Sports

Sports

Men's Soccer: Lobos take down West Texas A&M to open exhibition slate

Robert Maler | August 15

The University of New Mexico men's soccer team won its exhibition opener as it took the pitch in what was likely a welcome break from potential distractions surrounding the program's future. Men's soccer was one of four UNM Athletics programs slated to be cut following the 2018-19 season after the UNM Board of Regents rendered a unanimous vote last month — though another meeting will be held Friday after the Office of New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas claimed the July 19 meeting violated the New Mexico Open Meetings Act. But all of the outside factors seemed to have no effect on the team, as UNM focused in the second half, catching fire over the final 45 minutes to cruise to a 5-2 victory over the West Texas A&M Buffaloes.

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Sports

Football: UNM alum Urlacher inducted into Football Hall of Fame

Robert Maler | August 6

Former University of New Mexico football player Brian Urlacher was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday. Urlacher was part of eight inductees that comprised the 2018 Hall of Fame class. He was a first-ballot selection after having played his entire NFL career with the Chicago Bears, joining some elite company as one of just 318 total Hall of Fame members. But he also became the fourth Chicago Bear middle linebacker to join the ranks, rewriting the record book along the way as the team’s leading tackler — continuing the team’s impressive tradition of legendary players at that position to wreak havoc against opponents on the field.

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Sports

Full Analysis: Board of Regents accept reduction in sports

Robert Maler | July 19

Hundreds of people were packed into the ballroom at Thursday's University of New Mexico Board of Regents meetings at the Student Union Building, where the fate of several sports programs hung in the balance. The meeting lasted nearly four hours as dozens of advocates — head coaches, current and former student-athletes, alumni and other members of the community — made statements to the regents urging them to table the issue or reject the motion to eliminate sports. But the parade of testimonials from supporters wasn't enough to sway the minds of the board, which voted unanimously to approve the proposal submitted by NM President Garnett Stokes and Athletic Director Eddie Nuñez to eliminate four sports programs and impose roster management mandates on two others.

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News

UNM community reacts to Athletics cuts

Madison Spratto and Austin Tyra | July 19

The final whistle will be blown for four University of New Mexico sports next July. After an emotional four and a half hour special Board of Regents meeting, the regents voted unanimously to cut men’s soccer, beach volleyball, women’s diving from the swimming and diving team, and men’s and women’s skiing.

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Sports

UNM recommends cutting four sports, pending regent vote

Cameron Goeldner | July 18

The University of New Mexico Athletic Department will cut men's soccer, women's diving, men's and women's skiing and beach volleyball, pending a vote from the Board of Regents.

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Sports

Soccer: France bests Croatia 4-2 in World Cup final

Robert Maler | July 16

It may have been difficult for soccer fans to get a sense of how palpable the energy was surrounding the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals match, but the French people were apparently out in full force watching the game and celebrating as France its second-ever World Cup title by taking down Croatia in the . Fans in the United States were some 5,500 miles away from the championship, which was held in the host country of Russia. And while French fans were much closer to the action, a University of New Mexico student and Daily Lobo sports reporter was in France during the title match and shared his experience during the clinching match. Matthieu Cartron, who has primarily covered UNM men's tennis and women's soccer, was in France visiting family for the summer and said he things unfold in the town of La Flotte on "Île de Ré", an island off the west coast of France.

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Sports

Softball: Lobos add transfer pitcher

Cameron Goeldner | July 9

Paula Congleton and the University of New Mexico softball team have added another pitcher to the 2019 roster, this time the team inked transfer Bailey Klitzke from Wichita State. Klitzke will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning next season. Last year, she recorded a 7-2 record highlighted by wins over Oklahoma State and Texas and a 3.10 ERA in 26 appearances, primarily in relief. She also recorded 40 strikeouts in 49.2 innings pitched.

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Sports

Men's Soccer: Fishbein adamant that cutting sports not the way to go

Robert Maler | July 8

The University of New Mexico Board of Regents announced it will hold a session in the next couple of weeks, which could yield a decision on certain UNM sports and whether some might be eliminated. Several sports have been rumored to be potential casualties in an effort to reduce spending and gain control of an athletic budget that has operated in a deficit for most of the past decade. Men's soccer is one of the programs that has been mentioned frequently as one that could get the axe, but Lobo men's soccer head coach Jeremy Fishbein has been actively campaigning to give his program — and all UNM sports — a chance to continue. Fishbein said he is a supporter of all UNM sports and was adamant that all programs should be maintained and supported moving forward. He said eliminating a sport — especially one with the scope and impact of something like soccer — would be devastating and something that should even be an option.

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Sports

Track and Field: UNM notches four All-American performances, Kerr turns pro

Robert Maler | June 19

The University of New Mexico track and field team made the trip to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to compete in the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month. UNM track and field has made it a habit to send competitors to the championships and have solid showings — and that trend continued as four student-athletes ran their way to All-American performances. Junior runner Josh Kerr was already familiar with competing on the national stage. He won an individual national championship in the men's 1500-meter run last year and was probably viewed as the favorite to defend his crown this time around.

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Sports

UNM sports: UNM Athletics see high GPA marks despite big drop-off for one sport

Robert Maler | June 17

The University of New Mexico saw members of its sports programs put the "student" in student-athlete, as they posted another high grade point average following the recent spring semester. And with the university mulling over the possibility of eliminating some sports to address financial and Title IX compliance issues, there has likely been a higher premium placed on performing well in the classroom — as it will be one of several criteria considered as part of the evaluation process. Several of the sports programs were likely thrilled to see the marks set by its students as the collection of teams earned a 3.19 cumulative GPA — denoting the 20th straight semester with at least a 3.0, a release said.

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Sports

LGBT Moments in Sports

Robert Maler | June 14

Although people seem to be more tolerant and accepting of others' differences, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community probably still find themselves receiving unfair treatment and criticism. The world of sports isn't immune to passing judgement on members of the LGBT community either. Many athletes have spoken out about how difficult it was to "come out" and some experienced hate and vitriol from people who do not agree with or understand their lifestyle. With June commemorating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, it seemed like a good idea to look part at some of the biggest LGBT figures and moments in sports.

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Sports

Softball: Lobos add another player to 2019 class

Cameron Goeldner | May 17

The University of New Mexico softball program added a sixth player to its 2019 class on Tuesday with the signing of infielder Maggie Buckholz out of Salem, Oregon. Buckholz is a four-time All-American and was twice named softball athlete of the year. "I am really excited about Maggie joining this recruiting class," Coach Paula Congleton said in a release. "She brings power, speed and athleticism to our program. She has played in excellent travel ball programs with great coaches. Maggie is not only an outstanding athlete, she is an outstanding student. We are looking forward to seeing her take a leadership role and contributing to our team in the coming years.”

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Sports

Softball: Lobos swept by Boise State in final season series

Cameron Goeldner | May 15

The University of New Mexico softball team was swept in its final series of the season by the Boise State Broncos, who secured the Mountain West title and a place in the NCAA regionals with the win in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader. Game One The Broncos wasted no time jumping on the Lobos in the first game of the series on Thursday, racking up eight runs in the first inning.

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Sports

Softball: Skylar Jenkins commits to UNM

Cameron Goeldner | May 14

The University of New Mexico softball program added its fifth recruit of the 2019 class last week with the commitment of Skylar Jenkins, an outfielder from Buford High School in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Jenkins hit .415 during her senior season en route to helping her team win its 10th consecutive state championship.

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Sports

Softball: Lobos win home finale

Cameron Goeldner | May 7

The New Mexico softball team sent its seniors out the way that anyone would want to end their final home game; with a win. Krissy Fortner and Chelsea Johnson led the charge and finished off San Diego State 4-1 for the Lobos first Mountain West series victory of the season. Johnson went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, including a two-run insurance home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. “It was a really important weekend coming into this, I knew that, but I just wanted to go out with a bang and help my team in anyway possible,” Johnson said. “I didn’t care how I got a hit, I didn’t care what it looked like as long as I got on base and moved runners and did my job, I was going to help my team out.”

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Sports

Graduation Issue: Antino Jackson turns doubt into success

Robert Maler | May 7

As many people may know, student-athletes often get the benefit of receiving a scholarship to help offset the cost of attending college. They are also asked to perform well in their sport and in the classroom to earn it. Going to school isn’t always easy, and most students will be faced with a myriad of challenges along the way to earning a degree. But Antino Jackson, point guard for the UNM Lobo basketball team this past season, was faced with arguably more than his fair share of adversity on his way to a diploma.

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Sports

Softball: Lobos fall 7-3 to dampen senior day

Cameron Goeldner | May 5

The University of New Mexico softball team struggled to put the bat on the ball, managing only six hits compared to San Diego State’s 15 as the Lobos fell 7-3 on senior day. “From our perspective we struggled all day long, head coach Paula Congleton said. “We weren’t really mentally prepared which is kind of a shame when we’re trying to honor our seniors.” Krissy Fortner got the start, and was able to work out of early trouble after allowing the Aztecs to load the bases with two outs in the first inning, but a fly out ended the threat.

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Sports

Isotopes set attendance record in debut as Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico

Cameron Goeldner | May 5

The Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico made their debut on Saturday night to much fanfare in front of a record crowd of 16,975 at Isotopes Park, with a 4-1 win over Los Chihuahuas de El Paso. The crowd broke both attendance records that the club keeps, the previous high for a non Fourth of July weekend game was 15,321, which was set on June 23, 2009 when Manny Ramirez made a rehab appearance with the Isotopes. The previous all-time record was set on July 4, 2014 with a crowd of 16,348. “I was blown away by the crowd today, we didn’t expect to break the all-time record,” Isotopes General Manager John Traub said. Traub said that he hadn’t even considered the possibility of breaking the record until a few days ago when he saw the number of advanced ticket sales.

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Sports

Softball: Lobos use the long ball to take down Aztecs, give coach win No. 400

Cameron Goeldner | May 5

University of New Mexico head softball coach Paula Congleton recorded the 400th win of her coaching career in a 5-2 win over the San Diego State Aztecs on Friday night. “I’m really excited, I’m really proud of that,” Congleton said. “I’m really glad that it’s here at UNM. As an alumni, just bringing this program back it’s exciting.” The Aztecs opened the scoring in the top of the first inning off of Lobos starter Jensen Main, as a Shelby Thompson one out single was followed by a single from Katie Byrd that advanced Thompson to third. She came around to score on a Kelsey Munoz single to open up an early 1-0 lead. Main was able to strand the remaining runners, two of 11 runners on the night that the Aztecs left on base.

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Sports

Women’s Basketball: Lobos sign UTEP transfer Najala Howell

Matthew Narvaiz | May 2

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team signed yet another player to its program this offseason. Najala Howell, who played the last three years at UTEP, made the decision to become a Lobo, UNM head coach Mike Bradbury announced on Wednesday. Howell will have to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules. “I chose New Mexico because this program is the perfect fit for me,” Howell said, according to a press release. “I'm excited because it's been a long time coming, and I know for a fact that nothing but blessings are coming this way for me and for the Lobos.” Howell, a 5-10 guard/forward, played and started in all 31 of UTEP’s games last season. She averaged 11.9 points per game, which was the second most of any player on her team last season. She also averaged 6.3 rebounds and shot 82.4 percent from the free throw line last season.