RR standouts featured in Journal's Athletes of the Year for 2024-25

BOYS BASKETBALL

Kenyon Aguino, sr., Volcano Vista

The Hawks’ 6-foot-7 forward was frequently unguardable with his diversity. Could score at all three levels, but he was especially effective within 5 feet of the basket. He averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds, and also five assists. The Montana signee is now NM’s three-time reigning Gatorade Player of the Year.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Sydney Benally, sr., Sandia

Like several other athletes on our star-studded roster, Benally is a repeat choice. She just made teammates better, and her individual numbers — 20 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.6 apg — were stellar as well as she led the Matadors to a second straight Class 5A championship. She has signed to play at BYU.

FOOTBALL

Cam Dyer, sr., La Cueva

Dyer repeats in this slot, and he also closed his career as a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year. Dyer combined for 51 touchdowns for the Bears, even as he played most of the final two games with an injured knee. He still passed for 2,446 yards and 31 scores, and as 5A’s most elusive running QB rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and 20 touchdowns. Graduated early from La Cueva and signed with Arizona State.

VOLLEYBALL

Karyna Werley, sr., La Cueva

Werley was unquestionably the highest impact player in the metro on the courts last season. The 5-foot-9 Werley had 413 assists as the Bears’ setter, and also 285 digs, making her hugely effective as a defensive stopper. But Werley, who signed with Metro State in Denver, also registered 480 kills as a hitter.

BASEBALL

Anthony del Angel, jr, Cleveland

Del Angel, the Gatorade Player of the Year for New Mexico, was quite probably the player opposing coaches least wanted to see in a clutch situation this last season. In addition to his flexible defense (he could be deployed as an outfielder or infielder), del Angel — who already has committed to Oklahoma — batted .545 with seven home runs for the Storm.

SOFTBALL

Mel Macias, sr., Atrisco Heritage Academy

Every year, there’s one sport that causes extreme consternation about who to choose, and this year, softball was the toughest call of the 22 on the 2024-25 board. Macias arguably meant more to her team's success than anyone in the metro. She belted 14 home runs and drove in 40 runs for a Jaguars team that reached Week 2 of the playoffs, had a ridiculous OPS of 2.001, and she won 13 games in the circle. Signed with UNM.

GIRLS SOCCER

Caitlin Sanchez, sr., Eldorado

Sanchez, a goalkeeper, was consistently outstanding during her career with the Eagles, and she went out strong, too. Sanchez allowed only 11 goals in over 1,600 minutes between the pipes for Eldorado. She finished last fall with a goals-against average of .409, and she was an All-Region performer as voted on by the United Soccer.

BOYS SOCCER

Leonel Bencomo Zarate, sr., Rio Grande

Zarate benefitted huge from the decision by the New Mexico United Academy to allow players to compete for their high school team before returning to NMUA. Zarate’s wizardry led to 36 goals last fall for the Ravens, who themselves had an outstanding year by reaching Week 2. Zarate was an all-region selection by the United Soccer Coaches.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Gianna Rahmer, fresh., Eldorado

Rahmer remained perfect against her New Mexico rivals, and she captured major regular seasons meets like the Albuquerque Metro Championships and the Albuquerque Academy Extravaganza. She did suffer one regular-season loss — but this one occurred in Arizona. She capped another stellar campaign with a victory at the Class 5A state meet, finishing 66 seconds ahead of the field.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Charlie Vause, sr., Rio Rancho

Vause didn’t get the Class 5A state championship he was hoping for, but he was still the metro’s top boys runner, including wins at big meets like the Rio Rancho Jamboree, and he ended 2024 with a remarkable upset victory in the rain and at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, leading to a national Player of the Year award from Gatorade.

BOYS WRESTLING

Mason Posa, sr., La Cueva

Posa was just an unstoppable force of nature on the mat. Last season, and for his entire Bears career. As a senior, he went 43-0, and won his fourth individual state championship. He bagged the Conflict at Cleveland title, and the metro crown as well — the latter one as a heavyweight. He moved up in weight for metros after being at 215 pounds most of the season. And then he did so again at state, taking down all comers.

GIRLS WRESTLING

Eloise Woolsey, jr., Cleveland

Woolsey, already a two-time state champion in Hawaii, was incredibly impressive as she earned a first title in New Mexico. She finished 37-0 with four pins at state to close her season, a campaign that included her going up in weight to face (and eventually beat) then-undefeated Jaden Meadows of Sandia at metros.

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

Grace Erinle, soph., Albuquerque Academy

No way to go another way here. Erinle, skilled in both field events and on the track, was the high-point athlete at the prestigious Harper meet. Then she was the high-point athlete at the metro meet. And then she capped her terrific spring with a meet-best 30.5 points, including four individual victories, at state.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Tanner Montaño, jr., La Cueva

Montaño achieved one of the great individual feats of the track season as he tied the state’s longest held individual overall record; he equaled the long jump mark last achieved at state 55 years ago. He was high-point athlete at the Harper meet at Albuquerque Academy, and he added the prestigious 100-meter title to his ledger at state and was high-point athlete there, too.

BOYS POWERLIFTING

Kevin Cuomo, sr., Eldorado

Cuomo is a repeat selection from last season, and here we have New Mexico’s strongest kid. The data confirms this. In his three events at state, Cuomo combined to lift 1,600 pounds in the three events at the powerlifting meet, and there really wasn’t another kid close to displacing him.

GIRLS POWERLIFTING

Alayah Gonzales, soph., Rio Rancho

Probably not a more inspiring athlete, or story, among our talented roster than Gonzales. This is certainly a meritorious choice, since she lifted a combined 875 pounds in the bench press, squat and deadlift to win the 259-pound weight division at the state competition in April. Gonzales has been suffering from chronic pancreatitis, a medical condition that has forced her into numerous hospital stays.

GIRLS SWIMMING/DIVING

Saaya Bhakta, soph., Cottonwood Classical Prep

One of four youngest members of our 22-athlete roster, and the first time the Journal has selected an athlete from CCP as one of its individual sport AOYs. It’s a deserving honor, as the talented 10th-grader enjoyed a tremendous season, capped with victories in the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard backstroke at February’s state meet.

BOYS SWIMMING/DIVING

Shep Camp, jr., Albuquerque Academy

This proved to be one of the more difficult choices on the board this year, but we select the versatile Camp, who was asked to do a great deal for the Chargers during their state championship season. Camp enjoyed a huge state meet in his home pool, earning victories in the 200-yard IM, plus the 100 breaststroke, and he swam legs on two state-winning relay teams for the Chargers.

BOYS GOLF

Payton Black, sr., Rio Rancho

There were several viable choices in boys golf for 2024-25; we chose Black, who among his three victories during the wraparound season with a triumph at the Class 5A state tournament last month in Farmington. He had five top-two finishes for the Rams, excelling on a series of demanding courses.

GIRLS GOLF

Rylee Salome, sr., Belen

Salome once again is the choice for our AOY in girls golf, and once again, this was a pretty easy choice. The New Mexico State commit won 10 tournaments in her senior season, including the 4A state tournament as she became the third girl to ever win four New Mexico state titles, and averaged 69.8 strokes per event.

GIRLS TENNIS

Vivica Corley, sr., Eldorado

The Corley name has been synonymous with this award in this space through the years, and Vivica will be the last Corley in her immediate family to be recognized here. She went out and dominated the week of metros, culminating with a straight-set victory in the final, and she joined twin sister Vianca to win the 5A doubles title; Vivica was the last of the four Corley sisters to be a state champ in singles and doubles.

BOYS TENNIS

Austin Curtis, sr., Albuquerque Academy

Curtis had the two major event victories for the boys during the spring of 2025. He downed La Cueva’s Ketan Garg (who later would win the Class 5A state title) in the championship match at metros, and then he followed that up several weeks later with a hard fought victory over rival Henry Kaufman of Santa Fe Prep in the Class 4A boys singles final.

Keep reading

JOURNAL METRO MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Mason Posa, La Cueva

JOURNAL METRO FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Rebecca Neal, Highland