Four Corners Sports November 2013

3Four Corners SPOrTSNovember 2013

content| 6 | NEWLEADERSHIPThree new girls’ basketball coaches will

take over the gymnasiums at Aztec High

School, Farmington High School, and

Piedra Vista High School this November

once basketball season begins.

| 10 |

VETERAN COACHRETURNSThe Aztec Boys’ Basketball team was

eager to start its season on Nov. 4, with

two new coaches leading the way.

| 12 |

SUCCEEDING ON THEMAT AND IN LIFEJesus Mendoza’s favorite part about

wrestling is the self-discipline neces-

sary to succeed, which is what he plans

on teaching his wrestlers during his

first season as Farmington High

School’s head wrestling coach.

| 14 |

NOTES FROM THE GREEN

Patrick Gregoire chronicles his trip to

Pebble Beach for First Tee Open

| 18 | TIME TO HIT THE SLOPESMuch to the excitement of the popula-

tion in the Four Corners region, ski sea-

son is upon us.

| 26 | RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVESPeople were running for their lives

Oct. 26 on a 5k course filled with ob-

stacles and terrifying zombies.

| 22 | FOUR CORNERSAQUATIC TEAMSwimming is an excellent opportu-

nity for students to remain active

during the winter, Four Corners

Aquatic Team Head Coach Karen

McCay said.

| 30 | 10QUESTIONS

November kicks off the winter prep sea-

son as basketball and wrestling teams

get their seasons going.

| 28 | DESERTTWILIGHTOn Oct. 5 the Piedra Vista cross

country teams traveled to Mesa,

Ariz., to compete in the Desert Twi-

light Cross Country Festival.

| 31 | PREP WINTER PREVIEW

4 Four Corners SPORTS November 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.

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Farmington, NM 87401

505-516-1230

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I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in-trigued by sports.

My family, while vertically challenged – myfather was around 5 foot 8 inches tall and mymother was a towering 5 foot 2 inches – alwaysparticipated in some type of sport.

I grew up in the Midwest so it was inevitablethat my father and brother both played football.In those days, corn-fed Kansas boys had onlytwo “real” sports options. So if you didn’t playfootball then you played basketball. But onweekends we expanded our sports knowledge.

This, of course, was way before ESPN. Thenwe had ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

I still remember the lead in:“Spanning the globe to bring you the con-

stant variety of sport ... the thrill of victory... andthe agony of defeat ... the human drama of ath-letic competition. ... This is ABC’s Wide World ofSports!”

The goal of the show was to showcasesports from around the globe which were sel-dom, if ever, broadcast on American television.It originally ran for two hours on Saturday af-ternoons, later cut to 90 minutes. Usually, “WideWorld” featured two or three events per show.

I always stopped what I was doing to watchthe intro and every time I was amazed by thecrash of the downhill skier.

Ski jumper Vinko Bogatai, whose dreadfulmisjump and crash of March 21, 1970, was fea-

tured from the early 1970s onward though 2006under the words "... and the agony of defeat,"became a hard-luck hero of sorts, and an affec-tionate icon for stunning failure. The fact thathe survived that crash was, in itself, a miracle.

While crashes always catch viewers’ atten-tion, I think I enjoyed that part the most be-cause that was when my brother took his cuealways to remind me that in sports you don’t al-ways win and it is the effort and how you playthe game that counts.

That statement is what propelled me not justthrough sports, but through all aspects of mylife.

I think that while I was drawn to sports tofeel the emotion of being part of a team and totest my own limits, there is a greater sportslesson.

It is the idea that on that playing field we areall even. And if you or your team tried the hard-est and followed the rules of the game, then thebest would be victorious.

I think it is fairness and the spirit of thegame that I and everyone else are inevitablydrawn to.

Sports are the great equalizer. We root asmuch for our favorite team as we do for the un-derdog. The outcome is not set in stone untilthe end of the game and be it competitor, fan,parent or coach, we’re all caught up together in“the human drama of athletic competition.”

FROM THE

CINDY COWAN-THIELE

EDITOR

covercreditPhotography by Josh Bishop

Why we love sports

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 SportSNovember 2013

6 Four Corners SpoRtS November 2013

RobeRtMCCASKILLaztec High School

DannySECRESTFarmington High School

7Four Corners SPoRTSNovember 2013

Three new girls’ basketball coaches will take

over the gymnasiums at Aztec High School,

Farmington High School, and Piedra Vista

High School this November once basketball

season begins.

These new coaches are Robert McCaskill at

Aztec, Danny Secrest at FHS, and Joe Reid at

Piedra Vista.

McCaskill recently moved to Aztec from Albu-

querque, where he was the head coach for

the estancia High School boys’ varsity basket-

ball team. “This is my first year coaching

girls’ basketball,” McCaskill explained. “It can

be a little different because girls are more

enthusiastic and really want to know how to

play the game.”

The Aztec girls’ basketball team begins to

practice on Nov. 4. “our goals are to have the

girls learn a lot. This program is pretty down

right now and we want the girls to learn and

start a foundation for this year.”

McCaskill loves basketball because of the

sport’s “creativity.” He played basketball for

two years at eastern New Mexico University

and two years at North Lake College in Texas.

by Lauren Duff

l eadersh ipAztec, FHS and

PV girls teams

all have new

coaches

JoeREIDPiedra Vista High School

8 Four Corners SporTS November 2013

After playing the sport for many years, he now

enjoys coaching his teams. “Seeing the individ-

ual players become excited about learning

something new and seeing improvement” are

the most rewarding aspects about being a

coach, McCaskill explained.

During the upcoming season, the two games

the Aztec team looks forward to are against Es-

pañola Valley High School and Santa Fe High

School “Those two teams were in the finals for

4A and they will bring most of their team back.

So they are contenders for the state title, and

that is something we are looking forward to,”

McCaskill said.

In Farmington, Secrest also is preparing for a

tough season with the first game against

Joe Reid watches the Piedra Vists Girls Basketball team practicing. – Josh Bishop photo

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Gallup High School on Nov. 26. “I think the girls

are really excited to get going with the sea-

son,” he said about his FHS team.

For 12 years, Secrest has coached for the FHS

boys’ basketball team. He is looking forward to

taking on the girls’ basketball program. “I defi-

nitely want the program to be successful and,

hopefully, they can grow as a family.”

Growing up in Farmington, Secrest played on

the boys’ basketball team at FHS when Marv

Sanders was the head coach. “We won the

state championship so I always have had a love

for the game. It is awesome.”

The best part about being a coach is seeing

“the excitement of the girls. Win or lose, it is in-

credibly awesome to be around team players,”

Secrest explained.

At Piedra Vista, Joe Reid always wanted to be a

coach after he “fell into it” six years ago and

became the assistant basketball coach at the

high school. “I have always loved the game of

basketball and had the chance to be a varsity

assistant coach. We had a lot of wins, and just

to be able to put what I have learned to use on

the court – that is why I do it,” Reid explained.

Piedra Vista Girls’ Basketball has been a

strong program in the area.

Going to the district championships the last

five years, “I have high expectations and so

does the community and the players,” Reid

said.

Los Lunas High School, which is ranked the

number one team in the state, and Santa Fe

High School, ranked number three in the state,

are the two major games this season, Reid

said. “We will be pretty tough. There are many

players coming back, and the girls have been

working this summer.”

Aside from having a busy schedule this season,

Reid said the most rewarding part about being

a coach is “seeing the smiles on the girls’

faces when they win a big game. Also, knowing

they love the game as much as I do.”

10 Four Corners SporTS November 2013

The Aztec Boys’ Basketball team was eager to start

its season on Nov. 4, with two new coaches leading

the way.

Veteran Coach Tony Dinallo and his friend and col-

league Carlton Downing took over the team this year.

Dinallo has spent his life coaching. His entire career consisted of being a

high school guidance counselor and a basketball coach.

Dinallo back to lead Aztec

boys basketball team

by Debra Mayeux

Dinallo chose basketball to coach because of the camaraderie found among the

players. “We have a lot of team sports, but I don’t know if there are any as much

of a team sport as basketball,” he said.

the Michigan native moved to Southwest at the beginning of his career to coach

in Gallup. He moved throughout the state and was coaching in southern New

Mexico when he was asked by former piedra Vista High School principal Hart

pierce to coach the piedra Vista panthers.

“I came up here and opened the school,” Dinallo said. He coached the pV team

for two years and then retired.

After taking one year off, the basketball bug came back to bite Dinallo and he

went to work at San Juan College teaching basketball to men and women. the

program became so popular that in 2012, a group of men and women decided

they wanted to create a college basketball team in Farmington.

“We had the first San Juan College basketball team,” Dinallo said. “It was fun and

invigorating.”

While teaching at San Juan College, Dinallo met Downing, who works in the

Health and Human performance Center. It was Browning who told Dinallo about

the Aztec team and its need for a coach. Dinallo agreed to come over to Aztec, if

Downing would work as his assistant coach.

“I secretly wanted to coach with tony for a long time, and this opportunity

opened up. I couldn’t be more happy,” Downing said.

“they have great kids. they are a great group of New Mexicans. they flat deserve

somebody to come here and build them into the program they deserve,” Dinallo

said. “there comes a time in your life when you want to give something back,

and I feel like we’re giving back to these kids.”

there is joy on Dinallo’s face when he watches the boys play each other during

open gym hours at the high school, and those boys are ready and willing to take

his direction and advice.

“I really like this coach so far,” said Elijah King, and 18-year-old AHS senior. “I like

his strategy. I’m looking forward to playing this year. We have a young team and I

look forward to bringing them up this year.”

troy Choman, a 17-year-old senior, echoed King’s sentiment. “We’ve got some re-

ally good coaches this year;” he said, adding the team “is really going to come to-

gether.”

Downing agreed. “these kids are going to be greatly improved not only as play-

ers but as people,” he said. “We’re expecting good things.”


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12 Four Corners spoRts November 2013

Jesus Mendoza’s favorite part about wrestling is

the self-discipline necessary to succeed, which is

what he plans on teaching his wrestlers during

his first season as Farmington High school’s head

wrestling coach.

Mendoza is looking forward to the season be-

cause he hopes to help his athletes grow. “Watch-

ing an athlete achieve his goals is the thing that

just amazes me,” he said. “When you get an ath-

lete who may be timid or have general issues and

comes out for wrestling and sticks with it, he be-

comes a champion.”

For much of his life, Mendoza has been involved in

wrestling. When he was a fourth grader at Mc-

Cormick elementary school in Farmington, Men-

doza began wrestling at the Boys and Girls Club.

His love for the sport helped him stick with it

through his freshman year at Heights Middle

school.

“He was a very ambitious kid and one of the best

I’ve coached,” said Leonard Mascarenas, who was

Mendoza’s wrestling coach at Heights and now

the assistant FHs wrestling coach.

After Mendoza’s freshman year, he attended New

Mexico Military Institute in Roswell where he gave

by Lauren Duff

Mendoza wants good grades

and ‘top 10 or better’

from FHs wresting time

on the

and in

JesusMENDOZAFarmington High school

up wrestling for a few years.

But since he returned to Farmington, Mendoza has been coaching

wrestling for 12 years. “I’ve been a coach for the Farmington youth

wrestling program for 12 years and the last four years, I coached for

tibbetts Middle School.”

Mendoza also was the assistant coach for Cecil Linnens, who was the

former head coach for the FHS wrestling program.

the wrestling season begins on Nov. 4, and Mendoza is ready to begin

practice and watch his athletes compete. But even though Mendoza

hopes to do well this season, his number one goal is for his wrestlers to

achieve above a 2.5 grade point average in school. “I want to push my

athletes and set the standards higher,” he explained.

“He cares so much about the kids and their grades. If they have prob-

lems he will be there to help them,” Mascarenas said.

Along with pushing his wrestlers to exceed in school, Mendoza said he

wants to place in the “top ten or better at state and I want to be within

the top two in districts.”

Even though the wrestling program at FHS is strong, Mendoza wants to

improve “our work ethic and we will work harder and become stronger.

We are going to encourage them to be more aggressive wrestlers and

overall be the smarter wrestlers.”

Mendoza said he has several goals while he is the head wrestling coach.

“I want to help build the program to where it has strong numbers. I

want these (wrestlers) to succeed not only on the mat, but in life. that is

huge for me.”


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Notes from the

Patrick Gregoire was one of 81 The First Tee partici-

pants worldwide selected to play in The Nature Val-

ley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Patrick

was selected based on his dedication to The First

Tee of San Juan County, N.M., his golf resume, his

application, his community service resume and an-

swers to various essay questions. Patrick was

paired with a professional golfer from the PGA

Champions Tour and played in a best ball event

where the field was cut from 81 teams to 23 teams

after two rounds. Patrick and his partner, Dan Fors-

man, made the cut and finished in sixth place. This

is his experience of that week on the Monterey

Peninsula – in his own words.

When I started participating in The First Tee of San

Juan County, N.M., one of my many dreams was to

play at Pebble Beach Golf Links in The First Tee Open.

Six years later that dream became a reality.

When Tom told me that I had an opportunity to play

in The Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach

Golf Links, I immediately jumped on the opportunity.

After the application was submitted, pure excite-

ment overwhelmed me every day.

Finally, the time came for us to find out if I was ac-

cepted. When (Executive Director of The First Tee of

San Juan County, N.M.)

Tom Yost called me about a week before the official

announcement was going to be made and told me

that I had a really good shot at making it, as soon as

he said that, I knew I had made it.

When Tom is confident about anything it usually

means it has a strong chance of happening.

The morning of the official announcement, before I

had a chance to find out for myself, Tom showed up

at my house.

He had to tell me himself, and when he did, I was

speechless. For the next few months I did everything

to prepare. I not only worked on my golf game, but I

studied all the life skills and core values of The First

Tee.

I constantly thought of what I would say if I were in-

terviewed, how I would respond to the pressure,

and how it would feel to play side by side with the

pros.

When we finally made it to Pebble Beach I was so ex-

cited I could hardly believe I was actually there. The

days leading up to the tournament were packed. We

went from here to there and back with little time in

between.

Before I realized all that I had done – between

checking in, the practice rounds, pairing parties,

dinner events and concerts – it was a 12- to 13-hour

day. But I loved every minute. At the pairing party re-

ality finally sank in.

When I walked across the stage to receive the enve-

lope that held the name of the pro I was paired with,

my mind began to burn with curiosity. It burned to

the point I thought the envelope would sponta-

neously combust in my hand.

I had to wait for everyone to receive theirs and the

cue to open it.

And while I waited the curiosity grew.

I wanted to know so badly!

Finally we got our cue and opened the envelopes. My

partner was Dan Forsman!

After that, it all became a blur. The rest of the party

was great.

I got to meet Dan that night and we talked for

awhile. After that, The Band Perry started their con-

cert. Unfortunately it was so cold I could hardly

enjoy the music.

After a long hard night of sleep I was ready to tackle

the day and make a few minor swing adjustments

that would prepare me for the next few days.

It was a long day but very enjoyable. I was fortunate to

be able to spend time with Jack Wulcotte, profes-

15Four Corners SPOrTSNovember 2013

Patrick Gregoire

chronicles his trip

to Pebble Beach

for First Tee Open

Patrick Gregoire with brother and caddy Taylor Gregoire.

sional club maker for Ben Hogan, Arnold palmer, Jack

Nicklaus, and many others. He was an amazing man to

talk to, and he had many great stories to tell. out of all

the people I met that week I think Jack was my favorite.

Friday rolled around and I had an early tee time. I was

expecting more pressure going into the first day of the

tournament. My expectations could not have been more

wrong. that day of golf was the most relaxing day I have

had in years. I felt so refreshed after that day. I believe it

was like that because of how solid of a player Dan (Fors-

man) is. He made par after par after par. Even on the

one hole when he was in the trees after his drive, he

made a par. perhaps the biggest influence that helped

me stay calm was how Mr. Forsman carried himself.

He was always kind and courteous, putting others first.

Many times throughout the round he would fix my ball

mark, help me with yardages or help me read tricky

putts. I could not have asked for a better partner. the

way he treated me made it seem as if we had known

each other for years. It also made the first round at Del

Monte feel like a weekend with a group of my buddies. Dan and I finished with a

round of five-under par, which placed us in a tie for 12th.

that night I slept better than I expected and was very calm about the upcoming

round. As I warmed up, my nerves began to get to me a bit when I realized we

had a shot at making the cut. I was starting to get tense on the range so I de-

cided to go putt for a while to quiet my thoughts. All week my putting had been

outstanding. I felt as if even if I tried to miss a putt it still would have dropped. It

was time for Dan and me to catch the shuttle to the 10th hole for our tee time

and I was almost too relaxed. We arrived at our starting hole with plenty of time

to spare and the kids who were waiting by the tee box were very eager to get au-

tographs – so eager, in fact that I, myself, ended up signing more things in the

span of five minutes than I had signed all week.

taylor, my older brother and caddie for the week, basically had to drag me away

so I could start the round. that is the last thing I expected to do that week. As

Dan and I were teeing off, I couldn’t understand what I was feeling. Nerves

maybe, excitement, peace – I don’t know, maybe I will never truly know what it

felt like, but I know I will never ever forget.

My first shot of the day was a slice off towards the spotter on the peninsula. I felt

so bad when I saw him “bob and weave” to avoid getting hit. When we got to my

ball I apologized and we had a nice little conversation. turns out I wasn’t the first

one or the closest one to hitting him, so we made the joke that all spotters

needed to wear hard hats while on the job.

I had an easy wedge shot into the green, placed my approach to about 10 feet

and drained the putt right in the heart for a birdie. the course was playing in the

hardest conditions I have ever experienced. the greens were incredibly hard

and fast, and the rough around the greens was the thickest I have ever seen.

the rest of the round had many ups and downs. the worst down is not worth

mentioning but the biggest up was the highest of my life – Hole No. 18 at pebble

Beach.

Walking up to the tee box I was struck with complete awe. I was so focused on

how beautiful the shoreline and the waves were that I pulled my shot 20 yards

left of my intended target. thankfully, I gave myself 22 yards of room between

the water and where I wanted the ball. My second shot I laid up and put my third

shot pin high, about 20 feet or so right of the flag. this was the most nerve rack-

ing putt I have ever had. the crowd was watching, the silence almost unbear-

able. It was a slick, sweeping putt that could easily turn into a three putt. I lined it

16 Four Corners SportS November 2013

Patrick Gregoire and Fred Couples

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up and let it go and it all happened in slow motion. I

knew as soon as I hit it that it was in. BIRDIE!!!!

The rest of the round was solid. Dan and I shot four-

under par that day, putting us at nine-under par for

the tournament. I didn’t realize how well we had

done until we were in the scoring booth. As soon as I

realized how low we were I knew we could have

made the cut (top 23 pro/junior teams). I immedi-

ately started to check the leader board so see if we

had made it. And yes we did, with a one stroke cush-

ion – once again I was speechless.

The final round of the tournament was very relaxing.

There was no pressure for me to have to make

birdies because my goal for the week was met. That

day was a blur. The course was playing even harder

the last day, so hard that I could not think of any-

thing else but the shot I was on. Before I knew it the

round was over and I had no idea where we stood in

the rankings. It was much better than I thought as

we shot a round of 67 (5-under par). I had no idea

we had done that well.

With that, we ended up tying for sixth place, only

four strokes out of the lead. I was so happy with

how well we played, but at the same time very sad

that it was over.

Overall that was the best week of my life. It could not

have been any better. My confidence has increased

dramatically and I now know that one day I will play

on tour as pro. It has shown me that my game

needs a lot of work, but the tour is not out of my

reach. The First Tee program will get me there – not

only with my physical capabilities, but also the atti-

tude with which the game should be approached.

Thank you, The First Tee!

Patrick Gregoire with Pro Partner Dan Forseman.

18 Four Corners SpORtS November 2013

Much to the excitement of the population in the Four Corners region, ski

season is upon us. With amazing powder already dumping in the San

Juan Mountain Range, 2013 and 2014 should be an epic skiing season.

Durango Mountain resort (aka: Purgatory)

As the trees have turned their fall colors, the snow is arriving at DMR.

With a scheduled opening day set for Friday, Nov. 29, the mountain will

be ready to accommodate thousands of locals and tourists alike.

Season passes are available online and offer a variety of pricing struc-

tures to meet the needs of any individual or family. Adults can obtain a

season pass right now for $929, with college students being able to ski

the entire season for just $609. Once adults purchase a season pass,

children whose parents have passes go for only $199 per child. Seniors

and Super Seniors also receive a discount on passes going for $609 (se-

nior) and $109 (super senior).

Season passes aren’t the only way to go, as daily lift tickets are available

as options for those who love to ski but don’t get up to the mountain as

often as they would like. Adults can purchase full day lift tickets at the re-

sort for $77, while young adults and youth pay $62 and $46 respectively

for the day.

Durango Mountain Resort also offers instruction to all ages from begin-

Time to hit the

Area in for epic ski season

19Four Corners SporTSNovember 2013

Taos

Durango Mountain


ning to intermediate skiers. The most popular pro-

gram involves the youth through the Snow Burners

Program. This youth program, designed for ages 4

through 12, offers world class instruction for 8

weeks starting in January.

For more information regarding the Durango Moun-

tain Resort ski season, please visit their website at

www.durangomountainresort.com or call

970.247.9000.

WOLF CREEK SKI AREA

Further away, yet close to the hearts of Four Cor-

ners ski enthusiasts, is Wolf Creek Ski Area, located

north of Pagosa Springs on Highway 160.

Wolf Creek had a tentative opening day listed as Nov.

8, but has already received a ton of fresh powder

and has been open since late October.

Wolf Creek offers season passes ranging from indi-

viduals ($786) to children/senior passes ($338). Wolf

Creek also offers daily lift tickets for $58 for adults

and $31 for children/seniors.

Wolf Creek also goes above and beyond with Local

Appreciation and College Days where lift tickets for

adults are only $38. The Local Appreciation Days

occur on Nov. 13, 20 and 24, Dec. 11, and Jan. 8, 22

and 26. The College Days for college students with

identification occur on Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and 8, and Jan.

5 and 12. These days also extend to the end of the

ski season.

For more information regarding Wolf Creek Ski Area

please visit their website at www.wolfcreekski.com

or call 970.264.5639.

SILVERTON MOUNTAIN

Located further north of Durango Mountain Resort

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is Silverton Mountain. World class skiing awaits the more accomplished

veterans with guided and unguided skiing on the mountain.

Skiing has already begun at Silverton Mountain as storms have slammed

the area providing a ton of fresh powder.

Many of the passes are sold out at Silverton Mountain, but some options

still remain.

Unguided skiing is available on the mountain for $99 per day, which in-

cludes the lift ticket. Guided skiing services begin on Jan. 10 and last until

March 30; costs are $139 per person.

For more information regarding Silverton Mountain please visit their web-

site at www.silvertonmountain.com or call 970.387.5706.

TAOS SKI RESORT

And for those of you who make the journey to Taos to ski, the season is

scheduled to kick off on Nov. 28, lasting until April 6.

Taos offers discounted season rates (Nov. 28 through Dec. 20 and March

31 through April 6) and in season lift ticket rates. Discounted rates run

from $55 (adults) to $40 (youth) while seniors can ski the full day for only

$45. In-season rates range from $77 (adults) to $47 (youth) and $67 (se-

niors).

Yearly passes are available and can be purchased online at

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22 Four Corners SPoRTS November 2013

Swimming is an excellent opportunity for students to remain active dur-

ing the winter, Four Corners Aquatic Team Head Coach Karen McCay said.

In July, McCay became the head coach of the Four Corners Aquatic Team,

or FCAT, because “it was a serendipitous opportunity.”

“My husband and I love coaching and we always have been involved in

sports. Since our kids were active swimmers, we wanted to make it a

family affair.”

FCAT has a long history, being developed in 1994 when the Farmington

Aquatic Center on Sullivan Avenue opened. In the beginning, the swim

team was operated by the city of Farmington’s Parks and Recreation De-

partment.

by Lauren Duff

Local sanctioned swim, diving teams compete in New Mexico and Colorado

Aquatic Team

Four Corners

24 Four Corners SpOrTS November 2013

Eventually, FCAT became a parent-run club and eventually was sanctioned

as a USA Swimming group. “Being a sanctioned USA group is how you get

on the Olympic teams. It is a great opportunity for high school students.

Even college scouts tend to watch the club circuit rather than the high

schools’ (swim team) circuit,” McCay explained.

Today, FCAT has 67 members who range from ages 6 to 62. The team com-

petes throughout New Mexico and Colorado every other week, in hopes for

the swimmers to qualify for the Western Zones Swimming meet and then

the national championship.

“Swimming is a sport that doesn’t have as many competitors in the region,

so they can get more exposure and even college scholarships,” McCay said.

Many middle and high school students who participate in FCAT also compete

in other school sports.

Heights Middle School Student Stella Sandel has been a part of FCAT for one

year, but also plays volleyball during the school year. “Swimming helps you

stay in shape and it gives you time to relax” after playing volleyball, she said.

“Swimming definitely is an excellent opportunity to give kids’ joints a break.

Many students play baseball, football, and soccer, so swimming can (allevi-

ate) their stressed joints during the winter and help them stay fit for their

upcoming sports,” McCay explained.

FCAT does not only accommodate swimmers, but it also is the second sanc-

tioned diving team in the state. There are 12 registered divers on the team,

one of them being Heights Middle School Student Isaiah DeClusin. “This is

something that helps me get ready for the football season next year,” he

said.

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Along with staying fit and healthy, the swimming

team also offers students a chance to catch up

with friends.

“This lets me stay involved and it is social. I don’t

like the feeling of sitting at home,” Sandel said.

“There are a lot of friends there you can hang out

with,” said Matthew Hattabaugh, Heights Middle

School student.

FCAT is in the process of certifying two new as-

sistant coaches, said McCay, adding it is time-con-

suming to become a qualified coach. “There are

25 hours of training and examinations that you

have to go through, and that is if you are already

a certified lifeguard.”

These assistant coaches are Tori Ward, who was

a FCAT swimmer and competed in the Western

Zones Swimming meet and Jensen Litke, who was

part of the Farmington High School swim team.

If interested in joining FCAT, McCay said to come

to the Aquatic Center weeknights or call her at

505.686.2772. “We partner with the city to provide

a free two-week trial for any kids who want to

join.”

After the two-week trial, members then must pay

a $60 USA Swimming registration fee, a $50 one-

time fee, and then monthly fees, which are based

on the athlete’s competition level.

“We have an outreach program that reduces

registration and monthly dues for families who

have socioeconomic disadvantages. No kids are

kept out of the water for any reason,” McCay

said.

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by Debra Mayeux l photography by Josh Bishop

running for their lives159 runners face zombie horde at SJC 5k run

People were running for their lives Oct. 26 on a

5k course filled with obstacles and terrifying

zombies.

It was the San Juan College Zombie Run set

against the backdrop of the college’s fire tower,

where burnt our cars litter the grounds and a

large burned structure hangs over the course.

The 159 runners had to avoid being attacked by

some 90 zombies while running through three

obstacles and completing a 5 kilometer race.

“The zombies might have been a little thick out

there,” said J.D. Tanner, race coordinator, who

pointed out that themed-races are big in the

race world today.

Tanner set the race against the fire tower, be-

cause of its “apocalyptic feel.” He also helped set

up the obstacles which included a tunnel to

crawl through, a wall to climb and a maze.

Each runner was outfitted with two flags that

they had to keep attached to their belt through-

out the race. If the zombies managed to take the

flags, racers were presumed dead and would

not be eligible for prizes.

Chris Wechsler, 28, of Albuquerque, did every-

thing he could to avoid dying in this race. He

was the first runner to cross the finish line with

a time 23 minutes and six seconds, and he re-

tained one of his flags. He said he had to jump

over one zombie and run from others.

“A guy grabbed my shirt and held me,” Wechsler

said. “I had zombies chase me for a quarter mile.

It was pretty tough.”

Wechsler is a full-time student in training for the

Tough Mudder. He is studying to be a wild land

firefighter and wants to work as in mountain

rescue. He runs with his two friends, Matt

Hickey, 23, and Ryan Gatheright, 27. This was

their fourth race this summer.

The three also participated in the Dirty Dash, the

Warrior Dash and the Ultimate Gladiator Dash.

“The Dirty Dash was

my favorite – there

were obstacles

every-

where,”

Gatheright said.

Wechsler enjoyed the San Juan College run. “I’ve

never done a zombie run, and it sounded fun,” he

said.

They learned about the event from Hickey’s

brother who was one of the zombies. There were

several community groups, such as the Animas

Roller Girls and JROTC troops that dressed up as

zombies to assist with the event.

Following the actual run, there was a Zombie

Walk for the entire family. It was a one-mile

course that included zombies jumping out and

chasing walkers, who also had to make their

way through a maze-type obstacle.

“It was all here for fun,” Tanner said.

27Four Corners SPORTSNovember 2013

The current flows on the San Juan are 250cfs. Fishing has been good despite the lower

than usual flows. Keep in mind that the concentration of fish has moved from the shal-

low flats to the deeper slower pools.

Some of the hot patterns to try are a size 20 yellow egg pattern followed by the size 22

cream colored larvae. Another rig to try is a size 22 gray midge emerger trailed by the

size 22 chocolate midge pupae. Also consider fishing some sort of streamer patterns –

for example, a size 8 black or olive wooly bugger. Dry fly fishing has been fair in the after-

noon. Size 20 griffiths knat and a size 22 CDC BWO have been the most effective.

The fishing in the catch and keep water has been good for mostly small rainbows. Using

night crawlers and salmon eggs has been effective.

FishingREPORT

FishingREPORT

T.J. Massey

San Juan River Outfitters

www.sanjuanriveroutfitters.com

505.486.5347

Salmon snagging has been in full season at New Mex-

ico’s second largest lake since the beginning of October.

The season runs Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 at the lake,

which has been busy since the beginning of October, ac-

cording to state parks officials.

Snagging is a fishing method that involves catching a

fish using hooks without bait. The hook is tossed into

the water to “snag” the fish and pull it out. While this

method is not always legal, when it comes to catching

salmon in the winter, it is a tradition of sorts in New

Mexico.

“It’s a long-standing tradition and great way to stock

the freezer,” said Marc Wethington, Fisheries Biologist

for the state Department of Game and Fish in a pub-

lished report about snagging. “But it’s not for the faint

of heart.”

The salmon are coming into certain areas of the lake in

order to spawn. The state’s kokanee salmon are land-

locked and once they reach the age of four, they mass

in schools to spawn. The kokanee need river conditions

to reproduce and without running water, they do

not find success in New

Mexico lakes. Once they attempt to spawn, they begin to

die off, and that is why snagging is allowed.

The state allowed the use of heavily weighted treble

hooks to snare the fish at Navajo, El Vado, Abiquiu and

Eagle Nest lakes, beginning Oct. 1, and beginning Nov. 15

at Heron Lake and Willow Creek. Fishermen are al-

lowed to catch and keep 12 salmon each day.

There are areas, however, at Navajo Dam that are

closed to snagging, because of low water levels. The

New Mexico State Parks Division closed the Pine and

Sims Mesa Boat Ramp areas, including the “No Wake”

zones, to fishing and salmon snagging. The closure will

be in effect until Dec. 31. The rest of the lake remains

open to snagging from boats and the shore, including

the dam face from the spillway to the far corner of the

dam.

For more information about New Mexico’s kokanee

salmon seasons consult the New Mexico Fishing Rules

and Information booklet, available at license vendors

and on the Department of Game and Fish website,

www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

Navajo Lake kokanee

season in full swing

by Debra Mayeux


On Oct. 5 the Piedra Vista cross country teams

traveled to Mesa, Ariz., to compete in the Desert

Twilight Cross Country Festival. The meet gave

the Panthers a unique opportunity to challenge

themselves against the best runners in the

Southwest.

The festival ran 22 different races from small

school freshman and junior varsity races to the

elite class races all running in perfect time of 15-

minute intervals occasionally putting three races

on the course simultaneously. The Panthers were

joined by Durango’s cross country teams as well

as Rio Rancho, St. Michaels, St. Pius and Los

Alamos. All in all, the meet ran with 183 teams

from 152 schools with over 5,500 runners.

Along with elite teams from New Mexico, Arizona

and Colorado, there were numerous teams from

California as well as the Virginia state champions

from Lake Braddford. For some teams it was a

unique opportunity to run in a race under the

lights at Toka Stick Golf Course, which of course

is absolutely necessary in the Arizona heat.

The local and New Mexico squads fared incredi-

bly well with St. Pius and Durango winning the

large school freshman and JV meets. The varsity

teams had a choice of running in the large school

varsity, championship brackets or the open elite

sweepstakes run.

Rio Rancho high school ran four teams in the var-

sity meets with their boys’ JV squad finishing 4th

in the large school division and their JV girls fin-

ishing 6th in the large school race. The St.

Michaels boys finished 8th in the boys’ champi-

onship race with the Piedra Vista girls finishing

7th in the girls’ championship race.

In the Elite Sweepstake races the Los Alamos

girls finished fourth in the sweepstakes race,

just behind Lake Braddock and the defending Ari-

zona State champions from Xavier. St. Pius fin-

ished in 7th, with Rio Rancho 8th and Durango

12th

In the boys’ Elite Sweepstakes run Los Alamos

and Rio Rancho finished in top ten placing 8th

and 10th respectively. Piedra Vista finished in

12th with Durango right behind in 13th

Individually for the Panthers, Harrison Fleming

finished 13th and Timberlin Henderson came in

16th in the Elite Sweepstakes class. For the

girls, Paris Chee, Cassandra Crowell and Payton

Kee finished in top 50 out of 275 racers in their

class.

by Rick Hoerner l photography by Rick Hoerner

PV cross countryteams compete in Mesa, Ariz. festival

TwilightDese r t


The Bloomfield High School Boys Soccer Team won the district championship after going undefeated for 10 games against 6 different teams. This gave the team a ranking of No.

7 in the state, as the boys enter the battle for the State Championship. Bloomfield’s Ethan Martin kicks the ball in a recent game.

Bloomfield battles for state title

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DAvIDRODRIQUEZI was born and raised in Bloomfield.

I was out of the area for 12 years but returned in 1992.

My wife, Joann, and I have been married for 20 years.

Has 5 children, David (age 17), Adam (age 15), Rebecca (age 13),

Rachel (age 8), and Peter (age 4).

Just started 21st year officiating basketball

Received a 20-year pin from the New Mexico Athletic Association

When I moved back to the area in 1992, I had a family friendwho was officiating (he still is) and he recruited me. I washooked after my first game.

The most difficult part of officiating is finding the time. Rais-ing five children during this period and officiating has been,at times, difficult. I am blessed with a spouse who has nevercomplained about the amount of time I spent officiating. Asthe children got older, I was able to take them with me.Game officials cannot do it for the game fees; they have todo it for the love of the game and to stay involved.

The job has change over my career in a positive ways. Offi-cials at the high school varsity level are evaluated numeroustimes during the season. It was not always like that. Theevaluations are real eye-openers and are designed to buildconsistency within the state. The evaluation dates and timesare usually not known, so I enter each game assuming I willbe evaluated.

There have not really been any big rule changes in the game.Officiating mechanics have changed over the years, but itdoesn’t really affect the game itself. I have noticed that therehas been an emphasis over the last several years on sports-manship. Better sportsmanship is needed all across theboard – players, coaches, fans, and administrators. I dohave to say that I have had minimal sportsmanship issues inthis area.

There is no difference on how I officiate at a boys’ gamecompared to a girls’ game. The rules are the same for both.The game is just as important to each participant, coach,and fan.

The most difficult single call that I have to make in a gameis, by far, the block/charge call. I believe this is the one callthat a majority of officials would say is the most difficult. Po-sitioning is the key. An official needs to be in the proper po-sition and obtain appropriate angles to make this call.

The mostmemorable game that I’ve officiated was the 3A State Cham-pionship game a couple of years ago between St. Michael’sHigh and Hope High School. It was at the University Arena,The Pit, and the arena was almost full. Our officiating crewhad some timing issues at the end of the game but we cametogether and, I believe, resolved the issue.

It can be difficult to juggle being a fan for my children andbeing an official. I have children who play basketball at thehigh school level and at the Boys and Girls Club. As a parent,I want my children to do well and really don’t worry aboutthe officiating. Like any fan, I don’t always agree with everycall, but as an official, I understand the situation the officialsare in.

In the beginning, my family had negative reactions whenthey attended games with me and fans or coaches directednegative comment towards me. As the years go by, theyaren’t as negative because they see that it doesn’t have animpact on me. I don’t dwell on these comments and so myfamily doesn’t either. With every whistle, half of the fans arehappy and half are not. An official has to understand thatand has to have a thick skin.

The funniest line I’ve heard came from a fan. I was workingwith an official who was running for public office locally.During a time-out, we were standing at our proper positions.It was a close game and the one official had made a contro-versial call right before the time-out. The cheerleaders andthe band had stopped and it was fairly quiet. A fan from thestands yelled, “Hey ref (used his name), you just lost myvote.” The gym erupted in laughter.

How did you first get involved in officiating? 1

What is the most difficult part of officiating? 2

How has the job changed over your career? 3

What has been the biggest rule change in the game? 4

Is there a difference in how you officiate boys’ games as

compared to the girls?

5

What game was the most memorable game

at which you’ve officiated?

8

How do you juggle being a fan for your child

and being in the officiating fraternity?

9

What is the funniest line you’ve ever heardfrom a fan or coach?

10

What is the most difficult single call you have

to make in a game?

7

What is the most difficult single call you have to make in a

game?

6

31Four Corners SPORTSNovember 2013

November kicks off the winter prep season as bas-

ketball and wrestling teams get their seasons going.

This district’s wrestling has been dominant over the

past few seasons with all four district teams per-

forming strong on one year or another. Piedra Vista

has led the way with three consecutive state cham-

pionships. Last season on the basketball court the

local squads were down with no teams finishing in

the top half of the seeding and hosting a home

game.

Boys’ Basketball

Farmington is the defending district champs, but

lost the bulk of its scoring in Matt Huffines and Josh

Castillo Miller to graduation. Kyle Reynolds is really

the only returning player with varsity experience,

leaving Coach Corley to rely heavily on young, inex-

perienced players.

The early favorite should be the Kirtland Central

Broncos who have the most dominant player in the

district in big man Christian Mackey. If the Broncos

can improve their guard play from last season, they

could be a force to deal with come March.

Piedra Vista, like Farmington, lost the bulk of its

scoring from Tyler Jaquez and Jacob Armijo to grad-

uation and will depend on a young team led by Troy

Dixon – and will need solid play from new varsity

players Orion Kaminky, Alonso Ariza and inside pres-

ence from Dillon Mason.

Exciting season ahead as games start to rev up

Prep

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THE FIELD.

The Aztec Tigers will have a new head coach yet again, looking to get some pro-

gram consistency as veteran head coach Tony Dinallo takes over the reins. Di-

nallo coached Bloomfield in 1980s, Hot Springs in the 1990s and opened Piedra

Vista as the boys head coach in 1998. Troy Choman and Alvin Harvey will have to

lead what is another young inexperienced district squad.

Predictions:

1. Kirtland Central

2. Piedra Vista

3. Farmington

4. Aztec

Wrestling

With the three-time defending state champs in the district, everyone else may be

playing catch-up. Piedra Vista has been state dominant over the past three sea-

sons and looks to be the team to beat again this season. The Panthers will be es-

pecially strong in the lower weights where they return state champs Anthony

Jukes, Jacob Palmgren and Ryan Rino.

Despite losing state champion Aaron Lucero and state runner-up Brad Hardin,

the Aztec Tigers will continue to be a solid squad. Farmington has a new head

coach and Kirtland Central will continue to be a little overmatched.

Predictions:

1. Piedra Vista

2. Aztec

3. Farmington

4. Kirtland Central

Girls’ Basketball

Kirtland girls’ basketball coach Kevin Holman must feel like the Grand Old Man of

the district. In only his fourth year at the helm, he is the only returning head

coach in District 1AAAA. Holman’s Broncos have been the only school to win the

district in going on a decade and will be the favorite until someone proves other-

wise.

Piedra Vista begins a new era under former assistant Joe Reed, with eight of

their first ten players returning from last year’s team. Kaleigh Graham should

be the dominant inside force of the district. If the Panthers can find some out-

side guard play, they could be very solid.

Aztec will also be taking a new direction with Robert McCaskill taking over the

Tigers. Aztec should have a very athletic team led by Morgan Smith and Autumn

Sutherland who have been three-year starters.

Danny Secrest takes over last year’s 3-20 squad at Farmington that was incredi-

bly young, playing five freshman on the varsity squad. Secrest played for Scor-

pion legend Marv Sanders, so expect a little more defensive pressure and more

offensive motion,

Predictions:

1. Kirtland Central

2. Piedra Vista

3. Aztec

4. Farmington

The start of winter sports is just a few weeks away and it should be another ex-

citing season in San Juan County. Get out and enjoy some games.

33Four Corners SPortSNovember 2013

after asking the head coaches in District 1aaaa for a

list of athletes to watch for in the 2013-2014, here is

a list of the names that appeared most often.

Christian Mackey, Senior Kirtland Central Broncos – Athree sport athleteparticipating in foot-ball, basketball andtrack, Mackey is adominating pres-ence on the Broncosoffensive and defen-sive lines in football.During the winterseason Mackey willbe the preseason fa-vorite for districtPlayer of the Yearand should leadKirtland to a spot inthe state tourna-ment. Mackey is alsothe defending statechampion in both the shot put and the discus andshould be the favorite to repeat, making Mackey one tofollow all though the 2013-2014 school year.

Beau Clafton, Senior Piedra Vista Panthers – Clafton willbe a strong candidate for Player of the Year in football

this season. Last yearClafton was an all-district offensive anddefensive player aswell as the specialteams player of theyear for District1AAAA. Beau finishedhis junior season withstate championshipsin the javelin and the4 x100 relay team.He should also bethe district favorite inthe 100-meter nexttrack season afterfinishing 4th at statethis year.

Zhianna Flores, Senior Piedra Vista Panthers – Althoughyou won’t hear anything about Zhianna until this spring,the Panther senior should continue as a dominant trackperformer at a national level. Flores already holds thestate record in the 300-meter hurdles and, despite beingdisqualified in the 100 meter, her 11.92 in the preliminar-ies would put her in the Top 5 in Texas and in 12th at thisyear’s Pac 12 championships. Flores could be the mostdecorated track athlete in the Four Corners since MarioSategna

Kyle Reynolds, Sen-ior Farmington Scor-pions – Athree-sport athletein basketball, foot-ball and track,Reynolds will beFarmington’s bestthreat in the fallfootball season andwill have big shoesto fill in the basket-ball season as theonly returning var-sity player with ex-perience for thereturning districtchamps

ChriStianMACKEYKirtland Central high School

Up comingand

BeauCLAFTONPiedra Vista high School

KyleREYNOLDSFarmington high School

ZhiannaFLORESPiedra Vista high School

Anthony Juckes, Junior Piedra Vista Panthers – A mem-ber of all three PVstate wrestlingchampionships,Juckes will have theunique opportunityto be a five-time in-dividual state cham-pion. Only fourwrestlers in the his-tory of New Mexicowrestling have ac-complished thatfeat. Juckes also hasa chance to lead PVto a fourth consecu-tive team title in hisjunior year.

Morgan Smith, SeniorAztec Tigers – Smith,a three-sport andsometime four-sportathlete has been a bigpart of the Tiger’ssoccer and basketballteams. In the fall,Smith has participatedin soccer and crosscountry at the sametime. She is a three-year starter in basket-ball and this year wasthe state champion inpole vault as part ofthe Tiger’s statechampionship team

Kaleigh Graham,Senior Piedra VistaPanthers – Grahamwill be starting herfifth year on thePanther varsity bas-ketball team and isa favorite as districtPlayer of the Year.Graham also tookup track her junioryear placing 3rd atstate in the shotput, making her afavorite in thethrows next year

Ashley Schultz, Sen-ior FarmingtonScorpions – Schultzis the setter for theresurgent Scorpionvolleyball team andwill lead Farmingtonas they attempt tounseed PV this fall.In the springSchultz will help theFarmington sprint-ers in relays andthe 100 and 200.

Harrison Fleming,Senior Piedra VistaPanthers – Harrisonwill take over thereins from BrandonLevi as the leader ofthe Panther crosscountry team andthe track team’sdominance in thelong distances. Ex-pect Fleming to bethe district favoritefor the individualcross country cham-pionship and try totake PV to a spot onthe podium at stateafter sitting in 4th the past two years.

Keeshawna Ocker-man, Senior KirtlandCentral Broncos –Ockerman will have atough role to fill thisyear taking the placeof Taylor Billey asthe leader of theLady Broncos bas-ketball team. Ocker-man will also leadthe volleyball teamin the fall as they tryto get back to chal-lenging PV for thetop spot in district.

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antHonyJUCKESPiedra Vista High School

34 Four Corners SPortS November 2013

aSHleySCHULTZFarmington High School

KeeSHawnaOCKERMANKirtland Central High School

HarriSonFLEMINGPiedra Vista High School

KaleigHGRAHAMPiedra Vista High School

MorganSMITHaztec High School

Four Corners Sports November 2013

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Transcript of Four Corners Sports November 2013