content Don Vaughan PuBlISHER
Cindy Cowan Thiele EDITOR
Rick Hoerner Tom Yost Dorothy Nobis CONTRIBuTING WRITERS
Curtis Benally Josh Bishop CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Suzanne Thurman DESIGNER
Shelly Acosta Clint Alexander Aimee Velasquez SAlES STAFF For advertising information Call 505.516.1230
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STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS Please send to editor@majesticmediausa.com We’ve got more photos than we can use. Check out the photo gallery for each issue at www.fourcornerssports.com Majestic Media 100 W. Apache Street Farmington, NM 87401 505.516.1230 www.majesticmediausa.com Four Corners Sports magazine is published once a month by Majestic Media. Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Four Corners Sports magazine. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or ommissions. © 2014 Four Corners Sports magazine.
|4| Bike swim run Tibbetts’ vocation might be optometry, but her passion is running – and swimming and bicycling. And, at 60 years of age – a time when many people start slowing down – Tibbetts continues to train and compete in events throughout the world.
|8| District soccer The NMAA Class 5A District 1 season came to a close. Farmington High School boys and the Aztec High School girls teams dominated with undefeated records throughout district play.
| 24 | Raymond Torres’ journal
| 12 | Father coach player son
So the first day was great. I met many of The First Tee leaders. laura Diaz, The First Tee Home Office Supervisor for Participant Opportunities and logistics, was great to have around.
Denney is about to lose one of his best players and one of the best soccer players in the state of New Mexico to graduation. What makes it tougher is that it is his own son, Joseph, whom he has coached since he was 4 years old.
| 26 | Winter prep sports
| 16 | Bullriding
Just a short decade ago this county was the home to state championships in boys and girls basketball as well as wrestling. This made San Juan County the home of winter sport champions.
When Casper Baca brings his Bullriding Extraordinaire to McGee Park, Nov. 28 and 29, it will be the 31st year of accomplishing what naysayers said couldn’t be done.
| 20 | Rick’s column
| 18 | Nascar Nellie This is the first year for the new “chase format” for NASCAR, which NN isn’t sure she likes. She’d prob’ly like it better if Junior were in the running, but he’s not, so NN questions the call of the NASCAR gods to switch the championship up by having “eliminations.”
| 21 | Fishing report | 28 | Ski season Recognized as a Top 10 Emerging Ski Town in North America by National Geographic in 2012-2013, DMR has become a destination for great skiing.
| 23 | First Tee 2014 filled with great programs, memorable moment.
covercredit Josh Bishop
| 33 | Phil Valdez | 34 | 10 questions
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BIKE SWIM RUN World-class triathlete Cathy Tibbetts
has no plans to slow down Story by Dorothy Nobis | Courtesy photos Cathy Tibbetts enjoys her work as an optometrist at the East Main Wal-Mart in Farmington. She enjoys her patients, the work and the flexibility in the hours she works. Tibbetts’ vocation might be optometry, but her passion is running – and swimming and bicycling. And, at 60 years of age – a time when many people start slowing down – Tibbetts continues to train and com-
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December 2014
pete in events throughout the world. Tibbetts didn’t begin running until after she graduated from college, went to work and paid off her student loans. “Women in sports wasn’t happening when I was growing up,” she said. “If you were interested in sports, you had to be a cheerleader.” Not willing to be a cheerleader, Tibbetts put her sports aspirations
:
Cathy Tibbetts, (second from the left) at the Hawaii Ironman Wolrd Championships.
Trips to the podium Being on a podium is nothing new to Cathy Tibbetts. In 2014 alone (as of November), Tibbetts has stood on the podium five times: • 4th in her age division at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships • 1st in her age division at the Ironman Texas • 1st in her age division at Ironman 70.3 Panama • 2nd in her age division at Ironman 70.3 World Championships Mont-Tremblant •1st in her age division in Ironman Florida. Tibbetts is currently the number one ranked
athlete in the world for her age group by the World Triathlon Corporation who puts on Ironman triathlons. With that success, one would wonder why Tibbetts isn’t a professional athlete. “That ship sailed about 30 years ago,” she said, “before I ever started doing any of this. I’m not fast enough at age 60.” Giving up competing, however, isn’t in Tibbetts’ immediate plans. ”There are some years where I may not train as hard and not be as competitive, but then I look for destination races at places I want to go,” she said. “So this could go on for a while.” December 2014
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Farmington is a wonderful place to live and to train. There’s no congestion on the trails and it’s beautiful. – Cathy Tibbetts
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on hold. When she moved to Farmington, the great weather, the seemingly endless number of trails, the abundance of good gyms available and several swimming pools enticed Tibbetts to revive those aspirations and begin living her dream. “Farmington is a wonderful place to live and to train,” Tibbetts said. “There’s no congestion on the trails and it’s beautiful.” Tibbetts, who had been a swimmer most of her life, discovered she loved running. In 1995, she took first place overall female in the Monument Valley 50 Miler. In 1996, she took first place overall female in the Shiprock Marathon. In 1997, she added a third place finish in the USAT&F National Masters Championships 50k Trail Run, in 1998, she set a course record as the first masters female to win in the Mountain Mist 50 Miler. Tibbetts ran many races during those years and placed in most of them. In 2000, Tibbetts placed third in the overall female division of the Marathon des Sables and, in the years since, has continued to compete, with triathlons her competition of choice. With the burning desire to successfully
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Scorps, Tigers dominate prep soccer
Photo courtesy Byron Farnsworth
FHS boys, Aztec girls go undefeated in district 1 Story by Tom Yost | Courtesy photos the NMAA Class 5A District 1 season came to a close. Farmington High School boys and the Aztec High School girls teams dominated with undefeated records throughout district play. “We have a great group of boys that I get to coach this year,” said Farmington High School boys coach Byron Farnsworth. “they are very dedicated and hard-working. Winning district was a goal we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the season.” “I feel like the girls have come together and are peaking at the right
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December 2014
time,” said Aztec High School girls soccer coach Stephen Parks. “We went undefeated and un-scored on in district and I feel like we keep improving. I couldn’t ask for us to be in a better situation right now heading into the state tournament.” As they head to the state competition, the Aztec girls will be No. 2 seed and will be joined by Farmington girls as the No. 4 seed and Piedra Vista girls as the No. 7 seed in the bracket. Farmington High School was the only boys team to make the final 12
Photo courtesy Louveko McDonald
and are seeded No. 4 in the Class 5A state tournament. Both the Farmington boys and the Aztec girls teams share similarities in that they lost to teams seeded higher than themselves earlier in the season in closely contested games. “Last weekend our 1-0 double overtime win against Academy was a huge boost,” explained Farnsworth. “Beating Academy was a big jump for us and it solidified in the boys’ minds that we have all this talent and we have done all this work and it finally paid off. that game being
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so close to state was a big boost for our boys. We have faced the top teams in state this year and that win put us over the hump and opened their eyes to the fact that we can’t be satisfied losing these close games anymore.” Aztec’s situation is slightly different as they were still overcoming the loss of important seniors from last year when they lost early in the season. “Those two losses to Pius were early in the season and our defense had different players playing at that time than we do now,” said Parks.
“I feel like the girls have come together and are peaking at the right time,” “We went undefeated and un-scored on in district and I feel like we keep improving. I couldn’t ask for us to be in a better situation right now heading into the state tournament.”
“Both of those games we had some periods of letdown in the second half. We just need to play a complete game. We are in a different place than we were before. We just need to play 80 minutes of soccer, where before we played 75 minutes of soc-
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cer and lost. Farnsworth preaches an unselfish style of soccer that has brought out the best in his group of players this year.
DECEMBER 2014
– Stephen Parks Aztec High School Girls Soccer Coach “Unselfish play is what we preach,” said Farnsworth. “When we have defenders, midfielders and forwards who can score at any time during the game – it makes you very dangerous, especially going into state. It makes
the games more exciting. It makes playing soccer a lot more team involved. Our boys have to be a lot more creative instead of giving it to one or two players to score. They all get involved making it a lot more competitive within the team.” Parks preaches ball control and defense, but has a player like Hailey Morris to control things on the offensive side of the field. “The thing with Hailey is that she is extremely quick and fast,” explained Parks. “If you give her any kind of break she is going to outrun you to everything. She knows what to do with the ball and where to go with it. She is good on the ball and can rip shots like no other. What puts her over the top is she is mentally tough and is a competitor. She doesn’t like to lose at anything. You cannot beat her to the ball,
Photo courtesy Louveko McDonald
and if you do she is going to chase you down and get the ball from you.” Parks main focus is on the defensive side and he challenged his defensive unit before district play
got started. “I told my defense that when we got into district our goal was to not be scored on throughout district play. Both coaches are focusing their
practices geared toward conditioning and the fundamental things that need to be done to win tight games against great teams so that they can secure the NMAA Blue Trophy for 2014 and bring it home to San Juan County.
Photo courtesy Byron Farnsworth
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father coach Top state player Joseph leaving a hole in PV Coach Story by Tom Yost Piedra Vista’s boys soccer season came to a close this past week with a regular season loss to Aztec. With Pat Denney at the helm, the PV boys program is progressing with a goal of consistently competing with the upper echelon of programs in the state – most notably the one sharing the same neighborhood. “We struggled a little bit, but the boys came a long way,” said Pat Denney. “It is going to take development of the boys starting right now and then
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player son Denney is graduating Pat Denney’s team Photos Josh Bishop winter and summer programs. Our goal is to get our boys the experience and touches on the ball. When we break the habits that this program has had for many years, and add stability, then I think we will be able to compete with Farmington.� That being said, Denney is about to lose one of his best players and one of the best soccer players in the state of New Mexico to graduation. What makes it tougher is that it is his own son, Joseph, whom he has coached since he was 4 years old.
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“I would tell younger kids to start juggling. Because if you can juggle you can touch the ball, and it shows that you are skilled in touching the ball. Getting those touches on the ball will help get younger players to a higher level as they get older.” – Joseph Denney
“Coaching my son has been great,” said Coach Denney. “We struggled at times, because we butt heads, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Joseph Denney has been playing the game of soccer his entire life. Growing up in Farmington playing FUSA (Farmington United Soccer Association), Denney then traveled with a team in Rio Rancho and with the Venom Club team before dominating at the high school level. “The experiences in Albuquerque, playing against new people and players with new skills, it is a complete different game with the intensity,” explained Denney. “It helped me by showing me that I can find success in other places against other competition.” At 17 years old, the mid-fielder/forward/goalie has compiled the most total points of any player in the NMAA Class 5A District 1. His 18goal exploit is currently 7th in the state of New Mexico in the Class 5A level, and he is tied for first in the state with 14 assists.
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According to Denney, it is a tough choice between wanting to score and wanting to assist a teammate in scoring. “I am a giver,â€? explained Denney. “I love helping people out, especially if it is one of the young kids who haven’t experienced the thrill of scoring a varsity goal yet. But I love scoring to help my team out as well. I would have to say it is even.â€? While Denney has played most of his senior year at left midďŹ elder and forward, he has also spent some time in the goal this year as well – a position in which his father/coach says he dominates. “I played goalie a little last year,â€? said Denney. “Our keeper got a red card in a game last year and my coach put me in goal in the middle of game. After that he put me in the goal for the rest of the season. I also have played it a little this year when we needed to keep the back ďŹ eld strong.â€?
where he hopes to continue his soccer career. “I want to go to Fort Lewis and major in either sports administration or sports medicine, and possibly play soccer for them as well,� said Denney.
Denney’s aspirations are going to take him just up the road to Fort Lewis College in Durango,
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And taking a look back at his brilliant soccer career to this point, Denney offers some advice for the younger players trying to follow in his footsteps. “I would tell younger kids to start juggling,� said Denney. “Because if you can
juggle you can touch the ball, and it shows that you are skilled in touching the ball. Getting those touches on the ball will help get younger players to a higher level as they get older.�
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Casper Baca comes to McGee Park Nov. 28 and 29 Story by Dorothy Nobis | Courtesy photos When Casper Baca brings his Bullriding Extraordinaire to McGee Park, Nov. 28 and 29, it will be the 31st year of accomplishing what naysayers said couldn’t be done. Baca’s dad, Pete, was a stock contractor when he was young. Baca worked in the uranium mines as a young man, but helped his dad with stock or he rode bulls in rodeos every weekend. The younger Baca went to bull riding events throughout the southwest and, one day, decided he’d have his own bullriding event on Thanksgiving weekend. “Everyone said no one would come on that weekend,” Baca said. Everyone was wrong, and for 31 years, the Bullriding Extraordinaire has brought hundreds to McGee Park every Thanksgiving weekend – either to compete or to watch. McGee Park is a good venue for Baca, he said. “There aren’t many buildings in New Mexico that are available,” he said, adding that the rodeo arena at McGee Park is enclosed. “It’s a good location,” he added. “I’d ridden there when I was competing and people in that area are enthusiastic about rodeo.” The Bullriding Extraordinaire attracts bull riders from across the country, Baca said. “It’s a wellknown event and they know they can win good money. One year, we
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DECEMBER 2014
had 220 bull riders and the winner – a 19-year-old – walked away with $10,000 cash in his pocket.” Baca doesn’t accept checks or credit cards for entry fees and he’s always felt that if he only took cash, he’d only pay in cash “We pay eight places,” he said, “so your chances are pretty good at placing.” While other bull riding events may pay more, there are restrictions as to who can participate, Baca explained. “You have to be-
long to the Professional Bull Riders Association or the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association to ride,” he said of other events. “Anyone can enter this event. This one’s for everybody.” Participation in this event is high because it’s on a long holiday weekend and because the bulls are the best, Baca said. While he used only bulls from his dad and himself for years, when other stock contractors asked to bring their bulls to the event, he decided that would be good for the
cowboys and the contractors. “It’s a better event because they (stock contractors) bring their best bulls and I bring my best bulls. The rider knows he’s going to draw a good bull. The chances of them drawing that good bull are 90 percent” which is much higher than many other bull riding events, Baca said. This year, the Blues Brothers Bullriders will perform, Baca said. “They’ll dress up in those fancy suits like the Blues Brothers wore,” he said with a laugh. In addition, this year’s event will offer a Burro Busting event, where kids 10 through 14 will get on donkeys in chutes. Both the donkey and the rider will be covered with powder. Each participant will ride each donkey and, Baca said. “Powder is flying everywhere, and it’s really good fun!” Michael Davidson, the director of McGee Park, said Baca’s events almost always draw a big crowd. “Sometimes, when the economy is bad, attendance is lower, but Casper always does really well. He’s easy to work with and he’s pretty successful,” Davidson said. Bloomfield resident and rodeo photographer Craig Maley has known Baca for years. “I
believe he’s a great guy and is probably one of the best stock contractors in the Southwest,” Maley said. “He’s always provided great stock. He can be hard-headed at times, but he’s always looking out for the safety of his stock.” For Baca, working with stock and rodeo cowboys beats working in the uranium mines. “I always dreaded going to work,” he said of the mines. “Now, after 31 years, I wake up every morning, feed my stock and I love it. My family and I worked hard to get here and,
hopefully, we’ll have 50 more years.” Tickets for the Bullriding Extraordinaire are $17 for adults and $10 for kids and seniors. Tickets purchased at the door will be slightly higher. For ticket information and locations, and for entry information, call 505.287.9534. Bares, Broncs and Bulls will be held January 2 and 3, 2015, at McGee Park. That event will celebrate its 25th year.
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Nellie’s a lover not a fighter That is, until someone tries to mess with her ‘Sweet Baboo’ NASCAR Nellie isn’t much of a fighter. She’s more of a lover, although on occasion, NN does love to see a good fight. ’Specially when one of her least favorite NASCAR drivers is the cause of it. It was a wild and crazy race at Texas Motor Speedway, and while Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver and NN’s most favorite driver of all time (sorry, Elliott Sadler, NN’s Use-ta-be Sweet Baboo, but you married that cute young thing like seven years ago and NN wasted a good portion of her life waiting for you, knowing that someday, you’d answer all of the voice messages, emails and FB messages once the law enforcement people released them from evidence) wasn’t gonna win this one (however, people, for those of you who missed the Earth stopping and the race gods applauding, Junior DID win at Martinsville, and Junior Nation was on its feet, cheering its general and partying until the day before the Texas race. Junior Nation is nothing but supportive of the sport’s most popular driver and when Junior said ‘Let’s party,’ after he won, well – that’s what Junior Nation did and does. Just sayin’. . . .) NN has found a new driver to hate on (NN has forgiven Boo-Hoo Busch for most of his transgressions on accounta BHB said he is a huge Peyton Manning/Denver Bronco fan and when he married that nice woman who is a gazillion times more attractive than BHB is [but the Ben Franklins prob’ly make him look better, NN’s guessin’]), BHB wasn’t quite as arrogant and insufferable and it didn’t take NN long to not like Brad
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Kieslowski. There’s pretty much nothing NN likes about Bully Brad. Bless his heart (NN read once that if you say “Bless his/her heart” before you diss ’em, God forgives you, so she blesses lots of hearts, ’specially during NASCAR races and Bronco games, just so’s ya know), BB isn’t exactly ever gonna be in the top 500 for Best Looking Driver in NASCAR. And while NN recognizes BB has “talent” (that’s what the commentators say, on accounta they can’t say “bless” on TV unless it’s on the church channel), he’s not a nice man.
DECEMBER 2014
So when BB decided to make himself the middle of the sandwich of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in the last few laps at Texas, he cut Jeff’s tire, spinning ole Jeff out and making one of NASCAR’s more docile drivers madder than a wet hen. Jeff got out of his car after the race and hunted BB down (which is never hard, because BB is always looking for a spotlight to shine on him) and the fight began. What was really cool, though, was when everyone was trying to keep BB and JG apart, ole Happy Harvick came up behind BB and shoved him almost into the face of JG. It was awesome! And then, and then, everyone started throwing punches (HH managed to slip away after the shove) and the brawl became lots more interesting than the fact that Jimmie Johnson won the race. (Although JJ did say in Victory Lane that he could hardly wait to get back to the garage and watch the melee – even NASCAR drivers like a good fight.) BB was bloodied and JG had
a cut on his lip and the NASCAR gods are gonna look at the tape and see if anyone should go to the time-out corner of the garage. BB said it wasn’t his fault because he’s an aggressive driver and JG should man up and get over it. JG said BB’s aggression caused him some “displeasure.” (JG understands the importance of being politically correct and that importance was prob’ly emphasized when Rick Hendrick, the Main Man at Hendrick Motor Sports, where JG, JJ and the sport’s most popular driver, all work, when RH had a few words with JG before he met with the nice pit lane television reporter). Oh, and Happy Harvick called BB a “bulldozer” (NN is guessin’ that’s not the word HH calls BB in private, and NN herownself has a few ’nother words she’s called BB – and bulldozer isn’t one of ’em, just so’s ya know). BB has already been called into the NASCAR gods’ trailer and is on probation for a fight he and Matt Kenseth got into at Charlotte. Kenseth is another one of the drivers who isn’t known for throwing punches, but BB manages to bring out the WWF in just about everyone. So, Jimmie Johnson won the race, taking a little pressure off him and his crew chief, Chad Knaus. JJ and CK’s long term bromance has suffered a bit this year, on accounta JJ hasn’t done as well as he usually does and he and CK have had words over the radio pretty much a lot this year. NN is pretty sure they don’t call and text each other all the time, like they useta do, and JJ may be ready to take CK off his Christmas card list. JJ said crew chiefs live in dog years and that ole Chad will prob’ly
get tired of crew chiefing before JJ gets tired of driving. JJ almost sounded hopeful when he said that. Whatever. This is the first year for the new “chase format” for NASCAR, which NN isn’t sure she likes. She’d prob’ly like it better if Junior were in the running, but he’s not, so NN questions the call of the NASCAR gods to switch the championship up by having “eliminations,” narrowing the championship field down to the final four top drivers, who will decide the big winner at the final race at Homestead. It makes it a little easier to watch races when Junior isn’t fighting for a championship, which the Devil Kitten and Oliver, the Cat Who Won’t Stop Talking appreciate. And the fights and mudslinging and blood and displeasure that have come from the race track have been way more exciting than some of the races. NN
just hopes that ABBB (Anyone But Bully Brad) wins. Just sayin’ . . . For those of you who refuse to keep up with and vote on Dancing With the Stars, NN will tell you Michael Waltrip is STILL in the hunt for the mirror ball trophy. Whodathunkit? Poor Michael really, really can’t dance, and every week NN thinks he’s gonna be voted off the dance floor, but every week, NASCAR fans let their voices be heard and he’s still there. Mikey is a nice man and is likeable and can be cute. But, people, he CANNOT DANCE. Just sayin’ . . . . EDITOR’S NOTE: “Michael Waltrip was FINALLY voted off the dance floor with Dancing With the Stars. To say NASCAR Nellie was thrilled, excited, ecstatic and happy about seeing MW out of his “dancing” shoes and back into his driver’s shoes is an understatement.”
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DECEMBER 2014
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Working man’s holiday As this article comes out the calendar is between two of the most worthless holidays of the year, Halloween and Thanksgiving. While generally i’m not a fan of most holidays, these two have become essentially useless.
RickHOERNER Editorial columnist
Need proof? check out the christmas decorations trumping these holidays’ limited appeal. in my imperfect world there would be a constitutional amendment simply stating the following:
and college basketball is close behind. The NHL has begun as well, even though it may be hard to find outside of the NHL Network. Even for the prep season fall means the merging of fall and winter sports as the district and state champi-
Have the right to be secure in their entertainment and shopping shall not be infringed. No person shall be held to answer for the throws of capitalism nor shall any citizen of these United States be forced to live through endless advertising for holidays outside of the 30-day time frame prior to said holiday.
The NFL has played on our annual day of Thanksgiving for decades. On Memorial Day and Labor Day professional baseball are relished traditions. No one takes note of the NBA season until the christmas Day quadruple header. No holiday is safe. Even the holiest of holy days on the christian calendar, Easter, has been pushed aside for the ever alluring excitement of sporting events, namely the NcAA Final Four. Even for youngsters and their families, the holiday has all but disappeared.
However, for sports fans, late fall is the best. World Series baseball is going on. Both college and pro football are well in swing with the NFL beginning to look at playoff positions, and now the colleges are doing the same with the new 4-team playoff system. The NBA is underway
Four Corners SpORTS
After leaving the schools last year and joining the wonders of the private sector that includes mysterious marvels such as overtime and bonuses, i soon realized that for the rest of the world holidays just don’t matter. At school we take every holiday off from Labor Day and Thanksgiving through two weeks off for christmas and New Year to Martin Luther king Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day. However, out in the real world, these holidays rarely matter. Outside of the prep world holidays and sports actually go hand in hand. Labor Day weekend is usually the start of the NcAA Football season.
But in the economic world of the United States, that is never going to happen. it has become completely frustrating that the fall season is littered with election commercials, election commercials and more election commercials splattered with the merry reminder that christmas is quickly approaching and you haven’t done enough shopping yet.
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ons of the autumn give way to the hope and promise of a new season – holidays or not.
DECEMBER 2014
One of the first, all be it minor, conflicts with my significant other was over sports and holidays. My expectation at Thanksgiving is to watch football. Not so with my wife’s family. While I had no problem whatsoever coaching my basketball team at a tournament that ran through Good Friday and Easter, my wife expected me to be a participant in Holy Week. Holidays have now put the family in a difficult situation; to play or not to play.
ism and those loudly trumpeted Christian values. Yet when it comes to sports, we’ll put those aside for the games. So while we sit down to give thanks in couple of weeks, or celebrate the birth of Christ, don’t forget that you most likely are going to put sports ahead of both – and that’s OK.
This definitely puts an added strain on families. Where now there was vacation time that could be spent together, is now following around one child’s team potentially leaving another child completely out of the event.
family. As a basketball coach, nearly every year meant staying here for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. There was always the expectation of practice and, of course, games. Every Piedra Vista basketball parent knows that the Christmas season is most likely going to include a trip to Roswell. At Farmington there was the trip to Clovis – and even once to Gillette, Wyo. Last year the state tournament took away spring break. Again, holidays mean nothing in the sporting world.
This was particularly true for my son who participated in individual sports while my daughter hit the road with her traveling team, usually with her parents in tow. This was the case for many parents who feel they are missing out or are not perfect parents if they don’t travel with their athletes. This can come at the expense of other children or of the
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But all the while let’s not trumpet how patriotic or religious we are while hundreds of thousands of fans fill arenas and stadiums while millions more watch at home.
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In reality, I find this to be a contradiction to the so called American way of life. In this election season candidates trump their American and – more often than not – their Christian values as well, and most voters polled acclaim the importance of patriot-
Fishing REPORT Current flows on the San Juan River below Navajo Lake are 598cfs. Fishing remains good throughout most of the day. With the gin-clear water, try to present the fly with a drag free drift.
tions and a cloudy day, expect to see fish rising. Some of the best dry flies to try are.
Some of the best nymphs to try are:
Fishing below the Quality Waters has been good. Worms, salmon eggs, and orange power bait have been the bait of choice.
Size 22 Red Larvae Size 24 Gray Midge Pupae Size 24 Olive Midge Pupae Size 22 Gray Rs2 With very clear water condi-
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T.J. Massey San Juan River Outfitters www.sanjuanriveroutfitters.com 505.486.5347
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Size 22 Griffiths Gnat Size 24 Parachute Adams Size 26 Brown Cdc Midge
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Maybe we should just make Super Bowl Sunday a holiday. That would merge the American traditions of holiday, economics and patriotism. But I think I would prefer a day after for Hangover Monday.
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compete in every triathlon she enters, Tibbetts decided it was time to get a coach. She contacted Scot Moser of Further Up The Road Multisport Coaching, which is based in Tampa, Florida.
with the rest of her life,” he added. Spending time with her husband and her friends is as important to Tibbetts as her training and competition are. “I have friends I swim laps with and run trails with and I love to go out to the NAPI (Navajo Agriculture Products Industry, which is located south of Farmington) and bike,” she said. “You can go a long way and not see one car. It’s a wonderful place.”
“Scot is an online trainer,” she said. “Most women at (my) level have coaches. A good coach looks at what you’re doing and has the objectivity to help you.” Moser met Tibbetts when she competed in The Double Anvil (2xIronman Distance, a 4.8mile swim, 224-mile bike, and 52.4 mile-run, which is double the distance of the Hawaii Ironman which will be televised Nov 15). “I rode alongside her while she was competing and asked her a question concerning her bike choices,” Moser remembered. “This had been a question mark for her for months, so my random question spurred conversation. I rode with her on the seven-mile loop and we chatted. I gave her crew, upon her request, my information and we resumed conversations a few weeks later.”
In addition, she and her husband (who prefers anonymity) take bike trips and enjoy all the adventures life brings them. Most of her friends are fellow competitors, because she spends so much time training with them, she explained. “But I have other friends who have no interest in sports. For example, this week (the first week in November), I’m in Florida with some friends I met playing chess online,” Tibbetts said, adding, “I’m terrible at chess. Maybe I should get chess coach.”
Tibbetts said with a lack of available coaches locally, the online coaching made sense to her.
The rigors of training and competing take time and she admitted there are times when she thinks it’s time to give it up. “But being on the podium at a world championship has a way of turning that around,” she added.
She and Moser email back and forth often and visit by phone regularly. Moser said there is a lack of coaches with the ability to coach a world-class athlete, which Tibbetts is.
What are the challenges of coaching an older athlete? Actually, there are two types of older athletes and each requires different approaches,” Moser said. “In the case of Cathy who is a long time endurance athlete, you need to minimize sports such as running, due to the higher risks of injury. You do that by having a focus on the non-impact sports, which help athletes ready for big races. The second type of athlete is one who comes to the sport much later in life, but has sports background in another sport. They may not have the wear and tear on their legs and are able to maintain higher volume or many not need as much recovery.”
“While there are many certified coaches, not all have over 30 years of experience as a triathlete and 45 years as a competitive runner at high levels, which allow the athlete to minimize the errors one would make without a neutral observer,” Moser said.
On aging Tibbetts said she understands and appreciates the fact that her body, at her age, does need time to recover from the intensity of the training and the events. She takes the winter months off, “to visit relatives, ski and do other fun things. There are a lot of fun things to do around Farmington. I enjoy walking Berg Park and working for the Regional Animal Shelter Foundation (for which she serves as secretary).”
On hiring a coach:
Moser understands that Tibbetts, as an older athlete, must train differently than a younger one. “Cathy has been an endurance runner for many years, so her run training has to be specific and direct, but also minimize run volume to allow recovery but still achieve world class efforts,” he said. “We focus on strength training and do a lot of her aerobic support work with the bike and swim.”
performance on race day. The workouts include long rides/runs/swims at a moderate to easy pace, along with race specific efforts in smaller, but increasing, doses to ensure the race pace is comfortable when it matters most, Moser said.
Tibbetts’ training includes basic endurance principles with a periodization concept in each support to allow the athlete peak
“Cathy is very determined and we keep the workouts challenging, but also stress life balances and keeping the sport in perspective
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DECEMBER 2014
“One thing any athlete must keep in mind when hiring a coach is ensuring they are honest with the coach, but also make sure the coach is honest with them and remains in contact. You want a plan to be no more than a week to ten days in advance, but that is merely for scheduling purposes. You want to be able to get in contact with a coach and have a reasonable response time of 24 hours or less. “If an athlete uses a plan from a book or magazine, they must keep in mind it was written in pencil, not stone, but also that it is a template and most likely is either too easy or too hard for them. One thing all athletes must remember is to keep their sport in balance with their lives. The athletes who maintain the sport in proper balance are the ones who do the best. It’s just that simple.
The year flew by 2014 filled with great programs, memorable moments the First tee of San Juan County, Nm has ended the 2014 season with so many memorable programs, moments and participants that it would be fitting of us to take a look back at the year that was. the highlight of the year was when Aztec senior, raymond torres was selected to play in the 2014 Nature Valley First tee open at pebble Beach Golf Links. His personal account of the memorable week is available in an article in this magazine. the First tee is in existence to give youth in our community the opportunity to learn, grow and experience things to which they have never been exposed in their lives. Golf is a wonderful outlet to teach these young people valuable life skills and character values. raymond torres is the glowing example of what our curriculum can do for the youth in our community. Words cannot express how proud we are of raymond and his achievements. Another highlight of the year had to be the inaugural pGA Junior League starting in San Juan County. With 50 junior golf participants taking part from all over the county, the introduction to competition was a step in the right direction to get more youth actively involved in this great game we call golf.
tomYOST
With teams from Hidden Valley Golf Course in Aztec, Civitan Golf Course in Farmington and riverview Golf Course in Kirtland, players formed two-person teams and competed against other participants from the various different facilities. the results were a fascinating lesson in teamwork, respect and sportsmanship, often missing from many societal offerings. the riverview Gold team won the first ever championship, but the entirety of the participants won every day they got to compete and learn from each other. According to the many parents who had participants in this program, the pGA Junior League was a smashing success and one that is only going to grow going forward – not only in our community, but in communities all over the United States. other highlights included the 3rd Annual Golf Ball Drop and Golf Carnival, starting three new National School programs in programming at mcCoy Elementary School, Lydia rippey School and Atsa Biyaazh Community School. Big thanks to merrion oil and Gas, as well as all of our donors and sponsors who continue to make our program thrive going forward.
the First tee
2015 events While we close the book on the 2014 season, here are important dates for the upcoming year. march to may
In-school and after-school programs
April
registration begins for Summer Sessions
April thru September
Family Nights and parent/Child Events monthly
may
Enrollment begins into the pGA Junior League
June thru July
Summer programs run for open enrolled youth
June thru July
pGA Junior League Series
August 8:
4th Annual Golf Ball Drop and Golf Carnival
September to october
In-school and after-school programs DECEMBER 2014
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Raymond Torres Journal Highlights from Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Day 1 So the first day was great. I met many of The First Tee leaders. Laura Diaz, The First Tee Home Office Supervisor for Participant Opportunities and Logistics, was great to have around. She lightened the mood and broke the ice for all the strange faces. It was pretty cool meeting all the other players as well. I was fed great food and the hospitality was amazing. I’m not used to everyone assisting me because I am usually the one doing the assisting. We had an orientation meeting and I met so many other players. I could not have asked for a better beginning to the week.
Day 2 Today was even better. I don’t want to go back to New Mexico. This morning Tom McClurg (Hidden Valley PGA Head Golf Professional and my caddy) and I toured Monterey a bit. We went down to the marina and watched the seals chilling out on the rocks. We took the 17-Mile Drive and it was beautiful to see the sights. On the way we stopped at the beach and I got my feet back in the ocean for the first time in 11 years. The last time was on a 1st Grade field trip. Once we finished up with that, I got my practice round in at Poppy Hills. I wasn’t hitting the driver well, but my irons were great. Stephen Ames, a four-time PGA champion from South Africa, joined up with us to play nine holes. He was a great guy and gave us an opportunity to take some photos with him upon completion of the round. After my round we went back to Pebble Beach and were treated to a great dinner and a concert by Colbie Caillat – you might have heard her on the radio once or twice. I saw two-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw, and the entire group of participants performed a skit for the Ryder Cup this weekend. Today was unbelievable, but I can’t wait to play my practice round at Pebble Beach tomorrow!
Day 3 It keeps getting better and better every day. I got to play Pebble Beach – finally! I didn’t play very well, but I know when the tournament starts tomorrow I will be fine. I haven’t met my pro yet, but he called me during my practice round and asked me to have breakfast with him tomorrow.
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After my practice round, I went straight to the Beach House and we had another wonderful dinner. I ate prime rib, octopus (for the first time), shrimp, egg rolls and some quesadillas. We then attended a private Leaders Forum where many famous athletes, coaches and business leaders spoke about The Nine Core Values. These included: Herman Edwards, former NFL player, coach and ESPN analyst; Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Tom’s Shoes; Mark Mancina, a composer of many Hollywood soundtracks such as The Lion King; Steve Young, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers; the founder of Yahoo; and Captain
DECEMBER 2014
Sully, the man who landed the plane on the Hudson River. After a long day, I am back at the hotel getting mentally ready for my first tournament day tomorrow at Poppy Hills Golf Course.
Day 4 – First Tournament Day Today was my first day of The Nature Valley First Tee Open. I played pretty well as I birdied my first hole. Mark McNulty, my Champions Tour playing partner, invited me for breakfast this morning. It was nice to meet Mr. McNulty – he is a great guy. He wasn’t making as many putts as I was
expecting, but he still played very well. We finished up even par and I think we are three shots back from making the cut on Sunday. After we finished up, I went with my family to the beach to relax and take a breather from all the activities. When I was standing in the water a wave came up and smacked me in the face and I lost my glasses in the ocean. Needless to say, I was stressing out pretty bad, because without them I cannot see, much less play golf. I am just hoping that I can find a new pair by noon tomorrow when I tee off.
Day 5 – Pebble Beach I wasn’t able to find another pair of glasses, but was able to get a pair of contacts in before we teed off at Pebble today. Today wasn’t as great, golfwise, as Mark and I finished the event even par. I was hitting some good golf shots, but every now and then my old swing would come back. I am still confident in my swing, but I just want to get rid of that old take-away move.
We didn’t make the cut, but I still get to play tomorrow at the Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Course. The participants that didn’t make the cut are playing in a Ryder Cup format. That means we are playing best ball on holes 1 through 6, alternate shot on holes 7 through 12 and scramble on holes 13 through 18. The format sounds like a lot of fun, and I cannot wait to play tomorrow.
Day 6 Today is my final day. My partner and I lost our Ryder Cup match. Bayonet was a real treat – and a challenging golf course. It was tough, but I feel that I did well for my first time. When we finished our round, the participants were taken back to Pebble Beach to watch the players finish their round on the famous 18th hole. The participant that won the tournament holed out his final shot on the 18th hole for a double eagle (albatross) to win the golf tournament. It was awesome to see in person. I said my “goodbyes” to everyone I had met and then headed
back to the hotel to pack everything up. I really don’t want to go back! I wouldn’t mind pitching a tent out at Pebble Beach. It was amazing just being here for the week and I have decided that I would like to attend college in California. I would like to take this opportunity to thank The First Tee, the Champions Tour and Nature Valley for allowing me to experience this
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once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would also like to thank Tom McClurg for his mentorship and friendship. He was a great caddy and I owe so much to him for making this possible. I would like to thank The First Tee of San Juan County, NM for giving me the opportunity to play in this great event. Finally, a big thank you to my family for coming along and supporting me at the event.
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Winter prep sports redistricting has changed the power structure, renewed old rivalries Story by Rick Hoerner | Photos Curtis Ray Benally Just a short decade ago this county was the home to state championships in boys and girls basketball as well as wrestling. this made san Juan county the home of winter sport champions. after 10 years of redistricting, with teams moving from class to class, the power structure of the winter season has changed. the changes have been drastic for shiprock and Bloomfield. Both have produced powerful teams when in one class, yet struggling in another.
PreciousFRANK Piedra Vista
the Kirtland central Broncos are hoping that a return to a smaller class will have the same benefit. although basketball wise they have continued to be dominant with district 1aaaa championships in both boys and girls basketball, they have not been the perennial state championship contenders as they were consistently. Moving to class 4a in the new alignment should help – and renew old rivalries with shiprock.
Girls Basketball 26
Four Corners sPorts
December 2014
a change of classification and the redistricting of dis-
trict 1aaaaa will affect girls basketball the most. the change in classification has moved Kirtland central – the only team to win the district championship in a decade – out. However, it brings two very strong teams into the district –including a very strong Gallup team and a Miyamura squad that has had varied success against san Juan county schools. the class 5a district should be incredibly competitive this year. Gallup should be the team to beat in the district. Led by 6’1 junior Na’asia Mcintosh, the Bengals will have the best individual player in the district, along with an experienced returning squad. if Mcintosh is the best individual player in the district, Piedra Vista’s Nikki Benally isn’t too far behind. the Panther guard will lead Joe reed’s squad who, despite losing 4-year starter Kaleigh Graham, should still have a solid team. at Farmington High, coach danny secrest has resurrected the girls team. Led by Meeya Yazzie and shayna crowell, the scorpions will be a tough matchup for the district squads. despite finishing just 5-18 last season, aztec improved throughout the season and, with the return of elena Kresl and coach Mccaskill’s daughters Myra and Makayla, should be improved, although the tougher district may not show that they’ve made any strides. in class 4a Kirtland central moves back into a district with their longtime rival shiprock. this renewed rivalry brings back memories of classic games from two decades ago. However, lately it’s been all shiprock. diondra smith and orquidea reyes return for the Broncos and new coach Lindsay deVries, has the task of replacing the late Kevin Holman. the chieftains lost the bulk of their scoring as the class of 2014 moved on, led by taylor Henderson and ashley John, but no one is feeling too sorry for shiprock, who had the best JV squad in the county and looked prime to reload for another run. Navajo Prep should be dominant in the new district 1aaa. Jasmine coleman should lead the way for rainy crisp’s squad that perennially reserves a spot in albuquerque come March.
Wrestling every wrestling preview begins and ends with the Piedra Vista Panthers. the five-time state champs don’t look to be slowing down. the Panthers return state champs in Philip archuleta, sammy sandoval, and Zach ahlgrim as well as anthony Juckes, who will be looking for his 5th individual and team state championships.
ZachALGHRIM PIEDRa VISTa
VIcTORLOPEZ FhS
State runner-ups Wes Rayburn, Wyatt Weaver, and aaron Rino are back and waiting in the wings to move a level higher on the platform. Everyone else in the district – and the state for that matter – are just playing chase. The only question for the Panthers is whether new head coach Michael Beyhar can fill the shoes of Levi Stout on the sidelines. Piedra Vista isn’t the only defending state champion in the county as Bloomfield looks to defend its title as well. Bloomfield returns state champion Levi Whitley who captured the 113-pound individual title as a freshman. Last year the Bobcats had all 14 wrestlers point at state and will need the same kind of effort to repeat in the new class 4a.
Boys Basketball Much like in the girls division, the boys division is exchanging one tough district opponent for another. While defending champ Kirtland
central stays in 4a, the new district brings in a very good Gallup squad and a decent Miyamura team as well. Farmington was the district champion in 2014 taking a page from the football team’s book that more is not always better. Like the football team, the basketball team used very few players during their run. Returning point guard alex Whiteley will again play maximum minutes running the Scorpion offense. Max Pinon and Victor Lopez will need to provide some inside-outside scoring punch for the Scorpions to remain on top. Piedra Vista will be led by senior point guard Troy Dixon, a three-year starter for the Panthers. PV will need to get improved inside play from 6’7” junior Tyler Edwards and solid shooting from guards Sterlin Begaye and cody harvey. Tragedy again struck the San Juan county coaching fraternity this fall when aztec lost head coach Tony Dinallo to aLS. Dinallo, a long-
time coach in the state who coached Bloomfield in the early ’80s and opened Piedra Vista as its head coach, had just completed his first year at the helm of the Tigers. Devon Lapahie takes over as head coach looking to add some consistency to their program. On the court, returnees Nick Weaver and Ethan Tso will lead the Tiger’s attack. In class 4a Shiprock has been the best team in the area, but with Kirtland added to the mix district 1aaaa should be a very interesting district. In Kirtland, Brian Dowdy takes over for John Zecca and assumes a young team that loses the district’s best player in christian Mackey. For both the chieftains and Broncos it may be awhile until we see which young players will step up to lead the team and find out which team controls the district. Most teams begin their season prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.
December 2014
Four Corners SPORTS
27
kickin’ it in high gear
Area ski resorts getting ready for opening day
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Courtesy photos
Photo courtesy of Durango Mountain Resort
28
Four Corners SPoRtS
December 2014
F
or Carrie and John Thompson and their family, skiing is more than a winter sport – it’s a lifestyle. “John’s been skiing since he was 3 (years old), I’ve been skiing since I was 4, and Paige and Jack (the couple’s children) have both been skiing since they were 4,” Carrie said. “It’s a crazy thing to do,” Carrie added. “You tie wax strips to your feet and you go flying down a mountain. It’s kind of silly, but we were all raised to ski. It’s our lifestyle and it’s something we do as a family.” “We feel so strongly about it (skiing), that we invested in a second home at Durango Mountain Resort,” Carrie said. “This year is supposed to be an incredible skiing year. All of us ski bums are keeping our fingers crossed for a good winter.”
Durango Mountain Resort (DMR, formerly known as Purgatory) is as excited for the ski season to begin as the ski bums Carrie Thompson talked about. With staff working hard to get the mountain ready for winter and those who love winter sports, DMR plans to open for
the 2014-2015 season Nov. 28 (the day after Thanksgiving). Recognized as a Top 10 Emerging Ski Town in North America by National Geographic in 2012-2013, DMR has become a destination for great skiing. With 88 trails, 10 chairlifts and few long lines, DMR provides skiers the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the San Juan Mountains as they make their way down the mountain. DMR offers trail ratings that include 20 percent beginner, 45 percent intermediate, and 35 percent advanced/expert. Five terrain parks add to the skiing adventure. Riblett Park and Pinkerton Starter Park are new this year. Paradise Freestyle Arena, Pitchfork Terrain Garden, Divine Comedy (called “DC” by the locals) and Animas City Adventure Park offer skiing fun for everyone. Lift hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Half day starts at 12:30 p.m. Ticket hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets may be purchased at the Main Ticket Office on the Plaza Level, • Ski School with lessons - Second floor, Village Center • Rental Shop with ski or board rentals, Second floor, Village Center • Lift tickets may be purchased at the windows any-
December 2014
Four Corners SPORTS
29
Rider ticket includes four hours of lessons, as well as lunch and snacks. A half day package is also available. The ski school offers a variety of instruction for adults, seniors, women, juniors and the well-known Wolf Pup ski program.
time during the day. Tickets at the window are $79 for adults 18-64, $48 for children 6-12, $62 for young adults 13-17, $68 for seniors 65-plus, and $35 for super seniors 80-plus. Online rates are about $5 less. Special packages are available, as are lessons for the whole family. A variety of restaurants and bars to fuel skiers and lodging packages are available. For more information about Durango Mountain Resort, call 970385-2168 or visit the website at www.durangomountainresort.com.
Photo courtesy of Wolf Creek Ski Area.
With 430 natural inches of snow – “The Most Snow in Colorado” –
Wolf Creek Ski Area
includes 20 percent of beginner slopes, 35 percent for intermediate skiers, 25 percent for advanced and 20 percent for expert skiers. The installation of the Elma Lift has been completed. The new fixed-grip triple chairlift is refurbished from the old Treasure chairlift and has been equipped with an efficient new electric motor and re-engineered parts that meet all current safety standards. Fifteen towers span 460 vertical feet, with a capacity of 1,200
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Four Corners SPORTS
skiers per hour. Although the Elma Lift is one of Wolf Creek’s smaller lifts, it will provide access to an area of the mountain that is under-utilized and establishes an alternate route back to the base area from the Alberta Lift. The Wolf Creek Ski School is introducing a new pilot snowboard program called the Wolf Riders for children ages 5 through 8 that teaches the basics and beyond of snowboarding. Tickets for the Wolf Riders may be purchased at the ticket office, and rentals for Wolf Riders are in the Boarder Dome. Kids will meet in the Wolf Pup Building, designed specifically for them, which offers easy access to the Magic Carpet and Nova Lift. The full day Wolf
DECEMBER 2014
Lift tickets for a full day of skiing are $63 for adults 13-64, $34 for children 6-12 and seniors 65plus, and $6 for tots aged 5 and under. Half day tickets are $48 for adults, $27 for children and seniors and $6 for tots. Seniors 80 years of age and older are eligible for free lift tickets. Special rates are available for active members of the military, for the beginner lift, for three-day passes, and local appreciation rates. Wolf Creek has a tentative opening date of November 7.The season runs through early April. The ticket office is open from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours during the holidays. Lift hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with longer hours during the holidays, For additional information, call 970.264.539 or visit www.wolfcreekski.com
season. The mountain officially opens Friday, November 28, when guided skiing (where you can get in 3-6 runs a day), unguided skiing (check the website for dates – reservations are needed), heli skiing and heli boarding, and ski touring trips are available.
For many skiers, the best place to ski has only one chairlift, guided only skiing with fewer skiers on a daily basis during part of the year, and will offer unguided skiing during other parts of the year. For those skiers, the best place to enjoy the sport is Silverton Mountain. The terrain is only for the advanced and expert skier and for those who are looking for a skiing adventure. Bowls, chutes, cliffs and natural terrain offer challenges for skiers. Silverton Mountain is the highest ski area in North America, with a peak of 13,487 feet, and is also the steepest ski area, with no easy way down.
Unguided skiing is $49 per day for the lift ticket; $99 for a guided, which includes a lift ticket and $35 for a single guided run and lift ticket. Guided only skiing is $139, which includes lift service. Guided groups are formed at the start of each day of skiing. Private guide service is available for $425 per person or $650 for two. For an additional $260 per person, you may enjoy a gourmet lunch and beer and/or wine. Heli skiing is offered for $179 for a single heli drop, $829 for an overnight heli accessed ski touring trip, and $999 for an all-day heli skiing, which includes six drops.
The mountain’s integrity has been preserved, with the exception of the avalanche reduction work. The chairlift drops skiers off at the top of a beautiful hollow, which provides easy hiking along a ridge to access up to 1,819 acres of snow.
If you want the mountain for yourself, you may have it – at a price that varies depending on the time of the year.
While the number of unguided skiers is 475 each day, most days find only about 80 skiers enjoying the slopes.
For more information in this unique skiing experience, call 970.387.5706 or visit the website at www.silvertonmountain.com.
Because of its elevation, Silverton Mountain offers an early and long ski
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Photo courtesy of Taos Ski Valley.
Taos Ski Valley
cares about one thing – ensuring that skiers who put skiing first – and everything else second – have a skiing experience they will always remember. Kachina Peak offers a chairlift for the first time this season. The Kachina Peak Lift summits at 12,450 feet and is one of the highest chairlifts in North America, according to the website. The lift increases the mountain’s advanced and expert lift-service terrain by 50 percent. Powder shots, steep chutes, big bumps, cornices and glades provide challenges, opportunities and excitement for skiers. Miles of carefully manicured slopes and gradual groomers offer additional fun. Taos Ski Valley has 15 chairlifts, 110 trails, and almost 1,300 acres of great skiing. Ticket prices are $82 per day for adults 18-64, $71 for teens 13-17, $51 for children 712 and $71 for seniors 65-79. Seniors 80 and older ski for free. Two day rates are $78 for adults, $68 for teens, $48 for children, and $68 for seniors. For more than 50 years, Taos has been famous for its Ski Week programs, but not everyone can get away for seven consecutive days. For all mountain enthusiasts, Taos has created new and improved, concentrated and condensed mountain sports camps.
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Four Corners SPorTS
The camps are fast, fun, friendly and focused so you can get the most out of your ski time. Camps begin Saturday morning and run through Sunday afternoon, and include eight hours of instruction. The price for all camps is $160 and does not include lift tickets, which must be purchased separately. Pre-registration is recommended. A Ski and Snowboard Academy will be held December 5 through 7. The cost is $120 and includes three days of instruction. Lift tickets aren’t included, but may be purchased for $25 per day. Skiers and snowboarders interested in learning or improving their contemporary teaching and movement skills will enjoy this experience. The academy includes theory and fundamentals of skiing and snowboarding, with practice and demonstrations. A video analysis is also provided. For more information on Taos Ski Valley, call 866.968.7386 or visit the website at www.skitaos.org. For those looking for a ski area closer to home,
Ski Hesperus
might be the answer. Ski Hesperus – located 11 miles west of Durango on Highway 160 – offers one chairlift for skiers and tubing for those looking for another fun-filled way to enjoy the snow.
ticket (4 to 8 p.m.), a half day on Sundays (12:30 to 4 p.m.) for $31, lessons for $33. Junior tickets (12 and younger) are $28 for an all-day lift ticket, $21 for a night ticket and a half day, and lessons for $26. First-time skiers may learn the joy and fun of the sport for $72 for adults and $60 for juniors. The First Time Package in-
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cludes a group lesson, lift ticket and rental equipment. Ski Hesperus also offers skiing under the stars, with 80 percent of the area lighted. For hours of operation and other information, call 970.259.3711 or visit www.ski-hesperus.com.
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Interim Superintendent Phil Valdez:
Activities, sports a big part of his family’s growth, children’s education Story by Rick Hoerner | Photos Josh Bishop As the school year began, Farmington Schools announced the retirement of longtime superintendent Janel Ryan who would step down midway through the school year. Ryan has overseen the most expansive time in prep sports as an assistant superintendent and superintendent, and as the president of the New Mexico Activities Association Board. On her watch Ryan oversaw the building of Piedra Vista and the expansion of sports and activities, as well as some of the headaches that go along with it. In late October the Farmington School Board named Phil Valdez as Ryan’s replacement on an interim basis while the district opens a search for a new superintendent. For those familiar with the San Juan County sports scene Valdez is a recognizable face. Before joining the Farmington Municipal Schools administration, Valdez coached in Shiprock and Kirtland, then landed an administration job in Farmington as assistant principal and athletic director at Mesa View Middle School, then as athletic director at Piedra Vista.
Dominic and Isaiah have been the Panthers starting quarterbacks on the football team for the past five seasons, finally giving way this year after Isaiah graduated in 2014. Both were also pitchers on state champion baseball teams for the Panthers in 2011 and 2014.
Valdez was no stranger to the athletic field, from time as a youngster, pitching for the daunting Farmington baseball team in the mid-1980s. After college Valdez began coaching at Shiprock High School, assisting with the basketball team and working his way toward head football coach for the Chieftains. The coaching assignment was one of the more difficult jobs in the county, with the Chieftains sometimes suiting as few as 12 young men to face the likes of Aztec, Kirtland or Bloomfield in the old District 1AAA. After leaving Shiprock, Valdez took a job with Kirtland Central where he as-
Valdez looks forward to keeping the district moving on the right track. With athletics and activities being such a large part of Valdez’s life, they will continue to be a part of the community’s commitment to education, in and out of the classroom. Interim Farmington Municipal Schools Superintendent Phil Valdez with his sons Dominic, at left, and Isaiah.
sisted Steve Scott with the basketball program and was on the staff of the Broncos’ three consecutive state championship teams. The sporting life has been instrumental with Valdez as a parent. Phil was a constant presence
at his kids’ games from youth sports through their high school careers. Both of his sons, Dominic and Isaiah, were rare three-sport athletes at Piedra Vista, both participating on the Panther football, basketball and baseball teams.
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“For me and my family, activities have been an integral part of our family growth and my children’s education,” says Valdez. Working with both high schools on their “High Schools That Work” initiative has given Valdez insight to the positive attributes of a strong, competitive rivalry and the importance of sports and activities in our community.
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Cathy Tibbetts has been an optometrist for 34 years. She has lived in Farmington for 30 years and has participated in ultrarunning (distances farther than 26.2-mile marathons) for 20 years, changing to Ironmandistance triathlons 10 years ago. Keep up with Cathy at www.cathytibbetts.blogspot.com
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As we get older, it's harder to stay motivated to exercise. What is your secret? Good friends to exercise with. How does your training "diet" compare with your regular "diet?" I should stay off of the wine and chocolate, but I don't.
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You didn't start your training until later in life. What challenges did you face? Actually it may have been a blessing to start later in life. I didn't burn out, and I didn't have the problem of looking back at high school and college performances and see myself getting slower.
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You participate in the 60 and older category. Are there a lot of people 60 and older who do triathlons? It even surprises me how many women my age show up at these events that are so very hard. What is the most challenging part of a triathlon for you and why? Cold water. The closest that I have ever been to death was getting pulled out of Tempe Town Lake at Ironman Arizona one year. It's frightening how quickly I lost my mind – I swam off in the wrong direction and was acting crazy.
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What injuries have you endured?
Torn Achilles tendon, runner's knee, and tendonitis in about every part of my legs. Chiropractic (Thanks Dr. Sandoval!) and good orthotics (Thanks Dr. Dorner!) keep me injury free.
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How long do you plan to continue competing?
No plans to ever stop.
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What favorite activity/food do you have to give up while in training?
I love being an optometrist but have had to cut back on my hours in order to have the energy to train.
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What kind of a bike do you ride in the triathlon?
I use a Cervelo time trial bike. However a good wheel set is equally as important. Can you keep up with the "under 60" partici10 pants? Not like I used to. But it's as much fun as it ever was.
NMAA selects first monthly “Compete with Class” honoree The New Mexico Activities Association announces that the Des Moines High School Volleyball team has been recognized as the ‘Compete with Class’ award recipient for the month of September.
Sportsmanship is defined by the NMAA as the act of treating others in a respectful manner, taking personal accountability for one’s actions, and responding with integrity while engaged in competition.
The team came together to raise $215 for a fellow volleyball player from Colorado who was diagnosed with leukemia two weeks prior to their match. The girls baked several cakes and raised money to donate to the opposing student’s medical fund.
The NMAA would like to thank and recognize Des Moines Volleyball for setting a great example for the state of New Mexico.
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Their act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true ideals of the ‘Compete with Class’ sports-
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manship Initiative - respect, integrity, and responsibility. More information regarding the “Compete with Class” sportsmanship initiative can be found on the NMAA website at www.nmact.org. The NMAA will announce a monthly honoree throughout the remainder of the 2014-2015 school year. Questions regarding this announcement can be directed to Dusty Young, NMAA Associate Director, at 505.977.5385.
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