New Mexico is the No. 1 women’s cross country team in the nation, according to the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll. UNM overtook Iowa State sits for the top spot in the poll, which was released Tuesday. The Lobo women accumulated 354 points, including eight first-place points, for the top ranking.
Shaky play in UNM’s 40-21 loss to Tulsa on Saturday night left New Mexico’s offense exposed. Things started out just right for New Mexico as the squad strutted down the field on a six-play, 75-yard drive in under three minutes. However, not many drives after that went as smoothly as the first series of the game. Part of the problem for the Lobos was at the line of scrimmage, head coach Bob Davie said. The dive play was not working, which limited how much his offense could do after Tulsa took away a major component of New Mexico’s ground game.
Sometimes people don’t realize the leadership skills they have or the impact they can make until later in life. For one student, some of the low points he experienced may have been exactly what forged his abilities as a leader. Clifford Kindred, a sophomore business administration major, is the team captain and alumni coordinator for the UNM men’s rugby team. Kindred said he moved to Albuquerque from Colorado in 2009 and was excited to play football and start school. Along the way, Kindred said, he started experimenting with drugs and going down the wrong path.
They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but maybe the better strategy would be to become stronger before you get hurt. This is where strength and conditioning coaches come into play. These coaches, also known as sports performance coaches, work with a specific athletics coach to design programs that meet the particular needs of an athlete or team. In other words, their job is to combine the theory of training with the actual act of training.
Keeping local talent in New Mexico has been a priority for many UNM athletics programs. Recruiting in-house allows players to remain close to family members while also providing another level of excitement for the fan base. Jeff Nelson, head coach of UNM’s volleyball team, said he has experienced first-hand what it means to feature New Mexico-based players on his roster.
Heather Dyche never coached a NCAA Division I soccer team before the 2015 season, but that doesn't diminish her qualifications. She’s been around the game for quite a while. A coach licensed with organizations like the U.S. Soccer Federation, CONCACAF, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, the Albuquerque native also served as an assistant for the U14 U.S. national team. Her playing days included a stop at Florida State University.
Until Saturday, UNM had been one of the most disciplined teams in the country. However, New Mexico committed 14 penalties that cost them a total of 154 yards in a 40-21 loss to Tulsa at University Stadium.
New Mexico kept pace for two sets against the number six team in the nation despite falling 3-0 to USC on Friday night. The Trojans have swept the last nine teams they have faced, only dropping one set to North Carolina in the first match of the season. UNM (4-4) had no answer for Samantha Bricio, who collected 21 kills on 39 attempts.
Junior midfielder Christopher Wehan once again came to the rescue scoring his fifth goal of the season, giving the UNM Lobos (2-1-1) a 1-0 overtime win against the Cal State Northridge Matadors (1-3-0). This was an even game when it came to shots, at least on paper.
The first leg of New Mexico's trip to the Big Ten ended with a 1-0 loss to Minnesota on Friday night. The Lobos found themselves in an early hole when Golden Gopher Maddie Gaffney scored an unassisted goal from 25 yards out 11 minutes into the game.
Traditionally, the New Mexico women’s soccer team hasn’t fared well against the Big Ten Conference.
New Mexico’s start to the 2015 campaign has been far from a stroll in the park. The Lobos have had no time to ease into the season, as head coach Jeff Nelson created an opening schedule against some fierce opponents. However, Nelson said his squad’s upcoming trip to Southern California will be unlike the previous two tournaments of the year.
The No. 21 UNM men’s soccer team will travel to California this weekend to take on two more opponents: the Cal State Northridge Matadors, and the Loyola Marymount Lions. This past weekend, the Lobos (1-1-1) played in the Grange & Ashwill Memorial Invitational and became co-champions, along with the University of Denver (3-0-1). The Lobos finished the tournament with a 2-2 draw with then-No. 18 San Diego and a 2-1 win against UC Santa Barbara.
Now it’s time for the real season to begin. A week after New Mexico dismantled Football Championship Subdivision member Mississippi Valley State 66-0, the Lobos will get their first real taste of competition when they host Tulsa on Saturday at University Stadium.
The UNM men’s soccer team got its first win of the season Sunday night after defeating No. 19 UC Santa Barbara 2-1. This win was made possible thanks to redshirt junior midfielder Christopher Wehan’s second brace of the weekend. The first half of the match was even in shots, with six coming from each side. But the Gauchos took a 1-0 lead during the 23rd minute when sophomore forward Ahinga Selemani struck from about 22 yards away.
Head coach Jeff Nelson hit a major milestone in his 21st season coaching collegiate volleyball, garnering win No. 400 in a 3-0 sweep against the Broncos on Friday night. Nelson has made his presence felt throughout his 20-plus years as a head volleyball coach. In his ninth season as head coach for New Mexico, Nelson has put up an impressive 159-89 record during his tenure.
New Mexico’s defense showed no growing pains showcasing its new nickel defense in a 66-0 rout over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night at University Stadium. UNM sent consistent pressure throughout the night in the season opener against MVSU’s dual quarterback system, never allowing any kind of rhythm for the Delta Devils. Head coach Bob Davie said he doesn’t take anything for granted after his team blew out the visiting Delta Devils, but said it was hard to tell how well his defense actually performed.
New Mexico sophomore running back Daryl Chestnut didn’t need much time to show off his skills. In the third quarter Chestnut took his first career handoff up the middle and used his speed to outrace the defense for a 64-yard touchdown.
New Mexico was more than disappointed after a 2-2 draw against San Diego on Friday night at the UNM Soccer Complex.
New Mexico was able to celebrate Jeff Nelson’s 400th career victory in a competitive 3-0 sweep over the Santa Clara Broncos Friday night at the Johnson Center. Although UNM didn’t fall in a single set against the Santa Clara, the Lobos’ first victory at home did not come easily. “They play a really fast offense that’s hard to play against, but our kids handled well,” Nelson said.
Solutions by The State News
