Peerman's Power Rankings: 10 best things in New Mexico sports this week (May 20)
May 20—Welcome to Peerman's Power Rankings (PPR), the 10 athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman's attention.
Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or contact me on X @LucasPeerman.
10. Nick Gonzales and Joey Ortiz
These former New Mexico State baseball teammates (and "best friends," according to the Aggies baseball X account) are each on a hot streak early in their major-league careers. Ortiz (NMSU Class of 2019), third baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers, is hitting .385 with two homers and five RBIs in his last week, while in that same time frame Gonzales (2020), manning second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is at .296, two homers and six RBIs. The two played against one another last week (the first of many future battles between these NL Central Division rivals), with Gonzales making a great play in the infield to rob his buddy of a single during their May 14 game. But it didn't seem to hurt their friendship as the mustachioed players got together after the game for a photo on the field.
9. Annie Yost and Jake Yrene
Yost, a Piedra Vista junior, went bogey-free (her first time ever) in winning the Class 5A girls golf tournament. She bested second-place by six strokes over 36 holes. Yost was the runner-up by a single shot last year. On the boys side, La Cueva senior Yrene won his second straight 5A title, claiming victory by two strokes (last year, he won by 10 strokes). Volcano Vista boys and Piedra Vista girls won the 5A team titles.
8. Rush Hour
The Oak Grove/Menaul cooperative won its first baseball blue trophy this weekend, cruising through all-comers in the 2A division. The team is coached by Jay Rush, and his sons, senior Noah and sophomore Isaac, were integral to the fourth-seeded Owls' success. Noah Rush, who made headlines earlier this year by crushing grand slams in three consecutive games, had a state baseball tournament to remember. Against No. 5 McCurdy in the quarterfinals, Rush hit a walk-off two-run homer in the fifth to give the Owls the run-rule victory; against No. 1 Santa Rosa in the semifinals, he ripped a pair of triples and finished with five RBIs and three runs scored in the 9-5 win; and against No. 2 Eunice in the finals, he let his brother do most of the work as the Cardinals chose to intentionally walk him. Isaac Rush went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBIs and three stolen bases as the Owls' run-ruled Eunice for the victory.
7. La Cueva baseball
Holy moly, what a championship game. The top-seeded Bears beat No. 3 Cleveland 3-2 and here's how it happened, as summed up by prep sports editor James Yodice in his spring sports wrapup column: "La Cueva scored its three runs strangely: on an RBI single that should have been a foul ball but was blown violently back into play by Mother Nature; and then on back-to-back bases-loaded walks with two outs in the bottom of the seventh." This will be the 12th baseball blue trophy La Cueva will add to its case and quite possibly the one with the oddest backstory.
6. Centennial softball
Revenge is a dish best served by Hawks, a statement defined by Centennial's path to the 5A championship. The Hawks entered the playoffs 29-2 and the No. 3 seed, their only losses to top-seeded Alamogordo. At 8 a.m. Friday, No. 2 La Cueva beat Centennial 10-6 to send the Hawks to the consolation bracket of the double elimination tournament. The Hawks would have to win three more games that day and two the next day to come home with a trophy. The first opponent on their journey, later Friday, was district rival Organ Mountain. Hawks 7-0. Next opponent was district rival Mayfield. Hawks 7-1. Then, that evening, came a rematch with La Cueva. Hawks won 5-1 and would be heading to Saturday's title game. Alamogordo vanquished all opponents in the winners' bracket to secure the other spot. The Tigers would need to win only once, while the Hawks needed to win twice. First game? Hawks 6-0. Second game? Hawks 6-5. Mission accomplished. Kudos to Centennial senior ace Zantelle Rodriguez, who pitched two of Centennial's four games on Friday, pitched a no-hitter, striking out nine while driving in five of her team's six runs in the first game Saturday and also pitched the first five innings of Game 2. She'll be pitching for NMSU next year.
5. New Mexico Junior College
The Thunderbirds are in the midst of an exceptional week, having secured two junior college team national championships. The NMJC men's golf team won its first ever title Friday, defeating Odessa College by three strokes, winning for the seventh time this season. Their 72-hole total of 1,123 on their home course, Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs, set a NMJC championship record by 11 strokes. The NMJC women's golf team is also competing for a national title and stood in fifth place Monday. The 72-hole women's tournament wraps up Thursday from the Duran Golf Club outside of Melbourne, Fla. Also this weekend, the Thunderbirds women won the NJCAA outdoor track-and-field national title, getting first places from Anitha Gibbons in the javelin and Lacarthea Cooper in the 400 meters. The NMJC men finished second at nationals, getting first places from Carlie Makarawu in the 100 and 200 meters, Donald Chiyangwa in the 400, Tomas Vega in the steeplechase and the 4x400 squad.
4. Shaolin Munir
State track and field records did their best London Bridge impersonation this past weekend, myriad falling by the wayside. PPR could showcase any number of exceptional athletes who set state records here but will focus on one who hasn't gotten much ink: Shaolin Munir, who throws the shot put and javelin for Organ Mountain. Munir set a javelin record last year, throwing it 145 feet, 4 inches at the state meet. This year, Munir set a record that might not be broken for decades. Her incredible throw of 165 feet, 4 inches at the state meet would be second best in the nation, according to Track and Field News. Munir, a senior, will be throwing for Duke next year. (By the way, Munir also excels on the softball field and the day before setting the javelin record, she crushed a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to give the Knights a 10-8 win over Piedra Vista).
3. Gianna Rahmer on the track
There's a clear demarcation between the the high-school-age runners and the eighth-grader who qualified to run with them in the 5A girls 3,200-meter race on Saturday. Maybe next year, when Hoover Middle School's Gianna Rahmer is the same age as her competition, the race will be closer. Probably not. This year, Rahmer, representing Eldorado, crossed the finish line in 10 minutes, 45.69 seconds, a full minute ahead of Rio Rancho's Mariah Galbraith (11:46.17). Cleveland's Leah Futey set a record in that event in 2022 when she ran an 11:00.55. So, still no "high school" girl in New Mexico has run the 3,200 in sub-11 minutes?!? Rahmer also finished first and set state meet records in the 800 meters (2:13.44) and 1,600 meters (4:54.44).
2. Gianna Rahmer off the track
As incredible a runner as she is, Rahmer's disposition when she's not racing is just as notable. Consider this. After crushing her competition in the 3,200 on Saturday, Rahmer stayed to give each other runner a hug as they crossed the line. When asked about it, she told the Journal, "They're all out here working as hard as they can, too, so medal or not, everybody deserves congratulations and a hug." And after winning the 1,600 in record time on Friday, she said, "It was the perfect weather. The perfect temperature. A perfect day and I got to run with some of my favorite people. It was awesome." Is there a more perfect answer? (PPR didn't have video of Rahmer talking after her performances at the state track and field tournament, so here's an interview of Rahmer after winning the 5A cross country meet in November).
1. Dynasties
"Winning breeds winning" said legendary coach John Wooden. For truth in this saying, look no further than the track and field dynasties at Cleveland and Los Alamos. The Storm boys reigned supreme yet again, winning an eighth consecutive championship and the Hilltopper boys and girls each snared blue trophies for the fourth straight time. Cleveland senior thrower Strat Shufelt remembers those who came before him on the Storm track and field team told him that to be a winner he had to narrow his focus. "You're not here to do all that extra stuff," he said. "You're here to go to school and be accountable and be successful. And that's definitely what they taught me." Shufelt, who has won 12 individual and team championships in his high school career, is passing along those same lessons. In turn, CHS should start planning for a new trophy case.
Honorable mention
UNM baseball: The Lobos beat San Jose State 10-9 in 11 innings on Saturday to earn a spot in Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament for the first time since 2017.
UNM men's golf: The Lobos will be playing in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament, and 44th overall, after finishing fifth in the Lafayette Regional.
Ian Mejia: The Mississippi Braves right-handed pitcher (and former New Mexico State hurler) has been named Southern League Pitcher of the Week after throwing a no-hitter, and striking out 11 batters, in a 2-0 win over Biloxi on Friday. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 22.2 innings.
End of the bench
La Cueva softball coach Ron Romero was thrown out of a state tournament game, and suspended for the ensuing game, after an umpire observed him communicating to his catcher with an electronic device to call pitches. Romero, upon learning electronic communication between coaches and pitchers/catchers was legal in high school baseball, thought he'd give it a go, not realizing high school softball hadn't yet given this mode of communication its blessing. C'mon softball. It's 2024. We have AirPods, iPads, stadium WiFi. Let your teams take advantage of this technology.
