Trio announced for NMAA Hall of Fame
Caton, Manning, Viramontes to be inducted in March
Dr. Crit Caton, Tom Manning and Ernie Viramontes — three men with a combined 116 years as educators, and counting — were announced Wednesday as the three new members of the New Mexico Activities Association’s Hall of Fame.
Viramontes is the district athletic director for Las Cruces Public Schools. He also is a member of the NMAA’s board of directors and the NMAA Commission. The 58-year-old was visibly emotional as he talked about his upbringing on a farm about 15 miles west of Deming.
“It’s so hard to talk about yourself at a time like this,” he said after the ceremony. “So many people (to acknowledge) … it’s hard to explain.”
The Deming High and New Mexico State graduate has spent almost 36 years in Las Cruces as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal and AD.
Manning, 70, remains very active as a co-head coach of the St. Michael’s boys golf team, and also as the Horsemen athletic director. He is a St. Michael’s and New Mexico State graduate.
He has about 45 years under his belt in education in New Mexico. He has coached many sports in his career, and has worked for both St. Michael’s and Santa Fe High.
“Amazing,” Manning said of his honor, and his career. “And tons of fun. It’s not a job, really, just a lot of fun. That’s why I did it for so long.”
Caton — born in Carlsbad, raised in Hobbs where he graduated high school, and living in Artesia — logged nearly 35 years as a teacher, coach, AD, principal and superintendent in both New Mexico and Texas.
“Today is the most awestruck thing for me,” said Caton, 56 and also a Texas Tech grad, “to believe I’m being inducted into a Hall of Fame with men and women I’ve looked up to my entire career.”
Caton, whose parents were both educators, retired at the end of the last school year after seven years as Artesia’s superintendent.
The three men will be formally inducted on March 12, during state basketball week.