PREP NOTES
NM's strongest athletes collide at State Powerlifting
Cibola, Volcano Vista, Valley among schools signing athletes to college programs
It鈥檚 time to start moving some weight.
The state powerlifting championships are Friday and Saturday at the Rio Rancho Events Center, as New Mexico identifies its strongest high school athletes.
The boys compete on Friday, the girls on Saturday.
Athletes will have their performances judged on three lifts: squat, bench and deadlift.
Start times for the events are 10 a.m. (squat), 1 p.m. (bench) and 3:30 p.m. (deadlift).
There is a day pass available for $17, which includes re-entry privileges. An adult pass is $12, which does not include re-entry.
SIGNINGS: Cibola and Volcano Vista this week officially signed over two dozen athletes for college.
Cibola鈥檚 baseball program has a quartet going to the next level: Gavin Artis to MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas; Isaac Brito to Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Ryan Hutchinson to New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell; and Austin Zapach to Texas A&M-Texarkana.
Sophie Grijalva will be a runner for Western New Mexico, and Tyler Wright a runner for Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.
Several of the Cougars football players will be going to the next level. Jalil Dixon has signed with Western New Mexico, Julio Gutierrez, Jr., is going to McPherson College in Kansas, and Danny Triplett is on to Sterling College in Kansas.
Celia Marquez from the softball team will play for Midland College in Texas. Also from the softball team, Macie Melvin has signed with Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, Louisiana, and Gabby Moncada has signed with Bethel College in Kansas.
Keegan Revilla is going to play soccer for the Rome City Institute in Italy.
Volcano Vista had a dozen athletes signed.
This includes three football players who are going to be playing for New Mexico Highlands: Kaleb Vander Wilt, Gabe Koeppe and Alvin Gomez. Two other Hawks 鈥� Samuel Chavez and Ismael Mendez III 鈥� signed with Western New Mexico.
State champion wrestler Elijah Gawronski signed with Cal State Bakersfield. Another champion wrestler from the Hawks, Lorenzo Gallegos, is going to Iowa Western Community College.
Two girls basketball players signed: Mia Zuniga with New Mexico Highlands, and LaLicia Garcia with Benedictine University Mesa.
Mailie Tanner will join Fort Lewis鈥� track and field program, and golfer Isaac Cota is also headed to Benedictine University Mesa. AAron Sanchez from Volcano鈥檚 baseball program is going to New Mexico Military Institute.
Another of its athletes, Ava Wrolstad, signed last December to play volleyball for the College of Florida-Bradenton.
Valley鈥檚 female athlete of the year for 2025-26, Amariah Altamirano, has signed with Clarke University in Iowa.
COACHING UPDATES: St. Pius is searching for a new head boys basketball coach.
Ryan Myers said he expected to return next season, but that the school asked him to resign.
Artesia also is losing its boys basketball coach.
Mike Mondragon, who led the Bulldogs to three state championship game, and won a title with Artesia in 2025, is taking a principal鈥檚 job at a local elementary school.
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .
