Lobos, Aggies add players
Local products are prominent
The UNM men’s soccer team added four players, including an Albuquerque native, to its roster on national signing day.
Alex Vedamanikam, who played club soccer with New Mexico Rush and at Hope Christian as a freshman, joins the Lobos from Real Salt Lake Academy. The forward/midfielder was invited to the U.S. U18 National Team camp in 2016.
Also signing were defender Nick Barreiro of El Paso, midfielder Bailey Letherman of Sammamish, Wash., and forward Nicolas Taylor of Coppell, Texas.
Barreiro is the team captain for the Real Salt Lake U18 team. He was an all-district performer at Franklin High School in El Paso as a sophomore before transferring to the RSL academy in Casa Grande, Ariz.
Letherman served as captain of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Crossfire Premier U17/18 team the past two seasons.
Taylor led Coppell High School to the Texas UIL 6A state championship in 2016. He was the Texas Gatorade player of the year runner-up.
NMSU: The Aggie women announced nine signees, inclding three players from the metro area. They are Rio Rancho defender Ashton Forrest, St. Pius forward and coaches’ state player of the year Tatiana Limon and Cibola goalkeeper (and UNM transfer) Dmitir Fong.
“This may be the deepest and most well-coached freshman class we’ve had,” said NMSU coach Freddy Delgado.
UNM WOMEN: Coach Heather Dyche’s 13-player class includes Rio Rancho High forward Leilani Baker, La Cueva defender teammates Kate Browning and Delaney Markham, Eldorado midfielder Bri Rudolph and teammate Midi Hirschman, and Hope Christian midfielder Bella Starkweather.
“In addition to being talented players, they are excellent students, and most importantly, great people off the field,” Dyche said of the newest Lobos.