UNM soccer women have new players from all over

Los Alamos, Rio Rapids midfielder Hailey among the 8

Fresh off of their share of the regular season championship in the Mountain West and their secondconsecutive appearance in the tournament finals, the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team and head coach Heather Dyche have gone all over the world to find their newest players.

“This is an exciting and unique class for UNM, and we are excited to add them to our family,” said Dyche. “We have two internationals, some incredibly talented American players who are going to immediately challenge for time. This class has a very high soccer IQ, they read the game and play the game at high-level. Our goal every season is to raise the standard and I have no doubt this class will do that.”

All eight will join the program from the high school ranks with two coming internationally.

A 5-foot-8 midfielder, Alix Hailey was named first-team all-district from 2016-2018 and was the District 2-4A Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 with Los Alamos. Se scored 26 goals and dished out 17 assists to total 69 points. For her club team, the Rio Rapids, Hailey has helped her team to U.S. Club Regional and National Championships.

Among other local and nearby players added on the first day of the signing period in various sports:

MEN’S GOLF: New Mexico State coach Mike Dirks said Wednesday that he has added five players that “all have the desire and work ethic to become the player that can win conference championships and help us reach the NCAA Championship.”

If so, that conference championship team will have a distinctly New Mexican flavor. Trey and Tyler Diehl, both of Piedra Vista, join Aidan Thomas in the five-player class. The Diehls helped Piedra Vista

win the large-school Class 6A title last spring. WOMEN’S GOLF: NMSU added Taylor Mieras from Plano Senior High School in Texas and Alison Gastelum from Chihuahua, Mexico. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Eastern New Mexico announced the signing of Taylor Hall, a 5-foot-9 guard at Casteel High School in Queen Creek, Ariz. Last season for the Colts, Hall averaged 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 3.1 steals per game.

SOFTBALL: New Mexico State announced eight signees, including slugging infielder Ramsay Lopez of Eldorado. Of Lopez, NMSU coach Kathy Rodolph said, “Ramsay is an explosive right-handed hitter from New Mexico. Anytime we can sign in-state student athletes with this kind of potential, we are thrilled. I expect Ramsay to make an impact on the Aggie offense immediately and she has the potential to have a very special career with New Mexico State.”