SPORTS DIGEST: Bowling, wrestling, volleyball and baseball
Is this Heaven??
Cleveland High School freshman Heaven Guevara became the first female high school All-American after finishing third in the 126-pound division at the mid-December Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev.
The Storm girls team finished 14th out of 42 competing teams.
The CHS boys team finished 32nd out of 95 teams and was led by freshman 106-pounder Roman Luttrell, who placed fifth.
Heaven Guevara
Prep wrestling fans should mark January 6-7 on their calendars; then the annual Clash in Cleveland will take place at the Thunderdome. Thirty-one teams from New Mexico, including the host Storm and Rio Rancho Rams, plus two teams from Arizona and three from Colorado are expected to participate.
Seven city volleyball players are all-state
Four Cleveland High School volleyball players and three from Rio Rancho High School have earned All-State honors for the 2022 season.
The Storm’s quartet were named to the first team: senior defensive specialist Aubrey Ortiz, junior setter Marian Hatch and middle blockers Kelsey Heffner, a sophomore, and junior Lauren Snippen.
A trio of Rams earned second-team honors: senior setter Ashleigh Meyer and defensive specialist Jenny Baker and outside hitter Cecelia Vance, both juniors.
It is the second consecutive year of first-team All-State honors for Hatch and Vance; Meyer and Ortiz were second-teamers in 2021.
Thurston, 81, perfect in lane
Further proof that bowling is a lifelong sport was provided by 81-year-old Bob Thurston of Rio Rancho when he won the open division of the Christmas Cash 9-pin No-Tap tournament at Tenpins & More on December 11th.
Thurston, an assistant bowling coach for Rio Rancho High School, shot 290, 242, 266, 242, 277 and a 300, proving that accuracy and consistency win tournaments.
His total of 1,617 beat Joseph Paterson of Socorro by a pin, with John Lund trailing by four pins.
Trent Irwin, one of the Tenpins’ most improved bowlers this year, showed the advantage of his free practice as a Perks Club Center member, winning the Men’s A with 1,513, beating Blaine Sparks by nine points; Next up was Steve Quintana, five pins back.
Isaac Perdue, a junior from Rio Rancho, defeated Seth Muller in Men’s B; Rusty Steele, a former Cibola Cougars alum, was third, six pins back.
James DeGroat dominated the men’s C, with a 1,363, ahead of Hunter Schwind with 133 pins, followed by Socorro’s Will Hall.
Donielle Waite (1,509) rolled 286, 277 and 288 in her Women’s A win; Johnna Mora (1,451) was second, Jolene Sokohl (1,391) third.
Tina Yarnell, who posted two season-high scores in Monday’s Senior Trios League, overcame a slow start to close with a 256 and 1,326/6, ahead of Evelyn Trujillo (1,285) and Alice Garcia (1,280) in action B for women.
Jessica Regulski’s 1,187 was enough to push qualifying leader Margaret Romero into second place; Marilyn Wassmann was third in the women’s C.
Alvarez tags in JBT
Former Rams anchor Yarelis Alvarez teamed up with aspiring local pro bowler DeeRonn Booker to capture the Junior Bowlers Tour Mountain region double in the scratch division at Tenpins & More last week.
Alvarez, enjoying a full bowling scholarship to Tulane University in New Orleans, reeled off three more doubles in the ladder finale to win the event, in her 22nd year.
Donald Gallegos came home to Rio Rancho from Arizona to team with current Ram player Mia Medina to win the handicap final, also defeating three other teams, two of which had shared the lead all day.
Fellow Rams Carson Belnap and Alex Thompson finished third behind father and son Josh and Land Matthies.
In the companion singles tournament, Noah Saul won his first scratch title, leading from rounds five to eight, then defeated Cayden Matherly 181-146 in a tough final in demanding lane conditions.
Mason Vandeventer won two close games – 198-192 over Angela Romero, then local Alan Blair (208-206) – in the handicap division round, while Volcano Vista’s Dylan Lopez squeezed a nine-point margin over Alex Thompson for the top players. down. -17 boys win.
Improve your diamond skills
A baseball camp is coming to the Albuquerque Baseball Academy Jan. 14-15, with former MLB outfielder German Duran, who has previously appeared locally, and Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach Guillermo Martinez.
Session 1 runs from 9am to noon; Session 2 runs daily from 1:00 p.m.
There are limited seats, at $300 per player, available.
For more information or to register, call 505-967-3104 or visit ballcharts.com/rrbaseball.
