Even though the season ended on Saturday, the UNM cross country team wasn’t done bringing home hardware. Head Coach Joe Franklin was named NCAA Division I National Women’s Coach of the Year on Tuesday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Whatever lulls in energy New Mexico had last Saturday against USC continued into Wednesday night at WisePies Arena.
There isn’t much time to relax for head coaches around the holidays. Some still have a full season ahead; others are planning recruiting trips around the country; and a few of them are concerned about their jobs. A new car or suit may keep their spirits up for a day or two, but that’s not the gift that keeps their hopes high.
Sometimes people have a difficult time finding a holiday gift for friends or loved ones they feel are particularly hard to shop for. Before there is no more time left on the clock, here are some ideas that might help find the perfect gift for the avid sports fan in your life.
New Mexico flexed its muscles from the bench on the way to an 83-43 rout over visiting Nicholls State on Tuesday night. Two minutes into the first quarter, head coach Yvonne Sanchez had to resort to the backups after senior Khadijah Shumpert headed to the bench with two fouls. The head coach didn’t need to call on her dominant force down low for the remainder of the first half.
Starters Tim Williams, Cullen Neal, Obij Aget and Elijah have established themselves through four games as regular contributors
The weight of New Mexico’s Mountain West title dreams rested on the shoulder pads of redshirt sophomore quarterback Lamar Jordan late in Saturday’s 28-21 loss to Colorado State. It was fourth down and 5 on the CSU 49, and UNM trailed by seven as Jordan dropped back to pass, running the Lobos’ two-minute offense. The scrambling New Mexico signal caller stepped up in the pocket and took off toward the first down sticks on the left side of the gridiron, easily picking up the first down and stopping the clock in the process.
Women’s cross country’s finished the season on Saturday the same way it started: as the best in the nation. The team captured its first national championship by winning the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at ‘Tom’ Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky. It is also UNM’s second national title in any sport, joining the 2004 skiing national champions.
Despite two double-doubles from forward Tim Williams and center Obij Aget, New Mexico could not overcome a 21-point deficit in Saturday’s 90-82 loss at Southern California. Williams led the Lobos (3-1) in scoring for the second straight game, netting 25 points. He also pulled down 15 rebounds, the most since Alex Kirk had 16 in 2013. Aget finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The UNM Board of Regents on Friday approved the next phase of renovations at Lobo Field: a clubhouse for the baseball team. By a unanimous decision the regents voted for the design, construction and lease for the R.D. and Joan Dale Hubbard Baseball Clubhouse. According to a memo provided to the regents, the 5,764-square-foot clubhouse will feature a locker room, players’ lounge, training and hydrotherapy rooms, restroom facilities and showers, coaches’ offices and stairs leading to a second-floor deck.
New Mexico relied on its strengths in the paint in an 84-71 win against the unorthodox playing style of Sacramento State. The Lobos had a lot to prepare for in a short amount of time when taking on the Hornets. Sac State Head coach Bunky Harkleroad runs an offensive scheme that keeps his players on fresh legs at all times. Harkleroad regularly subs five players in at a time, providing consistent relief for his bench and starters.
New Mexico’s defense still doesn’t have an answer for Colorado State. For the third straight year, the Rams' offense overwhelmed the Lobos in a 28-21 loss at University Stadium Saturday in front of 21,642 fans. CSU racked up 485 total yards of offense, didn’t punt once, and all but one of the Rams' drives ended in UNM territory.
New Mexico has higher aspirations after earning its first bowl berth in nearly a decade. The Lobos next goal is a simple one: reach the Mountain West Championship game. That goal is well within reach for UNM after upsetting Utah State and Boise State in back-to-back weeks. UNM needs just two more home wins in order to earn a spot in the conference title match.
Strong guard play propelled New Mexico in its first two games. A dominant post presence secured the third. Pick your poison, says New Mexico head coach Craig Neal.
Even with the revelation that he will never play competitive basketball again, Devon Williams kept a smile on his face Thursday afternoon. Williams, a forward on the New Mexico men’s basketball team, addressed the media for the first time Thursday after hearing a recommendation that he stop playing basketball due to congenital spinal stenosis. He remained positive about his situation, repeatedly saying he was blessed throughout the press conference. “I'm feeling better,” Williams said. “I'm starting to heal. It's not really hurting as much as the initial impact. I've been recovering.”
New Mexico has its sights on its first national cross country title. The NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships are just days away. On Saturday, the top-ranked women’s cross country team will be one of 31 schools competing for a national championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Lobos won this game for Devon Williams. Following New Mexico’s 75-51 victory over Loyola-Chicago in the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, head coach Craig Neal said Williams will not play basketball again after it was discovered he has congenital spinal stenosis. “Today was a really hard day,” a choked-up Neal said in his postgame press conference. “Wow. It was probably the hardest day I’ve had in a long time, telling one of your sons or telling one of your kids he can’t play the game they love.”
It’s no secret that attendance at New Mexico football games has been lackluster. In recent memory, the Lobos haven’t given fans much reason to show up to University Stadium. Not until this season, at least. With the Lobos two wins away from earning a spot in the Mountain West Championship game, UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs wrote an open letter to fans imploring them to attend the final two home games of the season.
Wednesday night couldn’t have ended more fittingly as UNM fans bid farewell to the three volleyball seniors in a 3-0 sweep over Utah State. Facing match point, senior setter Hannah Johnson lofted up a ball to fellow senior middle blocker Skye Gullatt who dropped the ball on the hardwood for the final action of the 2015 season in Johnson Center. While the Lobos have two remaining games on their schedule, UNM’s home court will be absent from action until next fall.
A fairy tale ending carrying UNM’s three seniors into the NCAA tournament to bid farewell to their collegiate careers is out of question. However, individual milestones prove there is still a lot to play for down their final stretch on the hardwood. Wednesday night will be the last night senior setter Hannah Johnson steps onto the court in Johnson Center. She currently resides in second place in program history on the all-time assists list. The senior currently has 4,046, just 128 behind Jade Anderson. The setter is also within striking distance of another UNM milestone as she is just 31 digs away from claiming 1,000 digs.
Solutions by The State News
