NorthStars
A LOOK BACK AT THE AREA’S BEST ATHLETES OF THE WINTER SEASON
SMALL-SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL Emma Lewis, Santa Fe Indian
Listed as a power forward, Lewis had the height (5-foot-7) of a guard but the strength of a power forward. The senior did both equally well, doing most of her work in the low post.
She led the Lady Braves to the 3A championship game by registering team-bests in scoring (10.6 points), rebounds (8.7) and steals (2.7). A disciplined defender who wasn’t known as a true rim protector, she always held her own against taller opponents while flashing the range on offense that made her a matchup headache. She was named first-team all-state by the Coaches Association for a standout senior season.
BOYS WRESTLING Duncan Henderson, Los Alamos
BOYS SWIMMING
Just a sophomore with seemingly unlimited potential, Henderson set the stage for what should be an amazing prep career the next two seasons with his February showing at state.
He blew away the field in the 200 individual medley and was equally impressive in winning the title in the 100 backstroke. He took the former by 2.8 seconds and the latter by 4.2 seconds, each being equally impressive. He also helped the Hilltoppers take first in the 200 medley relay, swimming the opening leg in a time that gave his team a 2.5-second lead when he touched the wall. He swam the anchor in a fourth-place finish in the 200 free relay.
BIG-SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL Anika Rodriguez, Capital
This senior made a name for herself by winning 30 of her 35 matches at 165 pounds leading up to the state tournament in February in Rio Rancho. She took that a step further on the biggest stage of all.
She advanced all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Bre Samora, the top overall seed out of Manzano. Rodriguez showed grit and toughness along the way, pushing Samora to the limit before losing a 6-2 decision, the only non-pin of the tournament for Samora. Rodriguez bounced back to take third place, beating Farmington’s Lilly Delegarito in the consolation finals, 2-0.
Daemon Ely, Taos
A 6-foot-7 senior who played with poise and a competitive confidence, he carried his team to a Class 4A state semifinal appearance by averaging team-highs of 23.8 points and 14.1 rebounds. Oh, by the way, he also led a 19-win Tigers program in assists (2.5), steals (1.7), blocks (3.9) and shooting percentage (54).
He shone brightest in the state tournament when he led a furious Tigers comeback to upset defending state champ Highland in The Pit back in March. In true leadership style Taos coaches and fans came to love, he read a double-team in the low post and passed to an open teammate for the game-winning shot.
Landon Atencio, Española Valley
A senior, he rolled to a 42-7 record at 114 pounds in the build-up to the Class 4A state tournament at the Rio Rancho Events Center. A runner-up his junior year, he avenged a stinging 2022 loss in the finals by beating topseeded Tanner Olguin of Aztec in a rematch during the ’23 semifinals.
A finals entrant once again, Atencio came up just short by losing 3-1 in overtime to Hunter Samora from Bloomfield. It was a remarkable postseason run as he collected a pair of wins by pin en route to the championship match.
GIRLS SWIMMING Anna Wetteland, Los Alamos
An early commit to UCLA, this Hilltoppers junior was nearly untouchable at the state meet in February at Academy. She won both her individual events and was part of a state-winning relay team in the 200-yard freestyle.
Her individual exploits began in the 50 free, where she finished 1.3 seconds faster than anyone else, just missing All-America status with a head-turning time of 23.23 seconds. She followed that with a title in the 100 butterfly — by nearly 2 seconds — and the aforementioned relay. She helped Los Alamos take second in the 400 free relay.
SMALL-SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL Adam Montoya, St. Michael’s
All the great teams have one, a go-to guy who can get the tough buckets in crunch time. There were few who could match the skills of Montoya, a lanky but athletic 6-2 senior who led the Horsemen to consecutive Class 3A title game appearances — and a win over Robertson in the finals back in March.
While Montoya’s highlight reel is truly extensive, his standout moment came just before Christmas when he dropped 50 points on Albuquerque High in a road win at Bulldog City. A deft shooter from distance, Montoya was a fearless driver who was most dangerous in transition.
GIRLS WRESTLING
BIG-SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL G.G. Romero, Los Alamos
A team captain and the go-to player for a Lady Hilltoppers team coached by her father, Ray, she was an allaround player who had the size (5-8) to absorb contract in the paint and fight for rebounds against bigger opponents.
She also had the quickness to make things happen from the wing and bury shots from distance. One of the top dualthreat guards in New Mexico, the sophomore was voted second-team all-state by rival coaches after guiding the ‘Toppers to the District 2-4A title and a quarterfinal berth at state.