Mesa Vista Baseball Returns
The Mesa Vista Trojans played their first baseball game since 2019 on Monday, where their newly-established team lost 21-1 to Peñasco.
Mesa Vista’s last game was a doubleheader against Jemez Valley four years ago, their lone games of that season. They last won a game in 2015.
Jordan Cervantes scored the lone run for the Trojans in the game, while Daniel Martinez started the game on the mound.
The Trojans also had a few girls on their team, with no softball team in several years. Gabby Griego played catcher for a few innings and Tasha Pacheco also made an impact.
The Trojans will play against Española’s junior varsity team on Thursday.
Pojoaque Thrower Sets School Record
Sonya Quintana set a school record for Pojoaque Valley.
Her javelin throw traveled 121 feet, 8 inches. She took first place at the Capital City Invitational in Santa Fe on April 15, winning by more than 20 feet over second place. The mark ranks first in 4A through this season, and would have won first place at the 2022 state championship.
Quintana also won the meet’s 100-meter dash with a time of 12.78 seconds. Pojoaque’s girls finished fifth at the meet, and their boys team finished 16th.
Elk Baseball on a Hot Streak
The Pojoaque baseball team (11-9, 5-2 in district) won its third-straight game in defeating Moriarty (6-14, 3-4) twice in a doubleheader on April 15.
The Elks beat Española Valley (3-15, 0-8) on April 12, winning 10-3. They won games over Moriarty 7-4 and 13-3. All told, they have scored 30 runs during their three-game streak.
The Elks are likely on the bubble for making the 16-team state tournament; they are currently ranked 15th in 4A by MaxPreps.
Pojoaque faces district-leading Los Alamos (16-5, 8-0) on Wednesday, looking to extend their winning streak with what would be a major win. They have not beaten Los Alamos in a game since at least 2008, according to MaxPreps data.
Pojoaque Opens Basketball Coaching Positions
Pojoaque Valley is seeking applications for head boys and girls basketball coaches, signifying an end to the tenure of the current coaches.
“We‘re taking the program in a different position,” athletic director Mark Mutz said.
The Pojoaque boys team, coached by Jason Mossman, finished the season 16-12, and made the state tournament for the first time since 2017. But they stumbled in district play after a strong start to the season, and were upset in their first district tournament game. In the state tournament, they lost 84-41 to Highland.
Pojoaque’s girls, under Jonathan Salazar, finished 9-18, a year after finishing 9-17. They have struggled after the departure of Seledon Martinez after the 2019-20 season, and the graduation of stars Michaela Martinez and Ashten Martinez from a team that won 20-plus games for three straight seasons and made the final four in 2018.
Mutz also said that the school has hired Gabriel Herrera as the new varsity girls soccer coach. It is his first job at the high school level. Allison Garcia-Dowdy stepped down from the position in January to focus on personal issues.