Cleveland's Maddison Weaver wins NMHSCA Coach of the Year

RIO RANCHO — The New Mexico High School Coaches Association announced its 2024-25 Coaches of the Year, and Cleveland High School head cheer coach Maddison Weaver was one of the recipients.

“It was a huge surprise,” Weaver said.

Weaver won Coach of the Year honors in the “spirit” category in her first year as the Storm head coach.

“She’s amazing; she came in last year and she had a mission,” senior cheerleader Logyn Vogel said. “I think she deserves everything good that’s coming for her, and she’s the only reason we are where we are right now.”

This season, Weaver led the Storm cheer squad to a second-place finish at state and re-energized a program that came in last place in the 2024 state meet.

“I feel undeserving among so many talented and dedicated spirit coaches in the state, but it is an honor and I’m incredibly grateful,” Weaver said.

Every year, the NMHSCA selects one coach in each sport, regardless of school classification, to receive Coach of the Year honors.

Here are all the winners: St. Pius X’s Jordan Russell (volleyball), Bloomfield’s Michael Kovacs (football), La Cueva’s Amber Ashcroft (girls soccer), Academy’s Lalania Kolek (boys soccer), Navajo Prep’s Stephanie Coon (cross-country), Atrisco Heritage Academy’s Dominic Casaus (girls wrestling), Bloomfield’s Jason Luster (boys wrestling), Clovis’ Vincent Demaio (swim and dive), Roy/Mosquero’s Blair Clavel (girls basketball), Artesia’s Mike Mondragon (boys basketball), Alamogordo’s Austin Drefs (girls powerlifting), Portales’ Nathan Chavez (boys powerlifting), Magdalena’s Kyl Candelaria (baseball), Centennial’s Fernie Valles (softball), Texico’s Jasmine Davalos (girls track and field), Artesia’s Adrian Olivas (boys track and field), and Farmington’s Pat McGrath (tennis).