Four Corners Sports October 2013

3Four Corners SPORTSOctober 2013

content| 6 | SIDELINESPECIALISTSWhen the audience’s eyes are focused

on the athletes on the field, many do

not realize the individuals on the side

lines who aid the injured athletes and

lend a helping hand when needed.

| 10 |

THE FANTASYGRIDIRONIt is estimated that somewhere between

15 and 20 million people play fantasy foot-

ball in millions of individual leagues. How

popular has fantasy football become?

During the preseason on nfl.com there is

some type of mock draft for practicing

draft strategies going on every minute.

| 12 |

FOUR CORNERSINVITATIONALThe Four Corners Invitational 2013 for

Special Olympics New Mexico wrapped

up on Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The events for

the three-day event included golf, swim-

ming, softball and – for the first time –

flag football.

| 15 |

MIDDLE SCHOOLCROSS COUNTRYTEAMEach day at 7 a.m. there are 16 dedicated

students who arrive at Mesa View Middle

School to run.

| 16 | On fireThe Aztec High School girls’ soccer

team has had a strong season so far,

with a 10-0 record.

| 22 | Catching upwith AlanaAlana Nichols is a world-class athlete,

but to many people in the community

she was the girl next door who

attended Farmington High School and

had aspirations to play softball in

college.

| 18 | InternationallyknownDURANGO, Colo. – One of the preemi-

nent golf club head designers in the

world lives and works in Durango.

| 32 | Desert Bighorn SheepThe Desert Bighorn Sheep is one of the

most coveted hunting tags in the United

States. Glen Fuller, local resident and

owner of East Main Trading Company, is

getting to fulfill his dream of hunting this

species in southwestern New Mexico.

| 26 | Newsoccer coachesFarmington and Piedra Vista High

Schools have new boys’ soccer coaches

and both were soccer stars while

attending area high schools from 2003

to 2009.

| 34 | Fishing Report

4 Four Corners SPORTS October 2013

Don Vaughan

PuBlISHER

Cindy Cowan Thiele

EDITOR

lauren Duff

Debra Mayeux

Margaret Cheasebro

Rick Hoerner

Tom Yost

CONTRIBuTING WRITERS

Josh Bishop

CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Suzanne Thurman

Jennifer Hargrove

Michael Billie

DESIGNERS

DeYan Valdez

Shelly Acosta

Aimee Velasquez

SAlES STAFF

For advertising information

Call 505.516.1230

www.fourcornerssports.com

Four Corners Sports magazine is published once amonth 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 orommissions. © 2013 Four Corners Sports magazine.

Majestic Media

100 W. Apache Street

Farmington, NM 87401

505-516-1230

www.majesticmediausa.com

I spent a lot of time playing soft-

ball in high school and college.

There’s just nothing like the

sense of community and together-

ness that comes from sharing a

common victory. That shared sports

experience brings together people,

who otherwise would never have

even spoken to one other, to work

toward a common goal.

Even if you haven’t played a sport,

we all like to root for the underdog.

I always cringe a little when I sit

down to watch a sports movie but

by the end I get so wrapped up in

the storyline I end up loving it.

Our country has always cheered

for the underdog, partly because of

how our nation was born, and also

because everyone aspires to their

own personal heroism.

This issue has a number of in-

spiring stories and athletes, from

Alana Nichols who embodies deter-

mination and strength, to the Aztec

High School girls’ soccer team who

continues to show us what team-

work means. Also, we can’t forget

all those Special Olympians who

came to Farmington and are inspi-

rations to us all.

As the fall prep sports season

continues to unfold, we will have a

lot more inspiring stories to tell

about coaches, athletes and play-

ers.

With the devotion and determina-

tion our schools put fourth for our

kids there will never be a shortage

of great sports stories to tell.

FROM THE

CINDY COWAN-THIELE

EDITOR

covercreditPhotography by Josh Bishop

We love to cheer for the underdog

STORY IDEAS

and PHOTOS

We’ve got more photos

than we can use.

Check out the photo gallery

for each issue at

www.fourcornerssports.com

Please send to

[email protected]

5Four Corners SportSOctober 2013

6 Four Corners SporTS October 2013

athletic trainers

have hectic,

multifaceted jobs

Sidelinespec ia

When the audience’s

eyes are focused on

the athletes on the

field, many do not rec-

ognize the individuals

on the side lines who

aid the injured ath-

letes and lend a help-

ing hand when needed.

These individuals are

athletic trainers, a job

that has many facets.

They provide immedi-

by lauren duff

photography by Josh Bishop

MelyndaBRENTONFarmington High School

7Four Corners SPortSOctober 2013

l i sts ate care to student

athletes who injure

themselves, help ath-

letes go through the

rehabilitation process,

and answer nutrition

questions.

“Athletic trainers do a

little bit of everything.

We can handle nutri-

tion questions up to

taking care of a bro-

ken neck or blisters,”

said Aaron Stem, who

has been an athletic

trainer at Piedra Vista

High School for nine

years. AAronSTEMPiedra Vista High School

8 Four Corners SPorTS October 2013

Melynda Brenton is the other athletic trainer in town, being at Farm-

ington High School for nine years.

She became an athletic trainer because she has always love sports.

“My sister played with Barbies and I would help my dad with cars”

and play softball, she said.

Brenton has been an athletic trainer since 1983, after she received a

bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree from

Cal State University, East Bay.

Stem became athletic trainer because of his love for sports as well.

Because of this passion, he looked into working in the medical field.

“I wanted to do a blend of both.”

Stem has a degree in athletic training from New Mexico State Univer-

sity, which qualified him for the National Athletic Trainers’ Associa-

tion certification. “In New Mexico, we are required to have a state

license and we are certified health care professionals.”

Brenton and Stem are at every sports practice and home game, as

well as away varsity football games. “It can be hectic,” Stem said.

“When it comes to the state tournament time I travel with all my

teams.”

But while athletic trainers are there to help injured athletes, “we are

not doctors and we don’t make diagnoses. We don’t have the intense

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medical knowledge a physician has,” Brenton

said, adding athletic trainers work with med-

ical practitioners who can make diagnoses.

Not only do Brenton and Stem work with in-

jured athletes, they also oversee the Impact

Test, which is taken by students involved in

sports. The test is designed to show a stu-

dent’s ability to memorize words and shapes.

If a student is injured while playing sports,

they are then reevaluated with the Impact

Test to make sure they are not experiencing

a severe concussion.

“A concussion is not an obvious injury. This is

another tool that helps me know if these kids

are good and ready to play in games” after

being injured, Brenton explained.

Brenton and Stem both agree their job is re-

warding by being able to help students

through injuries or by answering questions.

“The most rewarding part is helping our ath-

letes play the sports they love. Sometimes

you see an athlete be brought down by an in-

jury and you are there to help them out with

it,” Stem explained.

“I just love my job. I’m 51 years old and I’m

still 17 at heart. It is a good environment, fun,

and where else can you go to work dressed

in tennis shoes and a T-shirt,” Brenton said.

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It is estimated that somewhere between 15 and 20 million people play fan-

tasy football in millions of individual leagues. How popular has fantasy foot-

ball become? During the preseason on nfl.com there is some type of mock

draft for practicing draft strategies going on every minute. If you are looking

to join a league just for fun, Yahoo, NFL.com, ESPN.com and a host of other

sites have leagues of every kind with every conceivable set of rules.

Auction vs. standard draftsDraft styles usually come in standard or auction formats. Each draft has a

different strategy in how to attain a team. Of course draft strategy is based

on considering the people that draft near you and noticing the preferences

of you competitors.

In standard drafting, the number of teams are drawn for position in what is

referred to as “snake” draft, which means drafting 1-12 in the first round

and every odd round thereafter while drafting in reverse order for all even

numbered rounds. Draft strategy in standard drafts is completely depend-

ent on those who draft around you. For example, if you have the first pick

you will definitely get the player that you believe scores the best in your par-

ticular scoring system. However, it also means you aren’t picking again until

24th. So planning ahead is essential while watching every player on your

depth chart disappear one by one. The 12th pick assures getting two of the

top 13 players, but then sit and wait for 24 picks to go by before grabbing

another pair. It’s best to be somewhere in the middle.

In standard drafts there will always be a run on certain positions. For exam-

ple, as soon as a tight end goes off the board a run on tight ends may occur,

leaving those waiting for their pick to come around to have to settle instead

of getting the player they want.

This isn’t a problem in an auction draft. Anyone willing to pay the price can

get any player they truly want. In auction drafts every team is issued a set

amount of “cash,” then players are bid on with the biggest spender getting

the player. Auction drafts are for bargain hunters and those that do their

homework.

While auction drafts allow everyone to get the player they covet, it is more

important to know which players to avoid and who wants those players. In

auction drafts everyone sends a player to the auction block to be bid on, so

sending out to auction a player that others will fight over is key. This forces

other team managers to spend their money, hopefully on players you didn’t

initially target.

Default Scoring vs. Custom ScoringWatching for the details in a league is essential. Some leagues use the famil-

iar default scoring while others have all kind of rules to enhance the league.

Default scoring is the old school original lineups with original scoring. A de-

fault lineup consists of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide re-

ceivers, a tight end, a defense and a kicker. Scoring is basic. Owners get one

point for every 10 yards rushing or receiving and one point per 25 yards

passing. Kickers get three points for field goals and one for extra points. De-

fault is a nice way to start getting into fantasy football, and keeps a consis-

tent scoring system.

Custom scoring leagues can have a multitude of scoring and lineup options

from higher points for yardage to multiple quarterbacks and position play-

ers. Most custom scoring works to an advantage for a singular position like

by Rick Hoerner

Creating your ‘own team’ brings game to a new level for fans

The fantasy

gridiron

The fantasy

gridiron

giving reception points to help value receivers, third down running backs

and tight ends, or making quarterbacks more valuable by giving points

for less yardage. When choosing a custom league, make sure the point

system is logical and draft accordingly.

ppr Leaguespoints per reception leagues have become more popular over the past

few years. ppr leagues make more running backs in play for bigger

leagues and place a higher value on wide receivers and tight ends that

make elite ends like the Saints Jimmy Graham as valuable as a premier

running back. Wide receiver values increase as well and make the num-

ber of targets a receiver gets as important as the yardage. So a receiver

like Wes Welker – who gets a ton of short catches but not a lot of yards –

more valuable than home run threats like torrey Smith.

ppr leagues also change the draft strategy for running backs. Backs like

Darren Sproles, who may carry the ball only four or five times a game,

may have six catches which adds six points to Sproles’ value. this puts at

a premium backs who stay on the field for all three downs.

IDp Leaguesthe new trend in fantasy football is to get the defense involved. Individual

defensive players or IDp leagues use statistical information on defense as

well as offense. IDp leagues can vary from leagues that use a single player

to leagues that use an 11-man defensive roster of three lineman, four line-

backers and four defensive backs.

Since IDp leagues are custom scoring leagues, the leagues’ scoring sys-

tem must be strongly looked at before playing. Usually the value of sacks

make defensive ends valuable, and since tackles are usually the primary

way of scoring, safeties are usually worth more value than cornerbacks.

pass rushing linebackers are the most valuable IDp assets. they usually

have sacks and multiple tackles. Most IDp leagues use defensive players

along with a standard or customized offensive lineup. IDps are fun, but

time consuming, and must be changed out regularly.

AdviceLike relationship advice, fantasy football advice is easy to get. Every major

sports website has fantasy football advice on who to play and who not to,

who has a good matchup and who doesn’t. there are even television

shows that spend hours evaluating fantasy football schedules, ranking

players and injury reports. And if you want to know which team has the

worst pass defense on third down against slot receivers, those data are

there too.

the best advice is to go with your gut as to who you think will do well this

week and throw loyalty out the window. You may be a huge Jacksonville

Jaguars fan, but that doesn’t mean to take, well, anyone on the team who

doesn’t use three names. Should you feel the need for fan loyalty, draft

their kicker. they don’t have much difference most of the time anyway.

Fantasy has made football more interesting, especially for the casual fan,

but has also made for some strange rooting interests.

How does one deal with the situation when they have a fantasy player on a

team they usually root against? Not draft any raiders or Cowboys?

If it can’t be avoided, definitely not. the best player available is the pick

whether they are from the favorite team or the most dreaded enemy.


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The Four Corners Invitational 2013 for Special Olympics New Mexicowrapped up on Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The events for the three-day event in-cluded golf, swimming, softball and – for the first time – flag football.

This was the eighth year of the event and even though it is supposed torotate, San Juan County remains the host and will be for the foresee-able future.

The Four Corners Invitational hosted nearly 630 athletes and over 1,200people including coaches, volunteers and family members. The athletescame from all across the state with 22 delegations represented and forthe first time a delegation from Pagosa Springs, Colo.

“It is a long way to come for a lot of athletes,” said Debra Lisenbee, Exec-utive Director of San Juan Special Olympics. On Friday, the games werekicked off at Riverview Golf Course and San Juan Country Club with golf.

by Tom Yost | courtesy photos

Special Olympics 2013 was the best yet

Four Corners

Invitational


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Friday evening brought the opening ceremonies

to McGee Park and officially began the games

with the lighting of the Olympic torch.

On Saturday, participants gathered at the

Olympic Village in the parking lot of the Farming-

ton Recreational Center and then attended the

aquatics and softball competitions.

And even though flag football was played on Sun-

day, Saturday night’s Closing Ceremonies and

dance took place prior to at McGee Park.

Athletes who took part were able to participate in

three of the four competitions instead of all four,

since the aquatics and softball competitions took

place at the same time on Saturday.

The many companies that made the event as

great as it was included: ConocoPhillips, Woods

Insurance, Piedra Vista High School Athletic De-

partment, Farmington Police Department, city of

Farmington, San Juan County Government, Noon-

day Civitans, Helpful Heroes Junior Civitans, San

Juan Rotary, San Juan Country Club and

Riverview Golf Course.

Lisenbee has never been more proud of her com-

munity than during these games.“I am so proud

of my home,” exclaimed Lisenbee.

“I have never been anywhere that has been so

embracing and uplifting as San Juan County. And

I am not alone in my feelings, because people

from out of town tell me how impressed they are

with the support.”Chris Page, Executive Director

of Special Olympics New Mexico, concurs.

“The event this year was one of the best.

The community support is probably the best in

the state and the facilities are second to none.

The SONM Four Corners Invitational has grown a

little each year and each year the Farmington

community gives a little more to make the experi-

ence that much better.”

“San Juan County wants the games here,” added

Lisenbee. “And I can’t tell you how much that

means to me and our athletes.”

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Each day at 7 a.m. there are 16 dedicated studentswho arrive at Mesa View Middle School to run.

This cross country team is made up of six boys and10 girls who enjoy the feel of the wind on their facesand the strengthening of their muscles and lungs asthey run long distances before school begins.“I like running long distance,” said Terral To-dacheeny, 13. “It makes me feel good and it’s prettychallenging.”

Todacheeny is one of the faster boys on the team.His female counterpart, Dellena Payton, 12, is thefastest, and that was her reason for joining theteam this year.

“I wanted to see how fast I was,” she said, addingthat she “guesses” she is really fast. She also enjoysthe spirit of competition.

The Mesa View team does compete in meets acrossthe region against teams from Aztec, Bloomfield,Kirtland, Colorado and Utah. It is the only middleschool in Farmington with a cross country team,and that is because of the hard work and the dedi-cation of Jeri and Eugene Hogue.

Jeri said she would run all of the time if she wasable. She and Eugene are lifelong runners. Theyeven own a Southwest Runners, a store dedicated tothe hobby and sport of running.

Jeri started the Mesa View team five years ago atthe request of the school physical education depart-ment. “It’s my passion,” she said of running andcoaching the children. She enjoys watching theprogress of the children as their bodies and en-durance change during the eight-week cross coun-try season.

At the beginning of the school year, the young run-ners come in out of shape. “You work with them andin two weeks or so they are able to run a certaindistance,” she said. It’s usually about 1.5 miles. “Bythe end of eight weeks they can run four miles and itbuilds confidence. It even helps them with theirgrades, because it builds them up.”

While the focus is on getting the runners in shape, italso is an alternative to children, who don’t partici-pate in a team sport, and in Jeri’s opinion it is a life-long skill that they become acquainted with inmiddle school.

A lot of the kids that run on this team go on to runvarsity in high school. “The kids continue to runthroughout their lives, while other team sports end,”Jeri said. They also pass the running tradition on totheir children.

That is why 12-year-old Esmeralda Garcia joined thecross country team. “My dad had cross countrywhen he was back in Mexico, so I wanted to runtoo,” she said.

Her father was happy when she told him about be-coming a runner. “I was carrying on something hetried to finish,” Garcia said, adding she enjoys thesport. “I like running. It’s so exhilarating, and I likehow the coach and other people tell us to keep ontrying, ‘You can do this,’” she said.

Jeri does believe the students can accomplish any-thing with the right training and encouragement. Itis something she and Eugene focus on while coach-ing something they hope will become a lifelong pas-sion for each child.

“We love to run,” Jeri said. “I would love to run for-ever.”

by Debra Mayeux | photography by Debra Mayeux

Middle school cross country teamMesa View team has a passion for running

16 Four Corners SportS October 2013

the Aztec High School girls’ soccer team has

had a strong season so far, with a 10-0

record.

Since the season began in August, the Aztec

soccer team has defeated Moriarty, Bloom-

field, Belen, Capital, and Navajo prep. the two

tournaments the team has won are the Aztec

tiger tournament and the Albuquerque Acad-

emy tournament.

“We haven’t played our most challenging

games yet, but overall we are coming to-

gether and doing well,” said Kassia Barber,

an Aztec High School senior who plays right

defender on the team.

In mid-September, the team was invited to

play in the Albuquerque Academy tourna-

ment. this was the first time Aztec High

School was invited to play in the tournament.

“We got to play against some 5A schools, so

that was a good opportunity for us,” since

Aztec High School is classified as a 4A school,

Barber said.

the schools that participated in the tourna-

ment included Farmington High School,

Carlsbad High School, oñate High School in

Las Cruces, Los Alamos High School, and

Hope Christian School in Albuquerque.

the Aztec soccer team won the champi-

onship game by defeating Hope Christian 2-0.

“We are doing really well. our season is look-

ing good but we still have another half of a

season to go, so we need to continue to

focus and be intense,” said Stephen parks,

who has been the head coach of the team

since 2007.

He added the team’s ultimate goal is to make

it to the state championship games again.

Last year, the team came out second in state.

“We are definitely looking to be back in the

state finals and win the championship game.

It is a good possibility for us to be in that

spot, but we can’t get complacent. When the

players start winning games sometimes it is

easy to let down a little bit,” parks said.

Along with being undefeated, the Aztec soc-

cer team also has scored 72 goals and has

only been scored on twice. one reason for

the impressive statistic is sophomore Elana

Kresl, who is rated as the top goalkeeper for

a 4A high school in New Mexico.

“It’s kind of scary to me because other peo-

ple know about me. But it is also nice to be

working towards something,” she explained.

this is her first year playing on the varsity

soccer team.

Alana’s older sister, Jessica Kresl, a senior

who plays right midfielder, said being scored

on only twice has boosted the team’s confi-

dence. “the game against (Belen High

School) was the first time we were scored

on. It opened our eyes and we realized we

need to help our defense and work together

and stay disciplined,” she explained.

by Lauren Duff

Aztec High girls’ soccer team focused on championship



DURANGO – One of the preeminent golfclub head designers in the world livesand works in Durango.

For the last 10 years, Tom Wishon hasowned and operated Tom Wishon GolfTechnology at 695 County Road 233. He has10 employees, including himself and his wife,Mary-Ellen, whom he calls the epoxy thatholds the business components together.

In a 6,800-square-foot building he does engi-neering and design work on club heads,shafts and grips, takes orders, warehousesthe inventory and ships orders.Production of club heads, shafts and grips isdone by vendors he has worked with for

more than 20years at specializedfactories in China.

He also has a 1,200-square-foot laboratoryat Dalton Ranch Golf Club a few miles northof Durango on US 550. There, he has a swinghitting robot for testing.

“It has all our electronic telemetry equip-ment that we use to read the golf ball whenit’s in flight so we know what’s happening

when we hit different club heads and shaftsin testing,” he said.

Distributes to the worldHe has distributors around the world, and 55percent of his business comes from interna-tional markets, mostly Europe.

“I’ve probably learned more in the last 10years from Tom than in the first 30 years I’ve

been building golf clubsand fitting people, andI’ve been doing it almost40 years,” said DonGreenwood, who ownsGreenwood Golf nearAztec. “I can talk golf andgolf clubs all day long,but when I’m around Tom,I listen. He’s one of themost intellectual and in-formative people on golf club

design and function and the whole golf swingas it relates to club fitting.”

Wishon began his golf career in 1972. Thirtyyears later, he turned down a job offer tohead up research and development for Ti-tleist Golf Company. Instead, he moved to Du-rango to start his own business and live inthe mountains. He brought with him his inter-nationally known expertise in custom club-making.

by Margaret Cheasebro | photography by Josh Bishop

Durango’s Tom Wishon,preeminent golf club head designer

Internationally

known



Creative clubhead designsHe has more than 50 different technology firsts

in clubhead designs. His clubhead designs have

been used to win on the Professional Golf Associ-

ation, or PGA, Tour, the Champions Senior Tour,

and in the Ryder Cup competition.

Wishon has written 10 books in the field of golf

club design, performance and clubfitting as well

as hundreds of equipment related articles for

most golf publications in the industry. His books

fall into two categories – textbooks from which

custom clubmakers can learn their craft and

books written in layman’s terms to help con-

sumers make better buying decisions for their

golf clubs.

His newest book, The New Search for the Perfect

Golf Club, falls in the latter category. His books

are part of the required curriculum for training

in the British, Swedish, Dutch and German PGA.

But not in the U.S.

Outspoken“I’m pretty outspoken,” Wishon explained. “When I

see things that are wrong, and – because I write,

I’ll say it. So within some levels of the American

golf industry, I’m seen as either the maverick or

rebel. If something’s wrong and I know it’s

wrong, I’ll speak up because I want it changed.”

Simon Hubbard, who manages the equipment

technology modules for the PGA of Great Britain

and Ireland and the University of Birmingham ed-

ucation programs, said Wishon has given semi-

nars at the PGA headquarters and has written

articles for their PGA trade magazine.

“We supply our new students with a copy of one

of his books as they are introduced to custom fit-

ting on our training course,” Hubbard said.

“Feedback comments we receive from our mem-

bers are that they value spending time listening

to Tom, they acknowledge that he is an expert in

the industry, and they appreciate him traveling

such a long distance to see us. From my point of

view, Tom has been a great source for informa-

tion and has encouraged me to delve deeper into

the delivery of custom fitting golf clubs, which I

am able to include as a part of our education

program.”

Engineering know-howThough Wishon doesn’t have an engineering de-

gree, he picked up hands-on engineering infor-

mation on the job, and through mentoring and

training, once he got into the golf industry.

“I’m the guy who didn’t know the math formulas,”

Wishon explained, “but I needed to know what

they said so I could translate a lot of this very

technical stuff into language and sentences that

non-technically minded golfers could under-

stand.”

That skill is a strong point about his books and

magazine articles.

Sherm Haworth, owner of The Golf Meister in Al-

buquerque, is an independent clubmaker/clubfit-

ter who calls Wishon his guru and mentor.

“There isn’t anyone in the world who knows

more about golf equipment than Tom Wishon,”

Haworth said. “He’s dedicated his life to it. His

products show his passion and his dedication.

He’s an independent thinker and fiercely proud.

He could have had a top job with Titleist, but he

wanted to do it his way and live in the mountains

and get out of the rat race. He has morals that

exceed those of today’s – what I call – suits.”

Colorado nativeBorn in Denver and raised in Greeley, Colo., Wis-

hon has loved golf since his dad taught him to

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play when he was 12. He earned a golf scholar-

ship to the University of Nebraska, but the coach

kicked him off the golf team during his fresh-

man year when he wouldn’t cut his hair. By the

time he graduated with a pre-dentistry degree

in 1972, he knew he didn’t want to be a dentist.

He couldn’t afford to pursue more education, so

he moved to northern California, where his par-

ents lived at the time, and took classes through

the PGA of America to learn how to teach golf

and run a pro shop and a golf course. He

worked as an assistant golf pro and ran his own

club repair business for about 15 golf courses

in the San Francisco Bay area.

Nobody had the answers“That got me hand skills in clubmaking,” he said.

“More than that, I got curious to find out if I

changed something on a golf club, why would it

work for this guy but not that one? Nobody had

the answers. I used to get so frustrated calling

these golf companies and shaft companies. They

either wouldn’t talk to me, or they’d say that’s

secret information that we don’t share. I finally

got so mad one day I said I’m going to figure this

stuff out on my own. If anybody ever cares to

know what I know, I’ll share what I learned with

them. As I got further into it, I realized they

didn’t know.”

He moved to Newark, Ohio, in 1980, where he

worked as the vice president for sales at The

Golf Works. In 1986, he took a job as president of

Dynacraft Golf Company in the same city.

Researches differences“At Dynacraft, I really began to do research to

find out why this golfer does better with this

length or this weight or this shaft or all these

different specifications that make up a golf

club,” he said. “That’s been an ongoing project

ever since 1986 for me.”

Most big golf companies design a fully finished,

ready-to-hit golf club, he explained. “Their clubs

are not custom fit, and golfers buy them off the

rack. They don’t admit that one of their clubs

might not perform well for the golfer because it

isn’t properly fit to the golfer.”

Wishon disagrees with that approach.

“Golfers are as different as fingerprints,” he

said. “They’re different height, different weight,

different strength, different athletic ability, dif-

ferent eye-hand coordination, different swing

characteristics.”

He’s convinced golfers need clubs that address

their individual needs. A well-designed golf club

tailored to an individual’s needs can last about

15 years and improve the person’s game, he

said.

Sells only what he designsWishon sells only to clubmakers he screens,

and he sells only what he personally designs.

These clubmakers are usually small, independ-

ent business people, like Haworth and Green-

wood, who pride themselves on making and

fitting clubs that are tailor made to the individ-

ual.

Though he doesn’t have the advertising dollars

to compete with large companies, he has a loyal

following among those who have discovered his

expertise. He thrives on continuing to create

new and innovative clubhead designs.

“This last 10 years with my own company,” he

said, “the model design work and the engineer-

ing work I’ve done is the best I’ve ever done in

my whole life.”

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Alana Nichols is a world-class athlete, butto many people in the community she wasthe girl next door who attended FarmingtonHigh School and had aspirations to playsoftball in college.

Nichols is a renowned paraplegic athleteinvolved in wheelchair basketball andAlpine skiing. She also is the only Americanwoman to receive gold medals from theSummer and Winter Paralympics.

In 2000 Nichols hit a life-changing speedbump when, after a snowboarding acci-dent, she became paralyzed from the waistdown.

Her incredible strength is what pulled herthrough that painful time, and she eventu-ally saw she could be involved in para-plegic athletics. In her junior year atUniversity of New Mexico, Nichols found anew love for wheelchair basketball.

“I went to UNM not thinking about sports.One day I came across a gym and sawwomen playing wheelchair basketball andit blew me away. I had no idea there werepeople my age, in wheelchairs, playingsports. That was what I needed to get backinto it,” Nichols explained.

She was eventually recruited by the Univer-sity of Arizona to play on its women’swheelchair basketball team and thenplayed for the University of Alabama team,which led her to become part of the U.S.Paralympics Wheelchair Basketball Team.

by Lauren Duff | courtesy photos

Nichols training for 2014 Winter Paralympics in Russia

24 Four Corners SPorTS October 2013

In 2008, the team traveled to Beijing, China, to

compete in the Summer Paralympics. At the end

of the games, each team member wore a gold

medal around their neck.

“We were able to come out undefeated. We were

training for that moment and it was unbeliev-

able we made that dream come true,” she said.

In 2012, the team had to let go of their gold

medal title after placing fourth in the Summer

Paralympics in London, England. “We were dis-

appointed with our fourth place finish in London

but we had an incredible experience nonethe-

less,” Nichols said.

But while she was focused on wheelchair bas-

ketball during those years, Nichols also decided

to return to the mountains and pick up Alpine

skiing.

At the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancou-

ver, Canada, Nichols earned her second gold

medal in giant slalom and downhill. She took a

silver medal in Super G, and a bronze medal in

super combined.

This was her proudest moment because she

was able to compete in the winter games sev-

eral months after her brother, D.J., passed

away. “That was one of the most devastating ex-

periences of my life for me, but I used that as an

inspiration. When I won that gold medal – that

was for him,” she said.

Since that time Nichols has received accolades

for her many accomplishments and inspiring

story.

She was honored as the 2010 U.S. Paralympic

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Sportswoman of the Year and the Colorado

Sportswoman of the Year.

Last year, she spoke at the ESPNW conference in

California and was nominated for the ESPN ESPY

Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability.

This October will be a busy month for Nichols be-

cause she will once again present at the upcom-

ing ESPNW conference and also appear on NBC’s

Today Show.

“What is amazing are her experiences, and even

if she wasn’t in a wheelchair she would be doing

something amazing,” said Nichol’s close friend,

Matt Camacho from Farmington. “For her to get

back in touch with herself I believe it propelled

her into an amazing life, and she is blessed.”

Since competing in Vancouver, Nichols has had

her heart set on competing in the 2014 Winter

Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. But in June she suffered a shoulder disloca-

tion, which delayed her training for the winter games. “I went through

three months of rehab, but I will be competing in next year’s games.”

Nichols will begin to strengthen her arm within the next couple of weeks

and begin training in November. She will compete in giant slalom, down-

hill, Super G, and super combined.

“It seems like whenever she has had something to prove, that is when she

puts it all out there. With the loss of her brother and then this recent

shoulder injury, I think that has given her some ammunition to strive and I

think we will see some big things from her,” Camacho said about Nichols

competing in next year’s Winter Paralympics.

Even though Nichols will focus on her races at the Winter Paralympics,

she looks forward to experiencing Sochi. “The culture is really different

and I look forward to having the life experience of being in and around

Russia.”

When asked what the future holds for her, Nichols said she is at a “cross-

roads” with her athletic career. “A part of me wants to push for the 2016

Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro because a part of me never wants

to quit sports. But I’m 30, and with this recent injury it is not as easy as it

used to be. But I think I have another summer games in me.”

Another aspiration for Nichols is working in Africa with children who have

disabilities. “Sports have been my life and in my heart, and to be able to

share that and show people how to play – that is something I’m passion-

ate about.”

26 Four Corners SPortS October 2013

PaBloQUINTANAPiedra Vista High School

Farmington and Piedra Vista High Schools

have new boys’ soccer coaches and both

were soccer stars while attending area high

schools from 2003 to 2009.

by Debra Mayeux

photography by Josh Bishop

Farnsworth, Quintana

using their soccer

skills to help kids excel

soccer

coaches


ByronFARNSWORTHFarmington High School

Byron Farnsworth, 23, is the new head coach for

varsity boys’ soccer at Farmington High School.

He played soccer for five years while attending

Aztec High School and was the team’s captain

for two years. During that time, the team was

the last to win District in 2005, besides Farming-

ton High School, and he had the title of being

one of the top three in the state for scoring and

assist during three years of his high school ca-

reer. Farnsworth also was named Aztec’s most

valuable player for his participation in soccer,

football and track.

When he graduated in 2008, Farnsworth went to

Fort Lewis College, where he played soccer and

28 Four Corners SPoRTS October 2013

coached the FLC Soccer Club, which went to

Regionals twice and Nationals once during

his tenure. He graduated from college with a

degree in exercise science physiology and

nutrition.

Farnsworth was hired in 2011 to work as the

junior varsity boys’ soccer coach at FHS, and

he transferred into the head coach position

when Coach Ryan Atkinson left the school for

a position in Arizona.

Pablo Quintana, 23, began coaching the

Piedra Vista varsity boys’ soccer team when

the school year began. This was only four

years after he graduated from that same

school, where he had played soccer for five

years.

When he started, the students knew who he

was because Quintana had 125 record goals

for the high school team as player. He was

the most valuable player for four seasons

and District player of the year during his

sophomore, junior and senior years. Quin-

tana also was honored during high school as

the player of the month by Fox Sports.

He took the coaching job after former coach

Adrian Romero encouraged him to apply for

the job and take over the program. When he

received the title of coach, many of his stu-

dents knew Quintana and were not sure

about calling him “Coach.”

“They were kind of excited, but they didn’t

call me ‘coach,’” Quintana said. “I knew it

would come, when I earned their respect.

Now, I am ‘Coach’ and a friend.”

This was not a problem for Farnsworth, who

had coached guys his own age or even older

than he on the FLC Club team. “You’re trying

to manage them, rather than coach them,”

Farnsworth said.

He comes from a long line of soccer players

and soccer coaches. His father Rex

Farnsworth has coached youth soccer for 25

years, and he has five siblings who all play

soccer.

And while his FHS players are close to his

age, he listened to advice from his dad. “I

got taught from my dad that you have to in-

still the level of respect between playing and

coaching and being able to show them drills

and techniques,” Farnsworth said.

Quintana has worked not only to demand re-

spect, but to instill values in the players with

regard to their education and the level of

work they give to the sport. He raised the

grade point average to 2.5 for eligibility to

play and he asks the students to focus on

their education first.

“I am not just helping these young kids

sports wise, but also with education,” he

said, adding that he has workshops for team

members on how to apply for college, and

motivates them to earn good grades. “It’s

not just winning on the field, but how to be

successful in life, and education is the most

important thing.”

Education has helped raise Quintana to a

level of hope for his future and success. He

is a Mexican immigrant who came to the U.S.

with his parents, Pablo Quintana and So-

corro Duran, when he was 12 years old.

29Four Corners SPoRTSOctober 2013

While he graduated from Piedra Vista

and continued his studies at San Juan

College and Eastern New Mexico Univer-

sity, he only received his work visa in

February.

He continues to work hard studying

full-time at the San Juan College School

of Energy with hopes of working in the

petro-chemical field. He works nights at

Lowes and coaches every day. It is this

work ethic he hopes to instill in the stu-

dents he coaches.

“My advice to the students is ‘Get pre-

pared and go to school,’” Quintana said.

“Regardless of whether you want to be-

come a coach or not, go to school. It

will make you a better person, and if

you love it, go ahead and do it.”

This advice spills over onto the field,

where Quintana preaches teamwork

and even encourages his students to be

friendly with the Farmington team by

putting aside the FHS vs. PVHS rivalry.

“I’m not only trying to make them bet-

ter players, but better persons,” he

said. “My hope is that I can do some-

thing or say something positive that

will affect the rest of their lives. I want

to leave something on their hearts and

on their minds. For me to do that it

would be more of a success than to win

a championship.”

Farnsworth also wants his boys to

learn respect – “to set them up for col-

lege and their careers as well,” he said.

He enjoys camaraderie with Quintana

and would also like to see FHS and

PVHS as the two top teams in the state,

cheering each other on at tournaments

instead of being rivals.

“The in-city rivalry will always be there,

but we go to tournaments and encour-

age them to do their best – go hand-in-

hand and help each other out as well,”

Farnsworth said, adding he has a great

group of boys. “I feel like I got handed

the best team in New Mexico. Every one

of my seniors will be up for All-District

and All-State academics, which reflects

their talent in the field as well as in the

classroom.”


THOMAS‘BuSTER’MABREYAge: 46

Previous job: Former athletic director at Piedra Vista High School

Wife: Laurie Stevenson, Former Kirtland Central Assistant Coach DIRECTOR OF THE NEW MExICO COACHES ASSOCIATION

The New Mexico High School Coaches Association is an or-

ganization 501(C)(4) of New Mexico coaches that highlights

the outstanding accomplishments of New Mexico’s student-

athletes and coaches through its all-star, all-state and

coaches awards programs. We operate eighteen “north vs.

south” all-star events, publish 62 all-state teams, and recog-

nize hundreds of coaches each year. The NMHSCA also man-

ages multiple professional development conferences and

represents the needs of coaches at the state level via the

NMAA Commission and the assignments of the NMAA sport

specific committee coaches. The New Mexico High School

Coaches Association also provides a million dollar liability

policy plus other benefits for its member coaches.

It’s been about 10 to 12 pounds of difference for me, now

that I sit at a desk all day and work on a keyboard and stare

at a computer screen. At Piedra Vista, I was always on the

move having to be somewhere different on campus all the

time. But, the biggest difference is that I am not able to work

with student-athletes on an everyday basis. And, as an ath-

letic director, every issue is more up close and personal.

Athletic Directors have a difficult job. I make many decisions

now, but for the most part, I do not know the athletes, the

parents, or even the coaches on the same personal level

that I did as an athletic director. It is easier to make deci-

sions via email and/or the telephone than it is to have the

parents, the student-athletes, and/or the coaches sitting in

the same room.

Growing up in Hobbs, America, was a fantastic. It was a

community that revolved around youth sports, and I loved

it. In my mind, it was the best place in the world to live.

The best part of Ralph Tasker and Hobbs Eagle basketball

was that it was a source of community pride and identity.

Everyone took ownership in the Hobbs Eagle basketball

program, and we all felt like we were a part of something

special. Within the community, everybody played basket-

ball. I am proud that I’m from Hobbs, and that I can still

shoot and play a “little” defense.

Well, that was one of my favorite stories for sure. I also

remember hitting my first foul ball at age 10. It was

great; because it took half the baseball season to make

contact in an actual game. Hitting a last second jumper in

a ninth grade playoff game was exciting and made the

newspapers. I played in lots of great games and had so

many fun and exciting moments. As a coach, the first

state championship at Mayfield, when we beat Clovis in

the last minute of the game with the clock running and

no time outs, was pretty cool. As an AD, watching Piedra

Vista win the first ever NMAA State Bowling Champi-

onship was one my favorite moments. People, such as

Chris Pash, tease me about that, but it was an intense

moment that was exciting. The best thing about being in-

volved in sports as a kid and as an adult is that there are

so many memorable moments with so many great people.

There is nothing more rewarding than to risk public fail-

ure in order to be a part of something greater than one-

self. I love sports, and the world of sports has been good

for me and to me.

What does the New Mexico High School Coaches Association

do ?

1

How has running the NMHSCA been different from being an

athletic director?

2

What was it like growing up in Hobbs with the legendary

Ralph Tasker?

3

Outside of getting a hit off Farmington’s

Duane Ward, what was your most memorable

moment in sports as a player

or coach?

4

31Four Corners SpORTSOctober 2013

Officiating was so much fun, as well as challenging. I loved it. Once a person

has been in the trenches as an official, I believe there is always a special

place in their heart for officials, and the camaraderie among officials them-

selves. The difference with officiating today is that it doesn’t seem like offi-

cials and coaches give and/or show each other same level of respect as

they once did. Officials and coaches have always been adversarial, but there

was always a level of appreciation for the task the other did. It seems to me

that both coaches and officials are being critiqued to a greater degree than

ever before by more and more entities. Fans are harsher on both; the ad-

vent of advanced filming, editing, and social media puts more of a spotlight

on both. The NMAA is critiquing both groups to a higher degree. It seems to

me that the common denominator for each one to vent is at each other. It is

tougher to be a coach and an official today than it ever has been.

Alignment & Classification is difficult. The difference this time is that the

NMAA has created an objective process that will determine classifications

and that process will be used again and again in future classification align-

ment. All that the NMAA staff needs to do is plug the three-year average of a

school’s enrollment into the classification formula, and classifications will

be determined mathematically. It’s the district alignments that interest me

the most. I’m curious if the NMAA will work to get rid of three team districts

or create more. There were some oddities in the district alignments that

were released in December 2012. It will be interesting to see the final pro-

posal of the district alignments. Six classifications seem to be too many for

me personally; but, in the end, more classifications equal more athletes

competing in playoffs and state championships, and that isn’t all bad either.

I believe the NMHSCA has been ahead of the curve in this regard. Three

years ago, we combined our games to reflect six classifications by creating

three all-star games in volleyball, football, and basketball. Basically, each

game covers two classifications now, and that will be the case when we

have 1A-6A. When the new classifications start, we will have a 1A/2A, 3A/4A

& 5A/6A. Right now, we have 1A/1B, 2A/3A & 4A/5A. Football has a six-Man –

1A game.

I miss being within the community of a school. It is fun rooting for the

home team and rooting for athletes, coaches, and teachers that a per-

son knows on both a professional and personal level. Great schools

have “family” atmospheres, and I was lucky to work at three great high

schools. I miss working with fantastic people like Ann Gattis, Linda Crab-

tree, and many others.

Earlier in your career you were a certified basketball of-

ficial. How has that job changed over the past decade?

5

What changes do you foresee in the upcoming realign-

ment of high school classifications?

6

How is the change in classification going to affect the

NMHSCA All-Star games?

7

What do you miss about being at a high school?8

Continued on page 34

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32 Four Corners SporTS October 2013

The Desert Bighorn Sheep is one of the mostcoveted hunting tags in the United States. GlenFuller, local resident and owner of East MainTrading Company, is getting to fulfill his dreamof hunting this species in southwestern NewMexico.

“I will be hunting in the Hatchet Mountains inUnit 26,” said Fuller. “It is in the Bootheel ofNew Mexico between Deming and Lordsburg.This will be the most exciting hunting trip I will

have been on in my life.”That is saying something, seeing that Fullerhas been a lifetime resident of the Four Cor-ners and has hunted all species of animals na-tive to the region since he was a young boy.

“Back when I was young, you got a deer tagover the counter and got tags for turkeys andbears along with the deer tag,” recalled Fuller.“I got to hunt with a bow, a muzzle loader and arifle, and learned how to hunt with all three.”

“Kids today don’t have the same opportuni-ties that I had,” continued Fuller. “They haveto put in for a deer tag and hope their nameis drawn for a lottery. I had a friend whoseboy got his hunting license when he was 10and didn’t get his name drawn for a deer taguntil he was 18. That is why we are big sup-porters of young people in shooting sportsand 4H type programs … they are our futurecustomers.”

by Tom Yost | photography by Josh Bishop

Fuller wins coveted tag; hunt is a dream come true

33Four Corners SPOrTSOctober 2013

The customers Fuller speaks of

are the patrons of his store,

East Main Trading Company lo-

cated on East Main Street by

the National 9 Inn. Fuller

opened the store with his fa-

ther in 1983 as a military sur-

plus/sporting goods store.

“I was managing a sporting

goods store in Scottsdale, Ariz.,

after attending Arizona State

University for a couple of

years,” said Fuller. “My father

called me and asked if I wanted

to partner with him. I bought

him out after 15 years and have

been expanding ever since. We

just opened up the archery center.”

Fuller enjoys his days taking care of his cur-

rent customers, and his expertise in the

areas of firearms and hunting draws new

customers daily.

“Our store is a home away from home for

hunters,” explained Fuller. “People coming in

can expect to talk to knowledgeable staff

members who have been there and done that.

We offer competitive pricing on firearms, but

we save people time and effort with our ex-

pertise whether it be with guns, loads or

hunting stuff.”

And with the world class hunting in the Four

Corners, Fuller would not want to be any-

where else in the world.

“We have great seasonal changes, which is

perfect for hunting,” said Fuller.

“With bear, mule deer, Coues

deer, elk and Oryx … there are

five or six different species of

hunts within New Mexico alone.

There are not too many places

on earth where you can do that.

We have great BLM public hunt-

ing land as well. Combine those

factors with the weather condi-

tions and it is tough to beat the

hunting conditions in this area.”

With interests other than hunt-

ing that include fishing (bass

and crappie), camping, four-

wheeling and just being out-

doors, Fuller is looking forward

to the upcoming fall hunting season, starting

with his once-in-a-lifetime hunt for the desert

bighorn sheep.

“I just have to use patience and glass a lot

using fine optics,” explained Fuller about his

upcoming hunt. “I am looking for a world-

class sheep and feel I will get one by putting

in the necessary time and effort and staying

patient.”

34 Four Corners SpORTS October 2013

Oh, I root for my wife and her Cibola Lady Cougars. Every time her team

plays, I hope they play well, and I hope they win. It is not a bad thing for

me to root for her teams. One, she is more happy when her team wins

than when her team loses, so I prefer happy over grumpy as most hus-

bands. Two, I never root against another team or coach. Honestly, in the

end, I have no leverage or input at any of her games. The hard part for

me is that I want to help her coach, and that doesn’t always work out

too well. She has no problem reminding me of my role, and it isn’t being

the coach of her team.

The NMHSCA is committed to communicating with all stakeholders via

more technology to promote and highlight all-stars, all-state, and award

winning coaches. It is also important for the NMHSCA to do more in cre-

ating professional development opportunities for coaches. Forty-one

percent of New Mexico’s coaches are “contract” coaches, which mean

they have no formalized educational training. Combine the increased

number of “contract” coaches with the fact that very few school dis-

tricts spend time actually training coaches how to be better coaches;

the NMHSCA believes we, as an organization, need to do more in coach-

ing coaches to be better coaches.

Recently you were married to Coach Stevenson at Cibola.

How difficult is it not to root for the wife?

9 Looking forward, what do you see the role of the NMHSCA

being in the future?

10

Current flows on the San Juan River are 250cfs. Fishing remains good despite the

very low flows. Keep in mind that with the low water fish tend to migrate towards the

deeper slower pools. Some of the better flies to try as of late are a size 22 gray/black

big mac midge and a size 24 olive/black midge pupae. Also, red larvae have been very

effective early in the day. There have been decent midge hatches in the morning

hours followed by a sparse afternoon baetis hatch. Dry fly fishing has been fair with

fish eating single size 24 black midges. If you find fish eating baetis on the surface try

a size 22 olive comparadun.

Fishing in the bait water has been decent using power bait, night crawlers, and red

salmon eggs. Salmon snagging started Oct. 1.

FishingREPORT

FishingREPORT

T.J. Massey

San Juan River Outfitters

www.sanjuanriveroutfitters.com

505.486.5347

10 questions

*1 *Sale Price $19,475.36 on Stk# 6355. $1750 rebate used as down plus TT&L and $279.95 Dealer Service Transfer Fee. 75month at 2.9% WAC. Deal#46346. *2 *Sale Price $24,784.79 on Stk#8923,$900 factory rebate used as down plus TT&L and $279.95 Dealer Service Transfer Fee. 75 month at 2.9% WAC. Deal#46348. *3 *Sale Price $21,213.26 on Stk# 6408. $1500 Factory rebate used as downplus TT&L and $279.95 Dealer Service Transfer Fee. 72 month at 2.9% WAC. Deal#46349. Pictures are for illustration purpose only

4300 E. MAIN ST. • FARMINGTON, NM 505-327-0366 • 1-800-530-8310www.horacenissan.com

2013 NISSAN

SENTRA SVStk#6355

Stk#6408

ALTIMA 2.5S2013 NISSAN

Stk#8923

$0

$259PER MO.*1

ONLY

DOWN

$0DOWN$0DOWN

ONLY

$299PER MO.*3

2013 NISSAN JUKESV ALL WHEEL DRIVE

ONLY

$349PER MO.*2

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Four Corners Sports October 2013

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