‘We honor more than victories and banners’
Roybal emotional as tributes to her long, successful career pour in
Cindy Roybal couldn’t help but shed a tear Wednesday morning.
The longtime head girls basketball coach watched through watery eyes during the tribute video during the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor ceremony at Albuquerque’s Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Roybal was among three inductees into the hall, including longtime former Fort Sumner head girls basketball/track and field coach Rafael Roybal and recently retired Tularosa head football coach Louie Vaisa.
The video highlighted what Cindy Roybal has accomplished during her 40-year coaching career that spans the high school and college ranks, and she heard from a few assistant coaches and former players who vouched for her compassion, tenacity and influence on the players she coached and taught.
Dr. Fiel Trujillo, who coached under Cindy Roybal at New Mexico Highlands University, called it “an honor” to work with her from 1999 to 2002, then quoted lyrics from Andy Williams’ song The Impossible Dream to best capture Roybal’s essence.
“We honor more than victories and banners,” Trujillo said. “We honor the sacredness of friendship and loyalty. We honor sacrifice and tenacity, and we say ‘Thank you, coach Roybal, for helping us understand that trophies and rings are cherished mementos in time, but the values we learn in pursuing them, both in victory and in defeat, are timeless.’ ”
Roybal also was greeted before and after the ceremony by former players during her time at St. Catherine Indian School, both stints at Santa Fe Indian School and NMHU.
While Roybal was a part of the All-American Red Heads traveling squad that was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and was a finalist for the National High School Coaches Association in girls basketball last year, she considered this honor more rewarding.
“I was recognized by my peers as being one of the best,” Roybal said. “It was a cumulation of everybody who has come through my doors. Nadine Jojola, she was on the first team I coached at St. Catherine, and she was here. So that was impressive. And there were a few others people didn’t know about who were
here as well.
“It is unbelievable to see how many lives I’ve touched over the years.”
Roybal owns a 377-105 record at St. Catherine, the Institute of American Indian Arts, SFIS, Pojoaque Valley and Española Valley. She will begin her first year at Santa Fe High in November.
OTHER COACHING ACCOLADES
The New Mexico High School Coaches Association Coaches Clinic honored the achievement of coaches for the previous season as well as highlighted the career achievements of others. All head coaches who were a part of state championship teams received certificates for that accomplishment.
Northern coaches who were recognized for the first time included Mora’s Jacquelyn Sanchez (volleyball), Pecos’ Ira Harge (boys basketball). Pecos head crosscountry coach Patrick Ortiz won the coach of the year award on the boys side, while former Pecos head coach Sal Gonzales won it for the girls. Former Santa Fe High head boys soccer coach A.J. Herrera won the boys soccer coach of the year for Albuquerque St. Pius X, and Las Vegas Robertson’s Warren Fulgenzi was the tennis coach of the year.
A pair of track and field coaches were recognized for career milestones. Pojoaque Valley’s Bob Koski, who resigned this summer, earned his Level 1 certificate, while St. Michael’s Joey Fernandez was recognized for his teams’ scoring 626 points during his career.
North, South boys basketball CLASS 1A/2A SOUTH 98, NORTH 84
The South built a 37-27 lead in the first half, and got it up to 74-61 in the third before the North cut the lead down to 77-74. The South regrouped and extended the lead to double digits in the final minute.
Escalante graduate Waylon Hinds had 12 points, while Questa’s T.J. Madrid had seven. Santiago Laumbach of Mora and Coronado’s Diego Jacquez each had six.
CLASS 5A/6A SOUTH 109, NORTH 105
The South trailed 84-77 midway through the second half, but used a 24-9 run to put the game away. Capital’s Jeremy Anaya had only a bucket in the first half, and played sparingly in the second. Santa Fe High’s David Marquez did not score, but saw significant playing time early in the second half.