High School will
live on for a long time.
“Coach Sanders was a true professional
coach – which developed out of a great re-
spect for amateur athletics,” Lorett contin-
ued. “Coach Sanders dedicated himself to
mentoring young players and coaches in the
game of basketball and helped raise the qual-
ity of the game in New Mexico state-wide.”
Sanders calls Ruidoso home now. He has
the Marv Sanders Invitational named for him
as a winter tournament hosted every year by
Farmington High School.
CARLA GARRett
One of the most distinguished athletes hail-
ing from the state, this 1984 Santa Fe High
graduate – who was an All-American in bas-
ketball and an All-State selection in soccer —
went on to become a 10-time All-American in
track & field at the University of Arizona, and
was the 1989 NCAA national champion during
the indoor season (shot put) and outdoor
season (shot put and discus). She was a
member of the 1991 and ’93 USA team that
competed at the World track & Field champi-
onships those years, and a member of the
USA’s 1992 Olympic team in Barcelona. She
also is a two-time silver-medalist in the World
Weightlifting Championships and the USA
weightlifting champion from 1991-94, in-
ducted into the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame
in 2012 and a 1996 inductee of the University
of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. today, Garrett
is the strength coach at the University of New
Mexico.
RAy BIRMINGHAM
Head coach of the University of New Mexico
baseball team for the last seven seasons,
Coach Birmingham has, including his 18 sea-
sons as the head coach at New Mexico Junior
College in his native Hobbs, where he’d also
coached the College of the Southwest dia-
mond team in 1988-89, been a part of 20
championships; that impressive stat includes
a national title won with the NMJC thunder-
birds in 2005 in Grand Junction, Colo. Prior to
his days at NMJC, he was the head coach at
Mayfield High, where he led the trojans to the
AAAA title in 1981. this won’t be his first Hall
of Fame honor: In 2011, he was named to the
National Junior College Athletic Association
Hall of Fame. Ray has led the Lobos to four
straight NCAA regional appearances and
back-to-back Mountain West championships
(2014, 2015). More than 150 of his former
players have reached the pro ranks, including
2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels
reliever Brendan Donnelly and Seattle
Mariners first-round pick D.J. Peterson
SAM LACey
Lacey becomes the first New Mexico State
University basketball player to be inducted
into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame. A 6-
10 center, Lacey played in 1,002 NBA games —
more than any UNM or NMSU player who
played in the NBA. Drafted in the first round
(fifth overall) of the 1970 NBA Draft by the
Cincinnati Royals, he played 13 seasons
(1970–83) in the NBA for the Royals, Kansas
City Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland
Cavaliers. He is one of only five NBA players
(along with Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius erving,
David Robinson and Ben Wallace) to have reg-
istered 100 blocks and 100 steals in six con-
secutive seasons. His No. 44 jersey was
retired by the Sacramento Kings. When Lacey
retired in 1983, he had accumulated 9,687 re-
bounds and 10,303 points. At NMSU, the Ag-
gies were 74–14 during his three seasons
there. In the 1969-1970 post-season, he and
star guard Jimmy Collins led the Aggies to
their first and only Final Four appearance.
Lacey died March 14, 2014.
LUC LONGLey
One of the most-popular Lobos while play-
ing from 1987-1991 for Dave Bliss, the big guy
averaged 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.6 as-
sists in his senior season, which was high-
lighted by being a first-round draft pick of the
Minnesota timberwolves in 1991. Luc also
played for the Chicago Bulls, where he was a
part of 3 straight NBA titles (1996-1998). At
the age of 19, he played for the Australian na-
tional team in the 1996 Olympics in Seoul,
South Korea, and represented Australia again
in Barcelona in 1992. IN 2006, Luc was in-
ducted into Basketball Australia’s Hall of
Fame in Melbourne. Obviously proud of his
Aussie heritage, he was the first Australian to
play in the NBA, the first to win an NBA title
and has played more NBA games than any
Australian who followed him. All told, Luc
played in 567 NBA games, scored 4,090 points,
grabbed 2,794 rebounds and blocked 549
shots.
eRIC ROANHAUS
Nobody has won more high school football
games than eric Roanhaus, who has (328
+this year) wins in his 38(1978-2015) seasons
as the Clovis Wildcats’ head coach. His teams
have won 10 state championships and been
state runners-up eight times. Coach Roan-
haus was inducted into the New Mexico High
School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1996 and he
went into the National High School Coaches
Hall of Fame in 2002. Before arriving in Clovis,
eric has served as a grad assistant at West
texas A&M and an assistant coach for several
sports at Canyon High in Amarillo; he came to
Clovis as a football assistant in 1973, under
head coach Dunny Goode and became Goode’s
* Hall of Fame 34
26 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016
Former PV coach David Null
dies in HoustonThe coaching fraternity lost another mem-
ber last month. David Null, who was as assis-
tant football and baseball coach at Piedra
Vista passed away suddenly in Houston.
Null left Piedra Vista for a head baseball
coaching position at Jack C Hays High School
in Buda, Texas, where he was the Central
Texas Coach of the Year in 2013. David Null
was not only a val-ued member of the coach-
ing fraternity, he was an extremely good
teacher teaching AP Chemis-try and Physics.
He had a bachelors of science degree from
Texas A&M University in petroleum engineer-
ing. He taught a variety of honors courses
across Texas; including Honors Chemistry at
Rice University.
First annual Spring Frisbee
Golf Tournament
San Juan College HHPC is hosting the 27-
hole tournament from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on
April 2 at the HHPX center 4601 College Blvd.
Come out for this 27-Hole Frisbee Golf
Tournament.
Late registration 8
a.m., tee off at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start.
Pre-registration costa $15. Late registra-
tion costs $20. For more information call 505-
566-3819.
Games to Watch …It’s all about tournaments in the early sea-
son but district is not far away. Here’s what
to look for at the beginning of the spring sea-
son.
Baseball
Traditionally only two local baseball games
matter in the county - Farmington vs Piedra
Vista
April 19 Piedra Vista at Farmington
April 30 Farmington at Piedra Vista
Softball
Every District game matters in 5A. District
play begins on April 8 but here’s two to
watch
April 8 – Aztec at Piedra Vista Double-
header
April 22 – Piedra Vista at Farmington Dou-
bleheader
Track
The best local talent compete against each
other on a weekly basis in San Juan County.
These two track meets are the best of the
best locally
April 22 & 23 – Aztec Invitational
April 30 – 58th Annual Bloomfield Invita-
tional
Tennis
The Scorpions are always the team to
beat, but PV is making strides
April 19 – Piedra Vista at Farmington
Golf
Spring season is never easy with the likeli-
hood of the gentle Four Corner spring
breezes, but for those that have already qual-
ified they can look forward to state right
here at Pinon Hills on May 9 & 10
Cheer & Dance
The second biggest spectator event in the
state takes place on April 1 and 2 as the
state cheer and dance championships take
place at The Pit
Catching Up with the County
ALBUQUErQUE – the New Mexico Activities Association is excited to an-
nounce the recipients of the 2015-2016 NMAA Foundation Scholarships.
the NMAA Foundation will recognize the 16 students receiving these
scholarships during the U.S. Bank State Basketball Championships
which were held March 8-12.
over 250 students applied for the scholarships, with eight receiving
$1,000, six receiving $1,500, and two receiving $2,500. there were seven
different scholarship categories for which students
could submit applications.
the following list details those students who
were selected:
Extraordinary participation Scholarship,
presented by the NMAA Foundation ($2,500 each)
*given to students excelling in athletics, activities, and academics
1. Leanne Calhoon, Estancia
2. Adrianna Sanders, Aztec
“Compete with Class” Scholarships,
presented by the NM National Guard ($1,500 each)
*given to students that exemplify the ideals of sportsmanship & the
Compete with Class initiative
1. Estevan Atencio, Escalante
2. Amanda Schmidt, portales
3. Andre Gomez, Hobbs
4. Kaitlyn romero, Española Valley
Mario Martinez Memorial Scholarship ($1,500 each)
*given to students excelling in athletics and academics within Class A-
3A schools
1. Kyle Idtensohn, Fort Sumner
2. Autumn McMath, Fort Sumner
Dan and Lucille Wood/Gray Gladiator Athletic Scholarship
($1,000 each)
*given to students excelling in athletics and academics
1. raimi Clark, Farmington
2. taylor Bostwick, Melrose
Activities Scholarship ($1,000 each)
*given to students excelling in activities and academics
1. Matthew Bedeaux, East Mountain
2. Morgan Weber, Silver
El richards/Francis Walsh Spirit Scholarship,
presented by Varsity Spirit ($1,000 each)
*given to students excelling in spirit (cheer/dance) and academics
1. Caitlyn McDowell, La Cueva
2. Alyssa Aragon, raton
Swimming & Diving Scholarship,
presented by Streamline Swimstore ($1,000 each)
*given to students excelling in swimming and/or diving and academ-
ics
1. Isabelle runde, Los Alamos
2. Case Schaap, Clovis
the New Mexico Activities Association Foundation was established in
2007 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that
awards scholarships to participants of 13 inter-
scholastic sports and 23 school activities. the pri-
mary mission of the organization is to raise funds
for these endeavors. the Foundation is made up of a Board of Directors
that meets annually. Since its inception, the NMAA Foundation has dis-
tributed over $225,000 in student scholarships.
For additional information pertaining to this announcement, please
contact Dusty Young, NMAA Associate Director at (505) 977-5385 or
27Four Corners SportSAPRIL 2016
NMAA foundation awards $22,000
in student scholarships
28 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016
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The 10th Annual Ty Way-
born Memorial Rodeo will
be from 7 to 9 p.m. on Fri-
day April 1 and Saturday
April 2 at McGee Park Me-
morial Coliseum.
Admission is $10 adult
and 6 and under free
Ty Waybourn was a high
school rodeo competitor
who loved the sport.
Ty was killed at the age
of 16 by a drunk driver on
November 6, 2003. His fa-
ther and siblings bring
this rodeo to San Juan
County each spring in his
memory and to raise awareness in the community about the dangers of
drinking and driving.
Events for the Ty Way-
bourn Rodeo are Bareback,
Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding,
Tie Down Roping, Steer
Wrestling, Ladies Break-
away, Ladies Barrel racing,
Team Roping, and Ribbon
Roping.
For local entries please
call: 505.330.2460 you must
be entered by 5 p.m. on
March 26.
If you want your points to
count towards awards you
have to enter through CES
from 6 to 9 p.m. on March. 28
Net proceeds from this non-profit rodeo go toward scholarships for
local High School rodeo athletes.
TY WAYBORN MEMORIAL RODEO10th annual event is April 1 and 2 at McGee Park
Tom Yost
In September of 2015, the NFL announced an initiative to help cele-
brate the 50th year of the Super Bowl. the Super Bowl High School
Honor Roll was created to help celebrate the high schools of past
Super Bowl players from the prior 50 years of the games.
For each player who played in a Super Bowl, a golden football was
made by Wilson Football Factory and was presented to the high
school where they played. Farmington High School received that foot-
ball and a visit from their football legend, Ralph Neely, in February.
Neely, a 1961 graduate of Farmington High School, was a two-time
all state tackle in New Mexico and earned a scholarship to play foot-
ball at the University of oklahoma. As a member of the Sooner foot-
ball team, Neely earned honors as a two-time All Big 8 Conference
and two-time All- American player.
Neely was drafted by two teams in 1964 – the Baltimore Colts of
the NFL and the Houston oilers of the AFL – but was traded to the Dal-
las Cowboys
where he started
his illustrious ca-
reer in 1965. As an
NFL offensive line-
man (right tackle),
Neely was selected
to the All Rookie
team and then
earned All-pro
honors for four
consecutive years.
Neely made the
pro Bowl twice,
and was a member of two Dallas Cowboy Super Bowl Champion
teams. He retired in 1977 after the Cowboys defeated the Broncos in
Super Bowl XII, concluding an extremely successful 13 year NFL ca-
reer.
Neely was inducted into the New Mexico Hall of Fame in 2014.
In addition to the Wilson Golden Football, Farmington High School
also received a $5,000 grant which will go to the Scorpion Football
program and for a character curriculum to be introduced into the
school.
29Four Corners SpoRtSAPRIL 2016
THE GOLDENFOOTBALL
Farmington High football legend
Ralph Neely returns for celebration
30 Four Corners SPORTS APRIL 2016
Shooting enthusiasts will have the oppor-
tunity to compete for prizes and trophies at
the Third Annual San Juan County Sheriff’s 3-
Gun Charity Challenge match, set for April 29
through May 1 at the San Juan Wildlife Feder-
ation range, 5652 U.S. Highway 64.
The schedule is:
April 29, 3 to 7:30 p.m.: Registration
April 29, 3 p.m: Course open for walk-thru
April 30, 7:30 a.m.: Opening Ceremony and
Mandatory Safety Meeting at the Range
May 1, 7:30 a.m. Team Stage Begins
Categories include law enforcement, posse
(civilians), match staff, females, juniors
(under 18 years of age), seniors (over 55 and
less than 65 years old), Super Seniors (those
over 65) and military (active duty or retired).
The other individual stages may use one or
more of the tactical firearms available to the
competitor. The final stage is a team stage
where a four-man team engages a variety of
targets ranging from 10 to 100 meters.
Teams are predetermined at or before enter-
ing the match. Businesses that are interested
may sponsor a team or a stage.
The event is
limited to 100
competitors and
is open to public
spectators. Nine
stages (8 individ-
ual stages and 1
team stage) – in-
cluding scenar-
ios, engagement
of various styles
and types of tar-
gets, nine individ-
ual stages and one team stage will be
offered.
The stages are scored using a combination
of target hit scores, penalties and time taken.
The top three teams and top five individuals
in each of the categories will receive prizes
and trophies.
The match fee is $125 if participants regis-
ter before April 15 and $150 after that date.
The U.S. Practical Shooting Asso-
ciation’s 3-gun rules will apply.
For more information contact
3-Gun Coordinator Steve White at
505.320.3048 or visit www.sjcso-
foundation.com/3GUN/Registra-
tion and a walkthrough of the
course will begin at 7 a.m. with a
mandatory safety meeting at 7:30
a.m.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s
Office Foundation is sponsoring
the event and proceeds will benefit the San
Juan County Sheriff’s Office Volunteers In
Partnership Program and the San Juan
Wildlife Federation.
The New Mexico Activities Association has announced that the Lov-
ing High School volleyball team has been recognized as the Compete
with Class award recipient for the month of January 2016.
Jal’s head coach for girls’ basketball and softball, Jimmy
Samaniego, nominated the Falcons.
“I wanted to share with the NMAA what the Loving vol-
leyball team did at our home game in late January. They
presented my wife with a check for $1,000 for breast
cancer awareness. My wife was diagnosed with Stage 3
cancer in October and has been undergoing treatment,”
Samaniego said in the nomination to the NMAA .
He continued by saying, “It was a very special act of
kindness. It was wonderful to see opposing teams come together for
a great cause. We are so thankful for their generous contribution.”
Sportsmanship is defined by the NMAA as the act of treating others
in a respectful manner, taking personal accountability for ones ac-
tions, and responding with integrity while engaged in competition.
The NMAA would like to thank and recognize the Loving High School
volleyball team for setting a great example for the state of New Mex-
ico.
Their act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true
ideals of the Compete with Class Sportsmanship Ini-
tiative - respect, integrity, and responsibility. More
information regarding the “Compete with Class”
sportsmanship initiative can be found on the NMAA
website at www.nmact.org.
Note that the NMAA will announce a monthly honoree throughout
the remainder of the 2015-2016 school year. Questions regarding this
announcement can be directed to Dusty Young, NMAA Associate Direc-
tor, at 505.977.5385.
3-GUN COMPETITIONCharity challenge will benefit San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Foundation
Compete With ClassLoving High School volleyball team is NMAA January honors
31Four Corners SPORTSAPRIL 2016
On March 1 Farmington Mayor Tommy
Roberts decreed March as Boys & Girls Club
Month. Mayor Roberts and Executive Director
Maria Rodman kicked off the festivities
What started as a boxing club for boys in the
1950s is now a multi-program, diverse organiza-
tion that serves more than 2,000 young people
in the Farmington area.
Founded in 1960, the Boys and Girls Club cele-
brated its 50th anniversary in September of
2010.
At the kickoff festivities Farmington and
Piedra Vista High School cheer teams provided
entertainment for the event.
The Club had more than 650 participants in
its basketball programs and is gearing up for
flag football and volleyball.
This spring the Club is offering flag football
for kindergartners through eighth-grade and
volleyball for fourth graders through eleventh
graders. The Club will also be offering offsea-
son tournaments in basketball and volleyball
and is looking into an indoor soccer league in
the winter and low rim leagues for six foot and
under players looking for the NBA feel of dunk-
ing in a game.
The Club will remain open to all and will con-
tinue to develop programs that will grow to fit
the needs of our community.
Registration for the Club’s Summer Program
begins on April 1st.
FARMINGTON MAYOR NAMES MARCHBoys and Girls Club Month
32 Four Corners SportS APRIL 2016
nn knows how tough it can be to
live paycheck to paycheck, and she un-
derstands why champagne or beer or
soda or energy drinks are tossed about
after a driver wins a race.
the driver and pit crew prob’ly have
straws and suck up whatever beverage is
laying on the ground after everyone has
sprayed everyone else and the television
cameras are gone.
nn, herownself, has been known to have
straws in her not-quite-designer-bag-from-a-
questionable “retailer,” in case someone
spills wine or she “helps” someone spill
wine, so the server person has to move them
to another table while “someone” cleans up
the wine. nn is pretty quick with her straw
and can suck up said wine in a nano-second
when needed. Just sayin. . . .
So, when nn found out on dickipedia what
some of those naSCar drivers make in a
year, she was ready to set up a gofundme ac-
count on their behalf. nn, of course, would
“manage” said account and forward all mon-
eys to the drivers after collecting her admin-
istrative fee. nn is nothing if not a shrew(d)
businesswoman, just so’s ya know.
For instance, ryan newman, one of nn’s
fav’s for years, only made $40 mil last year.
nn doesn’t know how he manages to put food
on the table and daycare for his daughter
with that kind of money. ole rocket Man
should put that “vehicle structure engi-
neering” degree to good use when he re-
tires from naSCar so’s he can make some
real money. nn is putting the newman family
on her Christmas card list and will include a
gift card to taco Bell. nn is nothing if not
considerate.
Kyle Busch, who won the naSCar champi-
onship last season, has a beautiful wife and
a sweet young son and he only brings home
$50 mil a year. no wonder Kyle has to beg for
free tickets to Denver Bronco games – he
can’t afford the hot dogs and beer, let alone
good seats.
and while he prob’ly gets all the M&Ms his
family can eat, you can’t raise a cute young
son or keep a wife beautiful on just choco-
late. and he’s lucky he has to work out, or
eating all those M&Ms could prevent him
from getting through those little windows on
the racecar.
tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick each made
DOLLARS AND SENSE!naSCar nellie isn’t sure how those naSCar drivers get by
ryanNEWMAN tonySTEWART
$70 million bucks last year. that’s not so bad
for tony on accounta he doesn’t have a fam-
ily to feed and care for, but Happy Harvick
has one ‘nother of those beautiful NASCAr
wives, who pro’bly spend as much on
makeup and hair as NN does on wine and
hooker heels. just sayin. . . .
Anyway, Kev prob’ly has a second job to
help make ends meet. NN just hopes he asks
to be paid in unmarked bills like she does, so
the Feds don’t come calling and collecting
what they deem is “theirs” and threaten to
throw your butt in jail if you don’t pay up, and
you have to change your name and move to
another street in Vegas so they can’t find
you. that helped NN once or twice, before the
Feds and the FBi, CiA and Circus Clowns
“gifted” her with an ankle bracelet that tells
them where she is all the time.
NN makes sure she has that bracelet on
when she’s trying on bikinis, on accounta
when they see that video, they don’t bother
her again for weeks at a time. NN heard
through the discount grapevine that when a
coupla of the “agents” assigned to monitor
her bracelet saw her trying on bikinis, they
ran screaming from the “office” where they
are “housed” and were never heard from
again. Whatever.
jimmie johnson made $120 mil and jeff
Gordon made $150 mil last year. that paltry
$150 mil is prob’ly why jeff decided to go into
broadcasting, where the real money is. they
provide the “guys in the booth” with snacks
and clothes and drinks and lotto tickets,
which puts them in a totally different tax
bracket than jeff was.
NN guesses jj gets Lowes gift cards for
special occasions, which is helpful, NN
thinks, when the fam needs a new toilet or
kitchen sink or a carport for his race car.
Dale earnhardt junior is listed as one of
sports richest with an annual income last
year of about $300 mil. NN believes junior is
totally deserving of that kind of money and
prob’ly a lot more than that. in addition to
being the sports most popular driver for like
a gazillion years in a row, junior has a few
‘nother hobbies – his little bar, Whisky river,
has a little spot in the Charlotte-Douglas in-
ternational Airport and was given a little tro-
phy and a plaque stating it is the Best Airport
Bar in America.
NN, herownself, thinks it is sweet of who-
ever voted for Whisky river, on accounta they
prob’ly think, like NN does, that junior should
have all the trophies and plaques and dollars
he can get. it will not surprise anyone who is
a member of junior Nation that Whisky river
won by an online vote. Lest any of you naysay-
ers think that Wr won just on accounta it is
owned by junior, NN will tell you dif’rent.
Wr’s menu includes the Carolina Q Burger,
chipotle queso and junior’s “signature bar-
becue sauce.”
that’s enough to get NN in the baggage
compartment or overhead compartment of
any airplane that’s heading to Charlotte-Dou-
glas and apply for a job at what is now the
most popular bar in the world. And NN is al-
lergic to work and even applying for a job
makes her break out in huge red spots and
sweat like a pig on a roasting thingey.
one ‘nother thing NN learned on Dicki –
junior always wanted a tree house, so he
had one built. isn’t that just the coolest
thing? ‘Cept junior’s tree house, which is on
his Dirty mo Acres, was built by an engineer-
ing company (junior shoulda thought about
hiring ryan Newman to build it and kept the
money in the family). He and his engineer
friends picked out a coupla trees and made
plans to fit the trees.
junior did his part, by cutting the “struc-
tural steel” and “tackwelded” ‘em together
for his little home-away-from-home, which
sits about 20 feet off the ground and has a
front porch.
junior’s tree house that has a staircase,
that needed “sliders” to keep it from swaying
in the wind. NN thinks junior prob’ly played
with Lincoln Logs and maybe Legos when he
was a little boy. if junior were a builder, he’d
be the builder’s most popular builder. just
sayin. . .
Kevin Harvick and his lovely wife DeLana,
bought a little management company to help
with their household finances. the company
manages miesha tate, who is an Ultimate
Fighting Championship fighter, who fought
New mexico’s Holly Holm in the women’s Ban-
tam o-weight division in Vegas a coupla
weeks ago. the Harvicks gifted junior and
his bride-to-be Amy free tickets, which gave
junior and Amy a little something to do when
NASCAr was in Vegas recently. that’s what
friends are for, donchathink?
NN thinks NASCAr needs to create a “go-
fund’em” account for drivers who make less
than $200 mil a year, so fans can donate to
them, in addition to buying tickets to NASCAr
races for hundreds of dollars.
or add a “driver fee” to ticket prices –
fans would understand and would gladly pay
it.
Well, not all fans. But junior Nation would.
junior Nation would have a bake sale, yard
sales and sell Frito pies at races if they
thought junior, the sports most popular
driver, needed the money. For reals.
33Four Corners SportSAPRIL 2016
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successor when Goode took the head job at Eastern New Mexico Uni-
versity. In 1985, he was named the National High School Coach of the
Year by the National Sports Service in Phoenix. A member of the New
Mexico Officials Association for 17 years, Eric often wears stripes and
serves as a high school basketball official in the winter.
HENrY TAfOYA
Born and raised in Albuquerque, “Henry T” was a three-sport ath-
lete and Sandia High School, where he was a quarterback and defen-
sive back for the Matadors, as well as an All-City baseball player and
the Matadors’ point guard on the hardwood. Around the Land of En-
chantment, though, Henry T is best known as a radio and television
broadcaster and once the voice of the Lobos at KOB-TV from 1977-98.
In 1990, he co-founded Albuquerque’s first all-sports radio station
(KDEf-AM) and hosted a daily call-in show, as well as doing broad-
casting of youth and high school games on the radio for over 37
years. He is a former winner of the New Mexico “Sportscaster of the
Year” award and a two-time winner of the Play-by-Play award from
the New Mexico’s Broadcasters Association. On Saturdays from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m. he hosts “Henry T Time” on ESPN radio, continuing his
legacy and “legend” status behind the mic.
fLO VALDEz
This roswell High School graduate has led her volleyball teams to
985 match victories through 42 seasons – 367 matches won at
roswell High School and 618 matches won at El Paso franklin High
School – setting the standard for volleyball success in the Southwest.
Strangely, Valdez never actually played volleyball. But in order to
coach her favorite sport, club basketball – well before Title IX and
when teachers coached multiple sports — she had to agree to coach
volleyball in 1974. She was the first women inducted to the New Mex-
ico Coaches Hall of Honor, the founder of the North/South volleyball
all-star matches, and a three-time roswell High School championship
team coach. She was the New Mexico High School Coaches Associa-
tion Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1993. Valdez also has
coached track & field, and gymnastics, in addition to basketball and
volleyball. Valdez was inducted into the El Paso Athletic Coaches Hall
of fame in 2010.
Hall of Fame continued from 25