Four corners Sports Jan/Feb 2015

3Four Corners SPORTSJanuary/February 2015

content| 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 PackageThe 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 OctagonSome 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.

| 18 | A sort of homecomingWhen candidly asked about the players

he coached in Farmington, longtime Scor-

pion head coach Marv Sanders looks

fondly on the four players he deemed to

be true blue chip, Division 1 basketball

players.

| 16 | Editorial Columnistby Rick Hoerner

| 26 | 10 Questionswith Karen McCay and Mike Dodds

| 31 | The First TeeJohnson & Johnson matching

donations through Dec. 31

| 32 | NASCAR NellieNN can’t miss WAGs arrival

| 21 | Fishing Report

| 34 | NMAA selects November honoree

| 28 | Winter PrepSports RoundupWhile 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.

| 22 | Fun & fundraisingAmong 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.

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

Four Corners Sports magazine is published once amonth by Majestic Media. Material herein may not bereprinted without expressed written consent of the pub-lisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writersare not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FourCorners Sports magazine. Every effort has been madeto ensure the accuracy of this publication. However thepublisher cannot assume responsibility for errors orommissions. © 2014 Four Corners Sports magazine.

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Josh Bishop

4 Four Corners SportS January/February 2015

5Four Corners SPoRTSJanuary/February 2015

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.

Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop

Writingradio&

Steve Bortstein has shared his

passion for sports for 28 years

6 Four Corners SPORTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“During spring and fall breaks when they

raced, I was his assistant and was responsible

for keeping jockey trainer statistics and keep-

ing 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 ed-

itor at The Farmington Daily Times under the

guidance of then sports editor Steve McGaughey.

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.

After six months in Farmington, I made my first

appearance and then little by little did more

appearances. Bill Kruger was the station man-

ager 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 determina-

tion 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 Associa-

tion Top Sports Talk Show Host from 2009

through 2013.

Bortstein also took to the community to in-

still his knowledge and love for horse racing at

SunRay Park and Casino through his handicap-

ping 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.”

“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

7Four Corners SPORTSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

“One of the things I wanted to do at Fox

Sports was to bring back a show I did in Cali-

fornia 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 na-

tion’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 in-

formation, 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 regard-

ing the World Series of Poker in the final scene

of the movie Rounders (John Dahl, 1998).

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 34

COMPLETEPACKAGE

9Four Corners SPoRTSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The Four Corners Aquatic Team (FCAT) is cel-

ebrating its 20th year anniversary in 2014. The

team is run by Head Coach Karen McCay, along

with coaches Mike McCluhan, Anna Marie Tal-

cott, Kristi Rae Lucero and Brent McCay.

FCAT currently has 65 registered USA Swim-

mers in the club. Their mission: To provide a

competitive swim program where each mem-

ber has the opportunity to fulfill his/her goals

as an athlete and as a person.

“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-

ity of our kids come either Mondays and

Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. We

have very few five-day-a-week swimmers.”

FCAT is one of two area club swimming

teams that share the Farmington Aquatic Cen-

ter along with the Farmington and Piedra Vista

High School Teams.

Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop

FCAT’s goal is to teach life skills as well as athletics

10 Four Corners SpOrTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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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 Swim-

ming,” 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. Fi-

nally, 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 re-

quired), where they start to focus on state qualification times for

USA Swimming. Once the athletes have two or more state qualifica-

tion 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 them-

selves 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 im-

portant 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 im-

portant 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.

11Four Corners SPorTSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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 com-

ing 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.

“These meets are going to bring a lot of rev-

enue into the community,” added McCay.

“The short course had 219 swimmers last

year, while the long course had 400. These ath-

letes will come with their entire families, not to

mention the coaches and officials that will be

staying and spending money in our community.”

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 two-

week trial.

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12 Four Corners SporTS January/February 2015

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-

ting, however, weren’t what Sword wanted.

“I was gone a lot,” Sword said of his fight-

ing career, “and I missed a lot of time with

my daughter. I finally realized that what I re-

ally 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

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 peo-

ple are by, Sword said. A cage fighter him-

self, Sword said the sport isn’t the bloody

sport it once was. “Years ago, UFC (Ultimate

Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop

Former UFC fighter finds teaching, training more fulfilling

Out Of the OctagOn

14 Four Corners SporTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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Fighting Championship) had no rules and fight-

ers 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.

Safety equipment is used, he added, and par-

ticipants train in a safe environment.

While it’s the cage fighting that makes the ex-

citing videos and sports highlights, Team 4 Cor-

ners 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 inten-

sity.”

“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

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 be-

tween siblings are the best.”

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.

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.”

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 av-

erage of 50 hours a week. “I train during my lunch hour because I have

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.

team 4 Corners also offers self-defense

classes in a coed setting. Sword was quick to

add, however, that as with any kind of train-

ing, students get from it what they put into it.

one student who got a lot out of his train-

ing and now trains others is Shane Wilson.

“Shane was a special student,” Sword said of

his protégé. “He was very dedicated, phe-

nomenally 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.”

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.”

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.

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.

15Four Corners SportSJanuary/February 2014

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16 Four Corners SPORTS January/February 2015

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 clas-

sic television special, it’s the Great Pumpkin,

charlie Brown: “There are three things i have

learned never to discuss with people – reli-

gion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” So usu-

ally sports can be used to fill the

conversation void. it’s usually safe. Even

friends that love their teams can usually dis-

agree 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 re-

ceiving team walked out of the tunnel with

their hands up, referencing the protests on

the Michael Brown incident after being intro-

duced at the Rams home game against Oak-

land. 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 sit-

uation 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 tac-

tics 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 actual-

ity, athletes can rarely win either way. When

they express themselves as did charles

Barkley does, the public backlash is of the va-

riety “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 transi-

tion to the political arena. For the first time in

60 years there will not be a former profes-

sional 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 in-

cluded the desired qualities not only of lead-

ership, but of work ethic and cooperation. in

congress there were the likes of former Buf-

falo 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 Demo-

cratic 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 Fra-

zier, 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 color-

blind.” 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-

paign would have to endure. Athletes today

have more to lose than just followers on Twit-

ter for taking a political stand. Upset fans

means lost revenue for sponsors and the de-

parture of sponsors hurts the athletes’ pock-

etbooks. Look no further than Tiger Woods

loss of sponsors after an eventful Thanksgiv-

ing or Michael Jordan who famously said “Re-

publicans wear shoes too” after refusing to

endorse African American senatorial candi-

date Harvey Gantt over segregationist Jesse

Helms.

it wasn’t always that way. Athletes would

take a stand even in consideration of the con-

sequences that action may include. Looking

back at the athletes that did take a political

stance, they were immediately chastised be-

fore 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 con-

science and religious beliefs to not fight in

the Vietnam War. At the time, Ali was chas-

tised 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 po-

litical 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

RickHOERNEREditorial columnist

You don’t really know


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raised their fists with a single black glove as

a symbol of “human rights, liberation and sol-

idarity.” 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, re-

ferred 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 re-

wards, and only history can judge the sacri-

fice. 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

Byron White earned his nickname “Whizzer”

as a running back at the University of Col-

orado. 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,

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.

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.

18 Four Corners SPoRTS January/February 2015

When candidly asked about the players he

coached in Farmington, longtime Scorpion head

coach Marv Sanders looks fondly on the four play-

ers he deemed to be true blue chip, Division 1 bas-

ketball players.

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.

A year later Coach Sanders’ son Mike led the

Scorpions before heading off to Northern Colorado.

In 1986 Rob Robbins led Farmington to a second

state title then showcased his talents for four years

at the University of New Mexico.

Finally, in 1999 came Jay Collins who was the last

Farmington basketball player to play Division I bas-

ketball on scholarship.

Fifteen years later, Collins is still living his basket-

ball dream that has now taken him to Pocatello,

Idaho, where he is assistant coach at Idaho State.

Collins basketball journey has been long and ad-

venturous. 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 selec-

tions. However, Collins became one of the first

Story by Rick Hoerner | Courtesy photos

A SORT OF HOMECOMING Farmington’s Jay Collins returns to The Pit


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 col-

lege, 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 Re-

gion 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.

Collins then transferred to Division I South-

ern 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.

For Collins, the highlight of his career with

the Thunderbirds came in to The Pit for a non-

conference matchup on Dec. 21 in 2002. Collins

led the Thunderbirds in points rebounds and

assists with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 as-

sists, 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.

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.

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.

Eventually Collins took the graduate assis-

tant route, coaching at Texas Pan American, fol-

lowed 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 North-

ern Arizona where Collins and the rest of the

20 Four Corners SPOrTS January/February 2015

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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 Lumber-

jacks.

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 re-

cruiting 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.

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.

21Four Corners SPORTSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

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FishingFishingREPORTREPORT

FishingREPORT

Fishing on the San Juan River below

Navajo Resevoir has been very good.

Flows are currently at 348cfs with visi-

bility at roughly 4ft. Nymph fishing has

been best in the morning with dry fly

fishing picking up around mid morn-

ing. Midge hatches have been prolific

throughout most of the day with midge

clusters forming in the afternoon

hours.

With colder tempatures finally arriv-

ing look for Navajo Lake to turn over

and therefore keep an eye out for off

color water conditions.

Some of the best nymphs to try are:

Size 18 yellow egg

Size 22 red larvae

Size 22 black zebra midge

Size 22 cream colored midge larvae

with a black head

Some of the better dry flies to try

are:

Size 22 Parachute Adams

Size 22 CDC Midge

Size 18 Griffiths Gnat

Fishing below the Quality Waters has

been good using gold Panther Martins

and salmon eggs.

T.J. Massey

San Juan River Outfitters

www.sanjuanriveroutfitters.com

505.486.5347

22 Four Corners SPORTS January/February 2015

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

turkey costumes for the race, which included a 5K Turkey Trot and a 2-

mile 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

4th Annual Turkey Trot, Gobble Wobble

raises money for Blue Star MothersStory by Dorothy Nobis | Photo by Josh Bishop

Fun and fundraising

23Four Corners SportSJanuary/February 2015


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be a fun event, they said, but Stephen Ortiz

admitted he was “volun-told” to partici-

pate. Lewis and the Ortizs are from Farm-

ington and Sibola is from Aztec.

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 de-

cided we want to be healthier.”

Colby Williams, 10, is from Fruitland

and is a student at Grace B. Wilson Ele-

mentary 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 fam-

ily has participated, they said. The couple’s

son, Mark, 9, is the family athlete and en-

joys the run. “Mark can outrun me,”

Joshua Martinez said with a laugh.

Dianne Smiley of Farmington was the

family cheerleader for the trot, encourag-

ing her husband, Ed Smiley, and her son,

Michael Necaise. The goal of Smiley and

Necaise, Necaise said, was “to finish.”

The annual 5k run and 2-mile walk

raises money for community organiza-

tions, with a different organization benefit-

ting each year. The Blue Star Mothers was

the 2014 recipient and many of the mem-

bers of the organization were on hand to

participate.

The race raised $500 for the Four Cor-

ners Blue Star Mothers, a nonprofit organ-

ization that provides support to the

troops, veterans, military and veteran fam-

ilies in our area.

Carla Stimac and Jennie Sandoval were

among the mothers who cheered on par-

ticipants 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


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 holi-

day 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 volun-

teers to help with the annual

event. “In addition to the volun-

teers, the city’s police depart-

ment and street department

help make it a fun and safe

event,” Styron said. “And we

couldn’t do it without the sup-

port of the community.”


KArENMCCAY DODDS

When did you (Karen McCay) get involved with Four Corners

Aquatic Team?

1

What kind of commitment does it take to coach FCAT?2

What is your swimming and coaching history?3

What are your responsibilities as president

of the FCAT board?

1

What fundraisers have you planned to help

with expenses?

2

Why are you so passionate about swimming?3

Karen McCay is the head coach for the Four Corners Aquatic Team.

Mike Dodds is president of the FCAT board.

MIKE

KArEN MCCAy MIKE DODDS

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.

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.

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.

Growing up I became competitive in my late teens and twen-

ties 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.

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 sea-

son 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.

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-year-

old 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.

27Four Corners SpOrTSJanuary/February 2015

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How do you encourage kids to train outside of practice?4Why is FCAT a difference maker for your two sons, Ian

and Landon?

4

If kids could get just one thing out of your coaching, what

would you want it to be?

5

KArEn MCCAy

We make our kids write goals every season, both short-

term, 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 par-

ents are: one of our parents is a certified cross-fit in-

structor who just became a certified USA Swim instructor

so she could coach cross fit at the pool to our kids for

free.

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 bet-

ter than swimming, especially as a little kid, to help pre-

pare them for other activities on their list. It is great

offseason conditioning for any other sports they play.

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.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 for-

ward.

MIKE DODDS

Why should kids get involved in FCAT swimming?5

10 Questions continued from 24

28 Four Corners sPORts January/February 2015

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

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 win-

ning records setting up a tight closely fought,

district race.

For the four teams with winning records en-

tering the district race, every night of district

play was like a district title game, with aztec

and Miyamura entering the final week both un-

defeated 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

PieDRaVistaHIGHSCHOOLVolleyball

Story by Rick Hoerner | Photos by Curtis Benally

WINTER PREP SPORTSROUNDUP

No blue trophy; classification alignment shakes things up

29Four Corners sPOrtsJanuary/February 2015

with aztec coming in right behind artesia, God-

dard, 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, Farm-

ington knocked off st. Pius, aztec easily han-

dled 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 strug-

gle 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 fin-

ished 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 quar-

terfinals 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 Farming-

ton split in their head-to-head battles with the

scorpions winning the tie breaker and enter-

ing the playoffs as the no. 4 seed and PV com-

ing 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 ei-

ther 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 acad-

emy.

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 com-

petition in 1aaaaa.

cHristianFOWLERPiedra Vista High school

marcusCRAWFORDaztec High school


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. Chris-

tian Fowler led the way for PV finishing in

third followed by Ryan Kruger, Jaron Harmon

and Caleb Ward. At state the Panthers fin-

ished just short of the podium finishing in

fourth behind district rival Miyamura.

In 4A boys, the Shiprock Chieftains finished

district just behind Zuni with Kirtland Central

coming in third. Shiprock’s Shawvan Levi fin-

ished a top the individual for the third con-

secutive year. The Chieftains finished sixth

overall, with the Broncos coming in tenth.

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. Through-

out 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.

Lacey Howe led the Shiprock Lady Chief-

tains 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.

For the Navajo Prep Eagles the podium

was just short of reach with both squads fin-

ishing fourth at state. The girls team cap-

tured the district title while the boys finished

in second just behind Rehoboth.

VolleyballThere 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 vol-

leyball 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 tough-

est one for the Panthers, falling to Centennial

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 claim-

ing 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 be-

fore 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 champi-

onship 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 play-

offs on a 12-match winning streak including

the district 2A championship.

31Four Corners SpoRTSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

The First Tee of San Juan County, N.m. has

had an incredible 2014, impacting 8,000 youth

participants throughout the Four Corners Re-

gion.

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 pro-

grams already underway, the organization is

looking to expand into

locations which are cur-

rently underserved or

have not had access to

our programs.

This will be made possible through the con-

tinued support of the citizens and corporations

of San Juan County. With an ever-increasing

donor base, the message continues to spread

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 ex-

cited to announce a spe-

cial 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 ex-

pand 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 commu-

nity.

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 office 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.

Matching fundsJohnson & Johnson matching donations through Dec. 31

TomYOSTThe First Tee

Nascar Nellie is always interested in the

WAGs of NASCAR. that’s

why she tunes in

early for every

race and is espe-

cially interested in

the pre-race stuff,

on accounta that’s

when the WAGs ap-

pear as eye candy and

supporters of their men.

It’s lovely, really. Most of

the WAGs (Wives And Girl-

friends) of the NASCAR

drivers are beautiful,

even though some of

the drivers theirown-

selves, bless their hearts

(NN knows that if you’re gonna say something

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 fa-

mous.

Some of the drivers are at-

tractive and are eye candy

theirownselves, but

some of ‘em, people,

should just keep their

helmets on all the time

they’re on camera.

Whatever.

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 Kee-

lan 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 Har-

vick, 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

32 Four Corners SpoRtS January/February 2015

NN can’t miss WAGs arrival

Kyle and Samantha Busch Delana, Keelan and Kevin Harvick

Wives and girlfriends in the spotlight at the NASCAR awards


herownself, but the white gown she wore for

the Big Banquet was a tad on the boring side.

For reals.

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.

Isn’t that special?

Joey gave a shout out to his about-to-be-

bride when he accepted his fourth place fin-

ish 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 ap-

peared 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,

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.

It’s sweet and NN is touched, but, for good-

ness sake, it’s KYLE BUSCH, who may be rec-

ognized for his talent behind the wheel, but

not so much his looks. Bless his heart.

NN thought it was interesting that Saman-

tha 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 swim-

mers or Samantha’s ovaries. Just sayin’. . . .

Kyle’s big bro, Kurt, appeared on the red

carpet with their mom, Gayle. Kurt has “is-

sues” 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 in-

cluded 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-

ingly like his first wife, Brooke, so there’s a

pattern there, just so’s ya know), Krissie New-

man, 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 at-

tractive young woman – Paige something-

or’nother. He shoulda worn his helmet for the

photo op though.

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 al-

ways 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. Jun-

ior 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 Jun-

ior 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 El-

liott (whose father, Awesome Bill from Daw-

sonville, 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 fa-

ther. It was as awesome as Chase’s dad and

NN loved it.

All in all the Big Bash was fun and NN en-

joyed 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’. . .

JJ and Chandra Johnson Jeff and Ingrid Gordon


The New Mexico Activities Association is proud to announce that the

Melrose football team and Head Coach Dickie Roybal have been recog-

nized as the Compete with Class award recipient for the month of No-

vember.

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 sea-

son ending injury during their semifinal game against Gateway Chris-

tian. 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.

Sportsmanship is defined by the NMAA as the act of treating others

in a respectful manner, taking personal accountability for ones ac-

tions, and responding with integrity while engaged in competition.

The NMAA would like to thank and recognize coach Roybal and his

team for setting a great example for the state of New Mexico.

Their act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true ideals of the Com-

pete with Class Sportsmanship Initiative - respect, integrity, and re-

sponsibility. More information regarding the “Compete with Class”

sportsmanship initiative can be found on the NMAA website at

www.nmact.org.

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 Direc-

tor, at 505.977.5385.

NMAA selects November “Compete with Class” honoree

“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 handi-

capper 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 oper-

ation, but his love for writing still has him cover-

ing 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 rea-

son for me to go anywhere else.”

And whether it is with his voice or his fingers,

the fact remains that Bortstein is passionate

about covering sports for the local community.

“Sports are stupid, but they are our stu-

pid. We need to protect it and support it be-

cause 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

away from the realities of the cruel world out

there once in a while.”

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.

Bortstein continued from 7

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Four corners Sports Jan/Feb 2015