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
www.fourcornerssports.com
|4| Writing & Radio You know him as Steve Bortstein, the host of the three-hour local sports talk radio show on Fox Sports AM 1340 and 93.9 FM as part of iHeart Radio.
|8| Complete Package The Four Corners Aquatic Team (FCAT) is celebrating its 20th year anniversary in 2014. The team is run by Head Coach Karen McCay, along with coaches Mike McCluhan, Anna Marie Talcott, Kristi Rae lucero and Brent McCay.
| 12 | Out of the Octagon | 26 | 10 Questions Some 20 years ago, Floyd Sword read an article in a sports magazine about martial arts. Intrigued, he decided he wanted to be part of that sport.
| 16 | Editorial Columnist by Rick Hoerner
| 18 | A sort of homecoming STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS Please send to editor@tricitytribuneusa.com
When candidly asked about the players he coached in Farmington, longtime Scorpion head coach Marv Sanders looks fondly on the four players he deemed to be true blue chip, Division 1 basketball players.
| 21 | Fishing Report 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.
with Karen McCay and Mike Dodds
| 28 | Winter Prep Sports Roundup While Christmas decorations mean it’s most likely September, when it comes to the school calendar it means the turn from fall sports to the winter season. For the second year in a row the fall sport season did not bring a blue trophy to San Juan County. However, the new district and classification alighnments made for a more-than-interesting season.
| 31 | The First Tee Johnson & Johnson matching donations through Dec. 31
| 32 | NASCAR Nellie NN can’t miss WAGs arrival
| 22 | Fun & fundraising | 34 | NMAA selects Among the more than 100 people who took part in the Farmington Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department’s 4th annual Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble on Nov. 22 were a couple of turkeys.
November honoree
covercredit Josh Bishop
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Steve Bortstein has shared his passion for sports for 28 years Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop You know him as Steve Bortstein, the host of the three-hour local sports talk radio show on Fox Sports AM 1340 and 93.9 FM as part of iHeart Radio. What you may not know about the 44-year-old sports and horse racing fanatic is how he became a staple in our community and how he may never leave. Bortstein has been involved with the sports media for 28 years. “I got my start at the Pasadena Star News at age 16,” said Bortstein. “I was already writing for my high school paper, but got started covering sports for Pasadena Star News when I was 16 and then moved on to become assistant horse racing editor when I was 18.” As many of you who listen daily to First Sports with Steve Bortstein at 7 a.m. every morning, passion for horse racing and handicapping was in his blood from the day he was born. “My love for horse racing came from my father. He took me to my first race when I was 4 years old in New York, where I was born.” The family moved to Colorado, where Bortstein’s father was the public relations director for a racetrack called Centennial Downs in Littleton.
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“During spring and fall breaks when they raced, I was his assistant and was responsible for keeping jockey trainer statistics and keeping notes/stats on races,” explained Bortstein. “That was where my fascination started for statistics and numbers and following other sports in a numbers way.” Bortstein added in jest, “I learned more math doing that job than I ever learned in school.” Once out of college, Bortstein stayed with the Pasadena Star News for a bit, and then moved on to the South Bay Daily Breeze which was in Torrance, Calif., as the assistant horse racing editor. “It was at that time I got my start in radio by doing guest appearances on horse racing shows around the country and in Las Vegas in 1997,” added Bortstein. While living in San Diego, the opportunity to come to Farmington presented itself when a job opened up with the local newspaper. In 2002, Bortstein took the job as the assistant sports editor at The Farmington Daily Times under the guidance of then sports editor Steve McGaughey.
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“Horse racing is not luck. People handing you a betting ticket at the window always say, ‘Good luck.’ Handicapping is not luck, it is a skill.” — Steve Bortstein Why Farmington? “I was intrigued with the job in Farmington because it had horse racing and baseball.” Little did he know that less than a year after his arrival another opportunity would arise that led Bortstein into the world of radio. Recalling how the transition into his current position transpired, Bortstein seemed to be at the right place at the right time. “Walter Dorman was the program director for Fox 1340 when I came here. The station had a daily one-hour show during the afternoon dedicated to local sports, which Walter hosted.
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After six months in Farmington, I made my first appearance and then little by little did more appearances. Bill Kruger was the station manager at the time and offered me a position to do a show at the station. I wanted to venture back into radio and the offer intrigued me.” The rest, as it could be stated, is history – but that would be undermining the determination that Bortstein showed in producing what you hear today over the airwaves. Bortstein took a one-hour local radio show and turned it into a three-hour mix of national and local sports news for which he has won five straight New Mexico Broadcasters Association Top Sports Talk Show Host from 2009 through 2013. Bortstein also took to the community to instill his knowledge and love for horse racing at SunRay Park and Casino through his handicapping seminars. “I enjoy the theory of handicapping and watching it play out,” explained Bortstein. “I am going to try to give you information in handicapping seminars that you may not be able to find out for yourself.”
“One of the things I wanted to do at Fox Sports was to bring back a show I did in California called The Fast Track, because horse racing wasn’t very popular in this corner of New Mexico.” On the show – which airs on the same iHeart stations – Bortstein and horse racing personalities from across the country offer handicapping advice and best bets for the nation’s biggest horse races for that particular weekend. “Handicapping is analytical math for me,” explains Bortstein. “As a handicapper, I take what happened in the last race, extrapolate information, and then compare it to the same data from the other horses in that particular race. I then formulate what I think is going to happen in this next race.” Bortstein vehemently denounces the luck factor in the handicapping of a horse race, much as Matt Damon’s character did regarding the World Series of Poker in the final scene of the movie Rounders (John Dahl, 1998).
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Bortstein took a one-hour local radio show and turned it into a three-hour mix of national and local sports news for which he has won five straight New Mexico Broadcasters Association Top Sports Talk Show Host from 2009 through 2013.
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COMPLETE PACKAGE FCAT’s goal is to teach life skills as well as athletics Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop The Four Corners Aquatic Team (FCAT) is celebrating its 20th year anniversary in 2014. The team is run by Head Coach Karen McCay, along with coaches Mike McCluhan, Anna Marie Talcott, Kristi Rae Lucero and Brent McCay. FCAT currently has 65 registered USA Swimmers in the club. Their mission: To provide a
competitive swim program where each member has the opportunity to fulfill his/her goals as an athlete and as a person.
ity of our kids come either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have very few five-day-a-week swimmers.”
“Thankfully, all 65 participants do not show up at the same time,” said McCay. “Kids come at different times. If all the kids came at the same time, we would be in trouble. The major-
FCAT is one of two area club swimming teams that share the Farmington Aquatic Center along with the Farmington and Piedra Vista High School Teams.
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The cost to join FCAT is based on ability level and the number of months the participant actually takes part in the program. “The first payment is $62 per year, which goes to USA Swimming,” explained McCay. “This pays for USA Swimming insurance and helps subsidize USA Swimming all the way up to the Olympic Team. The participants then pay a $50 yearly fee to FCAT, which pays for their swim cap, T-shirt and FCAT’s software license. Finally, participants pay monthly, graduated, dues: $50 a month for novice, $65 per month for Age Group 1 and $80 per month for Age Group 2.” “At the novice level, athletes learn all four strokes, turns and dives,” McCay continued. “Once they progress to Age Group 1 they are allowed to practice five nights a week if they want (not required), where they start to focus on state qualification times for USA Swimming. Once the athletes have two or more state qualification times they move up to Age Group 2, often practicing five nights per week, up to two hours per night.” Like so many youth development programs, FCAT prides themselves on the development of the total person – and not just the athlete. “The ultimate goal for FCAT is to develop well-rounded kids who are an asset to their community,” said McCay. “It is much more important for them to be good human beings. FCAT is a great place to learn skills such as conflict resolution, learning to get along with other kids, respect for authority, when to challenge authority, and how to face adversity. How are they going to finish when they have hit a wall? That is how they are going to finish life.” McCay added, “The community service aspect is extremely important for our participants to start giving back at a young age so they can serve the community for their entire lives. FCAT does not make competitive events a requirement until Age Group 2. “When our athletes start swimming state qualification times, they have a responsibility to themselves and their teammates to go to swim meets and compete – not only for individual races, but also for relay team events,” stated McCay.
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Parents can get their kids involved by coming to the Farmington Aquatic Center and requesting a free two-week trial. “If they like it at the end of two weeks, they just fill out the paper work, pay the dues. and they join the team,” added McCay. FCAT practices from 5:45 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Farmington Aquatic Center. And even though the club swims year round, the commitment to swim is not that demanding. “A lot of kids swim a couple months out of the year to prepare for other sports and only have to pay for the months that they are there,” stated FCAT Board President Michael Dodds. Competitions for clubs in rural communities make it a challenge for the athletes to compete due to numerous travel commitments, but this year the two biggest state club meets are coming to Farmington. FCAT is hosting the New Mexico Short Course State Competition March 5 through 8, as well as the Long Course State Competition July 23 through 28, 2015 at the Farmington
Aquatic Center.
staying and spending money in our community.”
“These meets are going to bring a lot of revenue into the community,” added McCay. “The short course had 219 swimmers last year, while the long course had 400. These athletes will come with their entire families, not to mention the coaches and officials that will be
To find out more information about FCAT or how to join the Four Corners Aquatic Team, please call Karen McCay at 505.860.2772, go to their website at www.teamunify.com, or stop by the Farmington Aquatic Center for the free twoweek trial.
EARLY BIRD TAX DISCOUNT
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Out Of the OctagOn Former UFC fighter finds teaching, training more fulfilling Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop Some 20 years ago, Floyd Sword read an article in a sports magazine about martial arts. Intrigued, he decided he wanted to be part of that sport. Sword was successful with his Mixed Martial Arts career. He excelled in the sport and is the only athlete in the area to have made it to the UFC, which is the pinnacle of success. The glory, the wins, the record set-
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ting, however, weren’t what Sword wanted. “I was gone a lot,” Sword said of his fighting career, “and I missed a lot of time with my daughter. I finally realized that what I really wanted to do wasn’t fight, but to train students.” In 2003, Sword opened a gym in his garage. By 2006, he outgrew his garage and
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moved his gym, Team 4 Corners, into the top floor of Sakura Engineering, at 125 W. Main St. Sword and other trainers offer classes in mixed martial arts, kickboxing and cage fighting. Cage fighting is what intrigue most people are by, Sword said. A cage fighter himself, Sword said the sport isn’t the bloody sport it once was. “Years ago, UFC (Ultimate
Fighting Championship) had no rules and fighters did whatever they wanted and, sometimes, were given a small fine for the way they were fighting,” he said. “Now, the sport is established and it’s less about violence. The violence and the gore attracted fans, though.” Sword is selective about the people he trains, especially for cage fighting. “They have to have done five kickboxing matches and five grappling (wrestling) matches before I allow them to fight,” Sword said. “The sport has evolved so fast and it takes a lot of discipline.” That discipline involves training several days a week to stay fit, in addition to the kickboxing and grappling matches. “The sport is safe if you’ve trained at a high level,” Sword explained.
“They have to have done five kickboxing matches and five grappling (wrestling) matches before I allow them to fight. The sport has evolved so fast and it takes a lot of discipline.” — Floyd Sword
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Safety equipment is used, he added, and participants train in a safe environment. While it’s the cage fighting that makes the exciting videos and sports highlights, Team 4 Corners offers training for the whole family. Kickboxing is popular with kids and women, Sword said. “The kids think it’s pretty exciting and it’s fun to see them with that fire and intensity.”
While kickboxing is a combat sport, Sword said he doesn’t encourage aggressiveness with his students. “It’s amazing though, how aggressive some of them can get,” he said, adding with a laugh, “and bouts between siblings are the best.”
kids and a husband that need me after work,” she explained with a laugh. “Everyone at 4 team Corners is super nice and knowledgeable and very patient. And it’s a good environment.” St. Marie has just one wish, however. “I wish more ladies would (train with me),” she said.
Women enjoy kickboxing as well. “It’s a great workout and the ladies like it because its fun and they’re learning something new,” he said.
team 4 Corners also offers self-defense classes in a coed setting. Sword was quick to add, however, that as with any kind of training, students get from it what they put into it.
rebecca St. Marie has been training with Sword for several years. “I take grappling and kickboxing training,” St. Marie said. “It’s a great challenge, it’s great exercise and I get to meet a lot of fun people.”
one student who got a lot out of his training and now trains others is Shane Wilson. “Shane was a special student,” Sword said of his protégé. “He was very dedicated, phenomenally talented. Shane’s been with me since before I opened the gym (on West Main). He won grappling tournaments – has a strong commitment to training.”
St. Marie also has her daughter, Natalie, who is 6, enrolled in classes. “of course, Nat wanted to box,” St. Marie said with a laugh. “But Floyd said young ladies are not apt to get into a boxing match with a man, so let’s teach her self-defense.” “Floyd’s very patient with the kids and he mixes up the classes so they don’t get bored,” St. Marie added. St. Marie trains four days a week – during her lunch break as a group exercise coordinator at Defined Fitness, where she puts in an average of 50 hours a week. “I train during my lunch hour because I have
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Wilson coaches Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. His students are primarily men who are looking for fun and a good workout, he said. “they’re easy to coach and they’re competitive. And they come to classes regularly.” In addition to his grappling success, Wilson has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that teaches self-defense through leverage and proper training, according to blackbeltmag.com website. the purple belt is given to those who display a high level of expertise in the sport, the website states.
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Wilson took part in grappling tournaments for about 10 years. “I wanted something to do, to stay active and fit,” Wilson said. “I found Floyd through a friend and I got hooked.”
Whether you’re looking for a great workout, to grapple or cage fight competitively, or to improve your ability to defend yourself, Sword and Wilson say team 4 Corners is a good place to begin. “training with us helps you stay healthy and fit,” Wilson said. “It teaches you new things and it is great at building self-confidence.” For more information about team 4 Corners, call 505.566.1919.
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You don’t really know As early as 1879 it was written in print: “Never discuss religion or politics in general company.” Even Linus in charles Schultz’s Peanuts knew better, saying in the 1966 classic television special, it’s the Great Pumpkin, charlie Brown: “There are three things i have learned never to discuss with people – religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” So usually sports can be used to fill the conversation void. it’s usually safe. Even friends that love their teams can usually disagree in a respectful and even jovial manner. But what happens when sports merge with one of the taboo subjects, such as politics ? Well, we certainly found out on Nov. 30 when five members of the St. Louis Rams receiving team walked out of the tunnel with their hands up, referencing the protests on the Michael Brown incident after being introduced at the Rams home game against Oakland. if any team has a pulse of the racial tension going on in Ferguson, Mo., it should be the Rams. Now this is not the place to discuss the situation in Ferguson nor the guilt or innocence of the individuals involved. i’ll leave that to the multiple experts on Facebook and Twitter who seem to have informed opinions on police tactics and what it’s like to be a minority in America. Sports and politics have always been strange bedfellows. There have been those that have been active and out- or over-spoken. There are those who have kept their beliefs on social issues absolutely private. in actuality, athletes can rarely win either way. When they express themselves as did charles Barkley does, the public backlash is of the variety “What do they know?” When they refuse, as did Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan, the backlash happens the other way, “Why aren’t they speaking out?” Actually, sports has been a natural transition to the political arena. For the first time in 60 years there will not be a former professional athlete in congress. At one time sports gave way to a natural role of leadership from the court or field to the business or political world. Once upon a time the virtue of sport included the desired qualities not only of leadership, but of work ethic and cooperation. in
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RickHOERNER Editorial columnist congress there were the likes of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Representative Jack kemp and former Princeton and New York knick star Senator Bill Bradley. Bradley and kemp both had presidential aspirations, with Bradley losing in the Democratic primary to Al Gore and kemp losing in his primary bid as well, but joining Bob Dole on his presidential ticket running for vice president. When kemp passed in May of 2009, one obituary writer wrote that kemp and Bradley were the only two white American politicians truly comfortable around African Americans. He cites sports as the reason. Bradley’s teammate, Hall of Famer Walt Frazier, called Bradley “the least prejudiced player i’ve ever met,” but still viewed as an outsider by the majority of his teammates. kemp’s teammate John Mackey explained that kemp understood that “the huddle is colorblind.” On the field everyone was responsible for themselves yet linked to everyone else. Then money reared its head. Perhaps less cynically, athletes may not want to expose themselves or their families to the 24/7 media blitz that a political cam-
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paign would have to endure. Athletes today have more to lose than just followers on Twitter for taking a political stand. Upset fans means lost revenue for sponsors and the departure of sponsors hurts the athletes’ pocketbooks. Look no further than Tiger Woods loss of sponsors after an eventful Thanksgiving or Michael Jordan who famously said “Republicans wear shoes too” after refusing to endorse African American senatorial candidate Harvey Gantt over segregationist Jesse Helms. it wasn’t always that way. Athletes would take a stand even in consideration of the consequences that action may include. Looking back at the athletes that did take a political stance, they were immediately chastised before history caught up to their plight and began to recognize the political courage their actions led to. consider Muhammad Ali who lost his heavy weight title to follow his conscience and religious beliefs to not fight in the Vietnam War. At the time, Ali was chastised for his stand, but as time passed Ali stood for his civil rights stand as much as for his boxing prowess. At the 1968 Olympics the most famous political stand by any athlete happened on the medal platform after the 200-meter dash. USA track runners Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner, and John carlos the bronze medal winner took their places on the podium and as the Star Spangled Banner played they
raised their fists with a single black glove as a symbol of “human rights, liberation and solidarity.” Reaction was swift and prompt. They were immediately removed from the Olympic Village. At home, the press was just as alarmed. Legendary sports broadcaster Brent Musburger, then an editorial columnist, referred to Smith and Carlos as “a pair of black skinned storm troopers.” Of course the pair eventually was vindicated for their actions with the Arthur Ashe Portrait of Courage Award and even a statue of their defiance at San Jose State University where they ran track. So standing up for what one believes in, even in athletics, may not pay immediate rewards, and only history can judge the sacrifice. Athletics have paved the way for political and social change from civil rights to gay rights. Arthur Ashe was a hero of mine, not just for his tennis, but for what he did as an activist for civil rights, an opponent of apartheid, and his work for AIDS research. Sports can be a social and political agent for good and can lead to political leadership. President Gerald Ford played football at Michigan, President George H.W. Bush played baseball at Yale and Supreme Court Justice
while as Sacramento mayor former Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson led an effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento. On one of my favorite shows, South Park, Stan, your prototypical white kid, keeps telling Token, the lone black kid in town, that he gets why Token’s mad after Stan’s dad dropped the N-word on national television. Token keeps telling him “You’ll never get it.” Again and again Stan tells Token he gets it. Then it finally dawns on Stan that he can never get it and he tells Token, “I don’t get it.” to which Token simply replies, “Now you do.” So there it is, all you need to know about racial tension from a foul-mouthed cartoon show.
Byron White earned his nickname “Whizzer” as a running back at the University of Colorado. Today All-Star Piston guard Dave Bing is the mayor of Detroit, a job no one wants at this point, trying to lead his city from ruin,
With all that said, maybe, just maybe, we should wait before passing judgment on the Rams, the NFL or the five players. History has a way of passing judgment in due time. In truth, no one can truly know the experience of another. It may be easy to say that it’s 2014 and get over it. But the fact is you can’t walk a mile in the protestors’ shoes, not even a marathon would make a difference. Most likely you just don’t get it, and admitting so is a necessary first step.
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A SORT OF HOMECOMING Farmington’s Jay Collins returns to The Pit Story by Rick Hoerner | Courtesy photos When candidly asked about the players he coached in Farmington, longtime Scorpion head coach Marv Sanders looks fondly on the four players he deemed to be true blue chip, Division 1 basketball players.
at the University of New Mexico.
First, was Duane Ward from the 1982 undefeated state championship team who went on to win a pair of World Series titles with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Fifteen years later, Collins is still living his basketball dream that has now taken him to Pocatello, Idaho, where he is assistant coach at Idaho State.
A year later Coach Sanders’ son Mike led the Scorpions before heading off to Northern Colorado.
Collins basketball journey has been long and adventurous. He had a stellar three-year career at Farmington High that included First Team All-District honors all three years as well as two all-state selections. However, Collins became one of the first
In 1986 Rob Robbins led Farmington to a second state title then showcased his talents for four years
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Finally, in 1999 came Jay Collins who was the last Farmington basketball player to play Division I basketball on scholarship.
victims in what can best be termed as the “New Mexico Lottery Athletic Scholarship Curse.” This is where the colleges in New Mexico use the lottery to encourage prep athletes in the state to walk on and use the lottery for college, saving the program a scholarship to offer to someone else. Believing he could still play at the Division I level, Collins accepted an offer to play at Cochise Junior College in Arizona, joining other lottery victims Mike Clay of Manzano and Vince Haynes and Kevin Henry of Hobbs. Collins made an immediate impact for the Apaches, leading them to two consecutive Region I Titles and back-to back trips to the
NJCAA National Tournament. As the point guard for the Apaches, Collins was named All-Region twice, averaging over 20 points a game for his career.
After leaving Southern Utah, Collins briefly flirted with the NBA Developmental League and playing in Europe, making it up to the final cut with the Idaho Stampede.
Collins then transferred to Division I Southern Utah University where he took over the point guard duties. He averaged double digits in scoring while finishing his senior season 14th in the nation in assists.
After a knee injury, Collins turned from the floor to the bench. Initially, Collins began the long road of college coaching by returning to Cochise Junior College, assisting his former head coach Jerry Carillo and continuing the trend of recruiting New Mexico players to come to Cochise.
For Collins, the highlight of his career with the Thunderbirds came in to The Pit for a nonconference matchup on Dec. 21 in 2002. Collins led the Thunderbirds in points rebounds and assists with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, while playing 37 of the 40 minutes in a 69-57 win over the Lobos who once thought he was not worth the time to recruit.
Eventually Collins took the graduate assistant route, coaching at Texas Pan American, followed by a trip to Upper Iowa University, and a return to Cochise Junior College before landing in Flagstaff on the staff of Mike Adras at Northern Arizona where Collins and the rest of the
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Over the past decade Collins has been a consistent visitor back home to Farmington where he worked basketball camps at Piedra Vista and for the late Farmington Scorpion Coach Kevin Holman at Farmington High. the Farmington Scorpions went to team camp in the summer. At NAU Collins worked in advance scouting as well as continuing to recruit for the Lumberjacks. His current stint is at Idaho State University where, Collins is beginning his third year where he concentrates on individual workouts for the Bengal guards as well as continuing to recruit and scouting. His experience coaching in the Big Sky Conference has been a plus in recruiting and scouting for the Bengals. A return to be with his Southern Utah head coach Bill Evans has also given Collins a familiarity with the Idaho State system and an ease in transition from his previous coaching assignment. Over the past decade Collins has been a consistent visitor back home to Farmington where he worked basketball camps at Piedra Vista and for the late Farmington Scorpion Coach Kevin Holman at Farmington High. A happy homecoming to The Pit was not in the cards for Collins and his Idaho State Bengals who fell to the Lobos 79-55. Collins again had to walk up the ramp of The Pit on the wrong side of the score just as he did in 1998 after an overtime loss to Alamogordo, and in 1999 where his prep career ended at the hands of undefeated La Cueva. However, Collins will always have his day in The Pit where as a player he more than proved he belonged. For Jay’s friends and family, as well as his former coach, it was still a great night watching a young man continue his basketball journey.
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Fishing REPORT Fishing on the San Juan River below Navajo Resevoir has been very good. Flows are currently at 348cfs with visibility at roughly 4ft. Nymph fishing has been best in the morning with dry fly fishing picking up around mid morning. Midge hatches have been prolific throughout most of the day with midge clusters forming in the afternoon hours.
Size 22 black zebra midge Size 22 cream colored midge larvae with a black head
With colder tempatures finally arriving look for Navajo Lake to turn over and therefore keep an eye out for off color water conditions.
Fishing below the Quality Waters has been good using gold Panther Martins and salmon eggs.
Some of the best nymphs to try are:
T.J. Massey San Juan River Outfitters www.sanjuanriveroutfitters.com 505.486.5347
Size 18 yellow egg Size 22 red larvae
Some of the better dry flies to try are: Size 22 Parachute Adams Size 22 CDC Midge Size 18 Griffiths Gnat
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Fun and fundraising 4th Annual Turkey Trot, Gobble Wobble raises money for Blue Star Mothers Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photo by Josh Bishop Among the more than 100 people who took part in the Farmington Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department’s 4th annual Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble on Nov. 22 were a couple of turkeys. Krista Lewis, Kristina Ortiz and Stephanie Sibola were decked out in
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turkey costumes for the race, which included a 5K Turkey Trot and a 2mile Gobble Wobble walk. The ladies came up with the idea of turkey “dressing” for the race, while Stephen Ortiz dressed up as a pilgrim. The ladies thought it would
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be a fun event, they said, but Stephen Ortiz admitted he was “volun-told” to participate. Lewis and the Ortizs are from Farmington and Sibola is from Aztec.
family cheerleader for the trot, encouraging her husband, Ed Smiley, and her son, Michael Necaise. The goal of Smiley and Necaise, Necaise said, was “to finish.”
Candy Maslen of Farmington and Pamela Gallegos and Darryl Espinoza of Aztec also took part in the event. “We’re walking,” Maslen said, “because we decided we want to be healthier.”
The annual 5k run and 2-mile walk raises money for community organizations, with a different organization benefitting each year. The Blue Star Mothers was the 2014 recipient and many of the members of the organization were on hand to participate.
Colby Williams, 10, is from Fruitland and is a student at Grace B. Wilson Elementary School. Williams said he likes to run and recently took second place at a 5K run at Berg Park. As the race was about to begin, Williams said he was excited and hoped to win. For the Joshua Martinez family of Aztec, the Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble was a family event. It was the third year the family has participated, they said. The couple’s son, Mark, 9, is the family athlete and enjoys the run. “Mark can outrun me,” Joshua Martinez said with a laugh.
The race raised $500 for the Four Corners Blue Star Mothers, a nonprofit organization that provides support to the troops, veterans, military and veteran families in our area. Carla Stimac and Jennie Sandoval were among the mothers who cheered on participants and took part in the walk. Gary Groomer joined his mother, Stimac. “I do it with my mother,” Groomer said. “We catch up with a lot of friends and we show our support (for the event).” “The event is for a good cause and it’s
Dianne Smiley of Farmington was the
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a good time for some family fun with my son,” Stimac added. She said they were "killing two birds with one stone" by getting to know the community and burning calories at the same time. The family also was one of the groups that dressed up for the event. "Everybody's losing the holiday spirit," Autumn Yocum said. "So we figured we'd get back into it." Cory Styron, director of the PCRA, said it takes a lot of volunteers to help with the annual event. “In addition to the volunteers, the city’s police department and street department help make it a fun and safe event,” Styron said. “And we couldn’t do it without the support of the community.”
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KArEN MCCAY
Karen McCay is the head coach for the Four Corners Aquatic Team.
MIKE DODDS
Mike Dodds is president of the FCAT board.
KArEN MCCAy 1
When did you (Karen McCay) get involved with Four Corners Aquatic Team? This is my third year with FCAT. I became an assistant for the first year and a half, and then in July of 2013 I was named the interim head coach. Finally, in October of 2013, I became permanent head coach of FCAT and of Piedra Vista High School’s swimming and diving team.
2
What kind of commitment does it take to coach FCAT? The time commitment to coach high school swimming and diving, as well as FCAT, is great. I teach six sections of English at PV during the day, then start high school coaching in season at 3:45 until 5:45, then FCAT goes year around from 5:45 until 7:45 p.m.. I don’t get many days off, but I grew up as the kid at the pool who never wanted to leave. I just love it there and wouldn’t want it any other way. But the commitment isn’t just on me; I have a great staff of coaches and dedicated parents who do a lot to make all of this happen.
3
What is your swimming and coaching history? I was born in Fort Stockton, Texas, but moved to Houston when I was 10 years old and started club swimming through USA Swim in Houston. I became really good in the butterfly, and when I was 13 I got moved up to swim with the 15-yearold swimmers. Once that happened, I stayed after practice to help with the team, taught lessons and became a lifeguard. I was always at the pool and never wanted to leave. That was my first coaching experience with USA Swim. I didn’t swim in college because I received a full ride academic scholarship to Lubbock Christian University, which didn’t even have a swimming pool, much less a swim team.
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MIKE DODDS 1
What are your responsibilities as president of the FCAT board?
My responsibility is to take whatever actions the board tells me to do in terms of financial responsibilities and the tasks needed to be done behind the scenes. I don’t do anything that isn’t agreed upon by our board. Taking care of backend things, like what kind of fundraising we are going to be doing, our fees – that sort of thing. I also conduct monthly meetings, and communicate with the New Mexico governing body of swimming.
2
What fundraisers have you planned to help with expenses?
We have the signs on the south end of the pool (16) that we sell. We are looking to team up with the Exterran Triathlon this summer in June – that will be our big fundraiser – with proceeds going to FCAT. We have done doughnut sales, swim meets. We also have short course and long course meets coming to Farmington this year, which brings in good money for the team.
3
Why are you so passionate about swimming?
Growing up I became competitive in my late teens and twenties swimming in triathlons and master swim programs. As I have gotten older, it is a great activity we like to use to teach values to these kids. Swimming is a vehicle to connect to yourself and to be in the moment. We want to teach kids how to cope when difficulties arise, make them understand more about themselves, about their brain and body and soul. I like to think of swimming as a vehicle where kids can learn all these values.
10 Questions
continued from
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KArEn MCCAy 4
MIKE DODDS
How do you encourage kids to train outside of practice? We make our kids write goals every season, both shortterm, some long-term. Those kids who want to be the best know that they need to train outside of swimming, so they choose to do cross-fit. We mostly don’t have to encourage kids to train because they are so heavily involved in other sports and are training away from the pool anyway. To give you an example of how heavily involved our parents are: one of our parents is a certified cross-fit instructor who just became a certified USA Swim instructor so she could coach cross fit at the pool to our kids for free.
5
4
Why is FCAT a difference maker for your two sons, Ian and Landon? Swimming isn’t their only sports (mountain biking, triathlons and soccer). My boys utilize swiming for overall fitness for their body, mind and soul. There is nothing better than swimming, especially as a little kid, to help prepare them for other activities on their list. It is great offseason conditioning for any other sports they play.
5
Why should kids get involved in FCAT swimming? We like to give kids a chance with our two-week free trial. I would encourage kids to come out. If they want to swim for three months, then that is fine. It is a great avenue for all kids to get fit and to learn more about themselves.
If kids could get just one thing out of your coaching, what would you want it to be? The most important thing, in my mind, is to finish what you start. This generation (30 years and younger) gets out of commitments too easily. Sometimes the best thing for a kid is to have to face adversity and try to overcome it. The kids that “hit a wall” and learn how to finish are going to be the game changers in the world going forward.
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January/February 2015
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PieDRaVistaHIGHSCHOOL Volleyball
WINTER PREP SPORTS ROUNDUP
No blue trophy; classification alignment shakes things up Story by Rick Hoerner | Photos by Curtis Benally While Christmas decorations mean it’s most likely september, when it comes to the school calendar it means the turn from fall sports to the winter season. For the second year in a row the fall sports season did not bring a blue trophy to san Juan County. However, the new district and classification alignments made for a more than interesting season.
Football the addition of the Gallup schools to the 1aaaaa district gave a set of mixed results for
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the local teams. Gallup was one of the worst teams in the state, which for the district was almost like having a second bye week. On the other hand, Miyamura was surprisingly tough in district play. the Patriots came into district season undefeated without playing much of a non-district season. aztec, Farmington and Piedra Vista all entered district play with winning records setting up a tight closely fought, district race. For the four teams with winning records en-
January/February 2015
tering the district race, every night of district play was like a district title game, with aztec and Miyamura entering the final week both undefeated and looking for the district title. the last week showdown in aztec was everything a championship game should be with aztec going for two to win a 36-35 overtime thriller. as the selection process began for the state tournament brackets it looked doubtful that the committee would select four teams from a single district. But the district did get four bids
marcusCRAWFORD
cHristianFOWLER
aztec High school
Piedra Vista High school
with aztec coming in right behind artesia, Goddard, centennial and Belen, the top four teams in the state all season long. the committee’s faith in the district was returned in the first round as Piedra Vista upended Valencia, Farmington knocked off st. Pius, aztec easily handled Del norte, and miyamura defeatedg Los Lunas. With all four teams moving on to the quarterfinals, they would each be tested by the top four seeds. Here the season would end for all four of the district qualifiers with blowout losses to the tournament favorites. in District 1aaaa the championship came down to Kirtland and Bloomfield, as expected, in what is otherwise a very soft district. the championship came down to a defensive struggle with a baseball-like score of 6-2 earning Bloomfield the title and a no. 4 seed in the championship bracket. By the strength of a tough schedule, the Broncos received a no. 10 seed heading to st. michaels where Kirtland’s season came to an end with a 20-12 loss. a week later the Bobcats fell to the same fate as their big brothers in the 5a district losing in
the quarterfinals to cobre 34-23. For navajo Prep they easily walked through their district without allowing a single point, earning them a no. 8 seed and a home game against no. 9 santa rosa who eliminated the Eagles in 2013. the Lions again proved too much for Prep, eliminating the Eagles in the first round with a 58-52 win.
soccer the 5a boys this soccer season turned out to be the Farmington scorpions and everyone else. the scorpions were dominant in district play going undefeated and finishing 16-4-1 overall while getting the no. 4 seed and a first round bye in the state playoffs. Piedra Vista finished second in the district, but with an overall record of 7-13 they were left out of playoffs. Farmington faced no. 12 st. Pius in the quarterfinals falling to the sartans 2-1. On the girls’ side, the district was strong as usual and, as usual, the selection committee had the district members eliminate each other
in the state tournament. aztec won the district going 8-0 and earning the no. 2 seed in the tournament bracket. Piedra Vista and Farmington split in their head-to-head battles with the scorpions winning the tie breaker and entering the playoffs as the no. 4 seed and PV coming in at no. 7. Once again in the quarterfinals the district was forced to play one another as aztec met up with Piedra Vista. the tigers moved on to the semifinals with a 2-0 win. Farmington joined aztec in the semis with a 2-0 win over Valencia, but once again the title hopes for the district ended at the hands of either albuquerque academy or st. Pius. in this case it was both, with the scorpions losing to no. 1 Pius and the tigers falling to no. 6 academy.
cross country as expected it was in cross country that the changes in district alignment would really make a difference. Gallup and miyamura have traditionally been very competitive on the cross country trails and were formidable competition in 1aaaaa.
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At the boys’ district tournament Piedra Vista again flexed its muscles. After finishing with a perfect score last year, the Panthers finished four runners in the top seven. Christian Fowler led the way for PV finishing in third followed by Ryan Kruger, Jaron Harmon and Caleb Ward. At state the Panthers finished just short of the podium finishing in fourth behind district rival Miyamura.
Lacey Howe led the Shiprock Lady Chieftains to an incredible score of 21 to take the district title. Kirtland Central landed in third place earning a trip to state as well. At state the Chieftains ran into a proverbial buzz saw in Taos who finished ahead of the Chieftains for the title, placing four runners in the top 10. The Broncos finished up their season with an 11th place finish at the state meet.
In 4A boys, the Shiprock Chieftains finished district just behind Zuni with Kirtland Central coming in third. Shiprock’s Shawvan Levi finished a top the individual for the third consecutive year. The Chieftains finished sixth overall, with the Broncos coming in tenth.
For the Navajo Prep Eagles the podium was just short of reach with both squads finishing fourth at state. The girls team captured the district title while the boys finished in second just behind Rehoboth.
It was just a year ago that Piedra Vista and Aztec were the top two teams, coming into the district meet each assured of a place at state. Enter Gallup and Miyamura. Throughout the season it appeared the Bengals and Patriots would be the teams to beat with Aztec and PV fighting for the last spot at state. Peyton Kee and Cassie Crowell led the Panthers to the third place finish in district and seventh in state.
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Volleyball There is an old adage that “the third time is the charm,” meaning third time lucky. But that was not the case for the Piedra Vista volleyball team. For the third consecutive year the Panthers entered the state tournament as the No. 1 seed reaching the finals only to be turned away from the blue trophy. Two years ago it was St. Pius; last year it was Goddard. But this may have been the toughest one for the Panthers, falling to Centennial
January/February 2015
after having a 2-0 lead in the championship match. The Panthers had been No. 1 ranked most of the volleyball season and again cruised their way through the district claiming the title over second place Aztec. The Tigers came out of Pool C as the third seed losing in straight sets to Los Lunas. Piedra Vista had the luxury of waiting with a bye before sweeping Academy and beating Pius 3-1 before falling to Centennial. In 1AAAA Wingate claimed the top spot over Kirtland Central followed by Shiprock. Both the Chieftains and Broncos survived pool play before being eliminated in the opening round of the state tournament. The Navajo Prep Eagles were looking to capture their first volleyball state championship in 2014 but ran into an old nemesis in Texico. Prep and Texico have become rivals on the basketball court over the past years, but it was on the volleyball court that the Rangers denied the Eagles in straight sets. Coach Crisp’s squad entered the state playoffs on a 12-match winning streak including the district 2A championship.
Matching funds Johnson & Johnson matching donations through Dec. 31 The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m. has had an incredible 2014, impacting 8,000 youth participants throughout the Four Corners Region. That being said, 2015 is shaping up to be a very important year. With strategic plans set forth and programs planned, The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m. is looking to increase their curriculum footprint throughout the Four Corners Region. With expansion of current programs already underway, the organization is looking to expand into locations which are currently underserved or have not had access to our programs. This will be made possible through the continued support of the citizens and corporations of San Juan County. With an ever-increasing donor base, the message continues to spread
TomYOST The First Tee
of what The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m. is achieving with the youth in the community. The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m. is excited to announce a special opportunity between now and the end of 2014. All money that is donated up until Dec. 31 will be matched by Johnson & Johnson at 50 cents to every dollar. Therefore, if the organization raises $50,000, then Johnson & Johnson will match those donations with an additional $25,000.
This is a wonderful opportunity to make your money go even furthering than it already has. Through your generosity, the plans to expand and grow will be met, as will the ability to sustain an increasingly important program moving forward so that the life skills and character values curriculum will continue to affect thousands more youth in our community. If you would like more information on how to get involved and donate to The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m.’s Johnson & Johnson matching Grant Campaign, please email me at tyost@sjcounty. net. You can also LIKE them on Facebook (TheFirstTeeSanJuanCounty) or call the ofďŹ ce at 505.334.4291. Thank you to those who have continued to support the program over the past nine years, while the Tenth Anniversary in 2015 promises to be the best year yet.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
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Kyle and Samantha Busch
Delana, Keelan and Kevin Harvick
NN can’t miss WAGs arrival Wives and girlfriends in the spotlight at the NASCAR awards Nascar Nellie is always interested in the WAGs of NASCAR. that’s why she tunes in early for every race and is especially interested in the pre-race stuff, on accounta that’s when the WAGs appear as eye candy and supporters of their men. It’s lovely, really. Most of the WAGs (Wives And Girlfriends) of the NASCAR drivers are beautiful, even though some of the drivers theirownselves, bless their hearts (NN knows that if you’re gonna say something
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not-so-nice about someone, if you preface those comments with “Bless their hearts,” God forgives you. Just sayin. . .) wouldn’t have a chance in heck with those 10s on the beauty scale if they weren’t rich and famous. Some of the drivers are attractive and are eye candy theirownselves, but some of ‘em, people, should just keep their helmets on all the time they’re on camera. Whatever.
January/February 2015
So, when the Big Bash happens in December, when everyone in NASCAR (well, everyone but the losers) hits the Vegas Strip to celebrate the new champion, NN pays pretty close attention to what the WAGs wear. NN also enjoys seeing her favorite and not-so-favorite drivers all dolled up in tuxedos, too, but it’s the WAGs who draw the attention. this year, though, it wasn’t the WAGs who stole the show. Nope. It was that cute little Keelan Harvick, who is all of 2 years old, dressed up a tux, who rocked the red carpet lots better than most of the WAGs. Keelan’s dad, Kevin Harvick, was this year’s champion and ole Happy Harvick said it was Keelan’s influence that helped him with the big trophy and the big money that goes with it. Keelan was at almost all of the races and is as cute as any little kid can be. His mommy, Delana, is a beauty
ingly like his first wife, Brooke, so there’s a pattern there, just so’s ya know), Krissie Newman, wife of Ryan Newman (who NN loves on accounta he reminds her of her own Perfect Child), and Katie Kenseth, wife of Matt (who is pretty “baked potato” but is a decent driver, except when you make him mad, then he’ll come after you like NN goes after Sweet Cherry Pie wine. Just ask Brad Keselowski. Speaking of Bad Brad, there about wasn’t a driver on the track that was a friend of BBs by the end of the season. Nobody liked Brad on accounta he’s not a nice man, bless his heart. When all of those fights broke out after races between Brad and anybody/everybody, NN always rooted for the anybody/everybody. Just sayin’. . . . BB showed up with a very attractive young woman – Paige somethingor’nother. He shoulda worn his helmet for the photo op though.
JJ and Chandra Johnson
Jeff and Ingrid Gordon
herownself, but the white gown she wore for the Big Banquet was a tad on the boring side. For reals.
Samantha (and she is gorgeous) is always with him during the pre-race ceremonies and they all but need a room when they embrace for a gazillion minutes before Kyle gets in his racecar for the race.
There were some sweet moments between drivers and WAGs this year. Joey Logano (NOT one of NN’s favs, but NN does give credit for being a good driver, even though NN always hopes for a long pit stop or a flat tire or a driver mistake so he doesn’t win a race) is getting married this month to a very cute, teeny tiny woman by the name of Brittany. Brittany, being the wonderful W of a driver, did the right thing and scheduled the wedding for 12-13-14 for one very good reason – so Joey won’t forget their anniversary.
It’s sweet and NN is touched, but, for goodness sake, it’s KYLE BUSCH, who may be recognized for his talent behind the wheel, but not so much his looks. Bless his heart. NN thought it was interesting that Samantha mentioned the lack of Kyle’s “swimmers” in their quest to become pregnant to the news media. NN loves knowing the inside stuff of NASCAR drivers, but really didn’t want/care to know anything at all about Kyle’s swimmers or Samantha’s ovaries. Just sayin’. . . .
Isn’t that special? Joey gave a shout out to his about-to-bebride when he accepted his fourth place finish in the championship standings. NN wasn’t sure Joey was gonna make it to the Vegas bash after that looooong pit stop he had at Texas. NN did cheer kinda loud when the lug nut wouldn’t stick, and it appeared ole Joey might not make it home for the holidays. NN, though, wishes Joey and his cute little Brittany much happiness and joy – and always coming in fourth. . . . Then there’s Kyle Busch, whose lovely wife,
Kyle’s big bro, Kurt, appeared on the red carpet with their mom, Gayle. Kurt has “issues” pending against him from a former G of the WAGs, so taking his mom was a safe bet and very sweet. Moms should always be included in special events, because Moms are the bomb. Gayle looked very nice and very proud of her son, and will stand beside him throughout the “issues” because that’s what Moms do. There were some other standouts who looked lovely – Chandra Johnson, JJ’s wife, is always pretty, and Ingrid Vandebosch, the model wife of Jeff Gordon (who looks amaz-
Then, of course, there was Amy Reimann, who had the best accessory of the evening – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Amy and Dale are the “It Couple” of NASCAR on accounta Junior is always the “It Driver.” Amy is pretty, as she should be to be on the arm of the Sports Most Popular Driver for the 12th year in a row. Junior is sweet with her, in his “aw shucks” kinda way, which is why he has a gazillion fans, all of whom vote for him and who cheer for him every single week. NN, herownself, has a Junior shrine in her casita. She has a life-sized Fathead decal of Junior on the wall and she pretty much kneels before it before every race. Junior excelled this season because of his Fathead decal and NN’s kneeling, NN is sure of it. And if Junior is the most popular driver in Sprint Cup, he’s also the most popular team owner in the Nationwide Series, which is NASCAR’s minor league. That cute Chase Elliott (whose father, Awesome Bill from Dawsonville, won the Most Popular Driver award for 16 years in a row, but Junior’s gonna beat that record, for reals) won the Nationwide Championship and Junior was like a proud father. It was as awesome as Chase’s dad and NN loved it. All in all the Big Bash was fun and NN enjoyed it. And now that she has a coupla extra hours on the weekend for a month or two, maybe she’ll find the two cats who used to live with her, but when NASCAR races come on, they run and hide. NN is sure they’re in the casita someplace and hopes to find ’em before Daytona. Just sayin’. . .
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NMAA selects November “Compete with Class” honoree The New Mexico Activities Association is proud to announce that the Melrose football team and Head Coach Dickie Roybal have been recognized as the Compete with Class award recipient for the month of November.
tions, and responding with integrity while engaged in competition.
Following the 8-Man Football Championship game, coach Roybal congratulated both teams for a great season and then presented Logan senior Trey Daniels with the game ball. Daniels suffered a season ending injury during their semifinal game against Gateway Christian. Coach Roybal talked about what an outstanding player Daniel was and gave him the game ball on behalf of the Melrose football team and athletic department.
Their act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true ideals of the Compete with Class Sportsmanship 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.
Sportsmanship is defined by the NMAA as the act of treating others in a respectful manner, taking personal accountability for ones ac-
Bortstein
continued from
The NMAA would like to thank and recognize coach Roybal and his team for setting a great example for the state of New Mexico.
Note that 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.
7
“Horse racing is not luck. People handing you a betting ticket at the window always say, ‘Good Luck.’ Handicapping is not luck, it is a skill. You wouldn’t tell a stockbroker who has been doing his job for twenty years, ‘Good Luck on your stock trades today.’ We as handicappers know what we are doing and how it works. So it is not luck – it is skill.” And Bortstein has the handicapping pedigree to prove it with a win percentage just below the 33 percent that, according to him, is the “Holy Grail” of horse racing winning percentages. Why 33 percent? “Favorites win one-third of the time. If a handicapper can pick at a 33 percent ratio, then you are doing better or the same as the favorites are doing at a racetrack. The idea of a handicapper is not to pick 6/5 shots all day, but to pick horses that are going to pay a little extra money.” So what is next for the man that continues to build upon his success in the radio studio? “I would love to go back to the Kentucky Derby next year and cover it like I did the Breeder’s Cup this year for The Daily Times.” Steve is first and foremost a radio personality and a program director for the local iHeart operation, but his love for writing still has him covering horse racing for the local newspaper. “I am so lucky that I get to do both,” remarked Bortstein. “I am home. This is home. I am very comfortable in this community. I don’t see a reason for me to go anywhere else.” And whether it is with his voice or his fingers,
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the fact remains that Bortstein is passionate about covering sports for the local community.
away from the realities of the cruel world out there once in a while.”
“Sports are stupid, but they are our stupid. We need to protect it and support it because it is our escape from the realities of life. Real world events are important, but I don’t mind being the entertainment aspect to escape from those things. You need to get
And just like his yearly tradition of belting out the lyrics to a classic Frank Sinatra song during karaoke at the San Juan County Fair, Steve Bortstein has done it his way – and that is more than fine for the small market community treated to his big city shows.
January/February 2015