Four Corners Sports May 2016

3Four Corners SPORTSMAY 2016

content| 4 | Luke Mehall

luke Mehall, 37, reaches with his left

hand to take hold of his right bicep just

below the sleeve of his sun-faded T-shirt.

| 8 | Get on theGreen

The San Juan County area has many stun-

ning — and widly affordable — golf

courses that boast magnificent vistas

and a selection of mountain, desert or

links layout.

| 16 | Beer + Yogabeer and yoga — it’s a trend that is rock-

ing the nation, including Farmington.

| 28 | Basin ChampsIn the basketball crazy town of Kirtland, a

special season evolved for a group of 7th

and 8th grade boys at Kirtland Middle

School.

| 24 | Never too oldDrop by Civitan Golf Course any given

weekday around 9:45 in the morning and

there’s a chance that you’ll see 93-year-

old Don Ice drive into the parking lot and

get ready to tee up for 18 holes.

| 20 | Knothole DayDodger executive branch Rickey is known

as the man who brought Jackie Robinson

to the majors.| 30 | NASCAR Nellie

| 12 | Gargantuan UndertakingWhenever you mention the gargantuan un-

dertaking of running the Hardrock 100-

mile course, a 100-mile circuit that boasts

over 34,000 feet of ascent beginning in Sil-

verton, Colorado, reaching almost to lake

City, wrapping its way over 14’ner Handles

Peak to Ouray.

| 33 | Catching up with the county

| 26 | Editorial Columnistby Rick Hoerner

| 22 | The First Teeby Tom Yost

Don Vaughan

PublISHER

Cindy Cowan Thiele

EDITOR

Rick Hoerner

Dorothy Nobis

Tom Yost

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Curtis Ray benally

CONTRIbuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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DESIGNER

Clint Alexander

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SAlES STAFF

lacey Waite

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Four Corners Sports magazine is published six times ayear by Majestic Media. Material herein may not bereprinted without expressed written consent of the pub-lisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writersare not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FourCorners Sports magazine. Every effort has been madeto ensure the accuracy of this publication. However thepublisher cannot assume responsibility for errors oromissions. © 2016 Four Corners Sports magazine.

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Farmington, NM 87401

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STORY IDEAS and PHOTOSPlease send to

[email protected]

4 Four Corners SPoRTS MAY 2016

Ben BrashearStory and photos

Luke Mehall, 37, reaches with his left hand

to take hold of his right bicep just below the

sleeve of his sun-faded T-shirt. Residual climb-

ing chalk stains his knuckles. He sort of hugs

himself as he settles against the small dining

booth at his place of work, Zia Taqueria, and

into the conversation about the debut of his

latest book and memoir, “American Climber.”

"Look at the way people are pushing the

sport to its extreme, you don't have to stick

around that long to become old school just by

the simple fact that you stay alive," he says as

he recalls one of his personal heroes, Dean

Potter among several others. Mehall is an old

timer; he's made it through 17 years of climb-

ing. He says simply, "it's because I'm just an

average climber."

"Every climber that has followed the path I

have has done what I have done," he says.

"They've gone to Yosemite, Potrero, the Creek,

J-Tree; everyone has done it. There is nothing

interesting about it. What makes it fantastic if

it's average?" he questions as he conveys the

narrative arc of his memoir as it follows his

salvation from depression by way of finding

climbing and discovering that the desert is

something sacred to him. “It’s the metaphor,

the meaning you give to your life,” Mehall

says.

He gestures with his arms spread wide as

though to encompass the taqueria in its en-

tirety. He's living his dream. He has become

what he calls a “workbag.” “You're still a dirt-

bag, you live simply and play a lot but you

work a lot too, you know,” he laughs.

He works in the service industry for the

freedom it affords him. And for the relaxed

schedule that has allowed him to publish and

operate as senior editor at the Climbing Zine

and to pen his first two books, Climbing out of

Bed and The Great American Dirtbags. And of

course it affords him the ability to climb at

the Creek or any of the top places in the coun-

try at a moment’s notice. He swears right now

though, the Colorado Plateau is the best

climbing in the nation.

The smell of handmade tortilla chips and

tacos fill the air bringing his focus back to his

current book. He rattles off a litany of difficul-

ties he has encountered trying to get it off the

ground. It's been a battle worth the wounds,

Luke Mehall: Getting to know

the American climber

5Four Corners SpoRTSMAY 2016

since he hopes to inspire and transform the

climbing culture from within – to become a

writer of this generation whose words might

fill the ever-present void left by the likes of Ed-

ward Abbey, Bob Dylan, Jon Krakauer, and John

Long.

“I want to shape the culture. I feel this obli-

gation to say ‘you have this now but it was this

before.’ Climbing is not just this thing that you

do, it is this more comprehensive thing that

the younger climbers have to learn about first

because they don't see it or live it the way we

did when we first started,” Mehall says.

His blue/green eyes, like the desert after a

rainstorm, don’t flinch as he delves into the

memories of his struggles to get where he his

is now, to achieve all that he has up to this

point in his climbing and writing career. He re-

calls his desperate 20-year-old self. His

thoughts flow rapidly, a stream of conscious-

ness that reflects the lyric styling of Kerouac.

He pauses between bites of his taco, “I was de-

pressed and on a substance at all times,

you know,” he says. “I

was on Ritalin for A.D.D

and I was smoking a

ton of pot, chain smok-

ing cigarettes and drink-

ing soda and alcohol and

doing LSD and other psy-

chedelic drugs which is all

fine in moderation but I

was doing them all of the

time.”

Twice a college drop-out

with habits that literally had

him sitting in the dark of his

parent's basement in Bloom-

ington-Normal, Illinois, Mehall

had reached his limits and

knew that if he did not leave,

did not abandon that world, he

would soon be dead or in jail. He

left notes with friends and a note

for his parents letting them know

he was leaving. He got into his car

with little direction other than

tracking down a “hippie girl” he

once knew and escaping the de-

pression and rage that was welling

up within him. For a month or longer,

he was suicidal. He would drive

through the night until falling asleep

at the wheel not caring whether he lived or

died. Without Instagram, Facebook, or a cell-

phone, Mehall says, it was a month before any-

one knew where he was.

His memoir has

been ten years in the making. He argues

it's not meant to be a downer but something

that might give others hope as they go through

similar trials. "I didn't want to start in those

dark places, the book is meant to inspire peo-

ple and starts at a high point in my life in

Yosemite with my climbing partner Dave

Ahrens of Ridgeway, Colo. at the top of the

Salathe Wall and ends on a high in Indian

Creek," Mehall says.

Living in his truck at rest-stops and the

campgrounds of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado,

he got back in touch with his parents and de-

cided to enroll at Western State. He had found

his new home in Gunnison, Colo. where the

rock formations and the mountains would

begin to transform his character, to shape who

he was becoming. It was climbing that pulled

him from his depression, replacing his need

for psychedelics, cigarettes and Ritalin. It ful-

filled that need for a "substance high" while

giving him purpose and a close-knit group of

colorful friends like Two Tent Timmy.

6 Four Corners SPORtS MAY 2016

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He pushes his lunch tray aside and folds his hands on the table. “I

tried to write my memoir before I had enough experience to write a

memoir, I couldn't have written it if I didn't have some crazy things hap-

pen in my life," He says. "I was trying to write an On the Road Kerouac

kinda thing. I probably had six or seven starts and I would get 15,000

words into it and then it would just fall apart."

Much like climbing though, as it is in writing, it’s persistence that pays

off. One week a climb will feel impossibly hard Mehall says as his hands

grip onto imaginary holds, and then the next time you try it the hands line

up just right and that crux move, well, it's easy. “In Climbing you can fail so

many times, but there is this redemptive quality to it. A climb that you've

been working for years, that was maybe too hard, or you were over grip-

ping or whatever, and then you go back and send it and it's easy. It's the

same in writing and now I finally have this book,” he says.

He tried to publish his memoir through traditional publishing houses,

though and it became a struggle it was like he was battling a 5.13 R and

taking some nasty 30-foot whippers. As he did in the past with his previ-

ous books he took it upon himself to publish his memoir through his

own Benighted Publications. Mehall jokingly laments the negative con-

notations of “self-publishing” a work.

"I was hoping to have the book picked up by a traditional publisher

but I quickly got jaded on that. I had one editor tell me to not publish it,

that it was not a good idea, but to just chop it up into short stories and

submit them to magazines," he says. “I basically told them ‘no’ in the

nicest possible way that I could. Someday I'd love to have a book pub-

lished by a traditional publisher, though.”

* Mehall 34

8 Four Corners SPORTS MAY 2016

The San Juan County area has many stun-

ning,and widly affordable, golf courses that

boast magnificent vistas and a selection of

mountain, desert or links layouts. Below is a

run-down of price changes this year.

RIVERVIEW GOLF COURSE505.598.0140

www.riverviewgolfnm.com

Nearly 60 years ago El Paso Natural Gas

Company constructed a modest nine-hole

golf course for their employees and guests to

play in Kirtland, New Mexico. The course, de-

signed in a parkland style on mostly flat ter-

rain with tree-lined fairways, soon became a

catalyst for growing the game of golf in the

Four Corners region.

In the 1990s El Paso Natural Gas Company

donated the course to San Juan College.

Shortly after taking over management, the

college decided to add another nine holes.

Noted architect Baxter Span wasted little

time in designing and building a links style

course to take advantage of the natural ter-

rain and elevation changes as well as the

beautiful vistas of Shiprock and the sur-

rounding area.

In addition, a double-ended driving range

with over 100 hitting stations was added, along

with an upgrade to the irrigation system on

the original nine. Riverview Golf Course was

complete and could now boast to be an 18-hole

championship golf course with one of the best

practice facilities in the Southwest.

Thanks to the efforts of San Juan County,

who took over ownership of the course in

early 2010, golfers of all ages are enjoying

playing conditions that are vastly improved

and in line with top level public facilities.

And players are able to test every aspect of

their game on a course where one side re-

quires a ground game or bump and roll ap-

proach to the greens, while the other side

challenges golfers with risk or reward

through an aerial pursuit.

With all 18 holes over-seeded in bentgrass,

the putting surfaces rank among the best in

the area.

Riverview hosts over 30 tournaments an-

nually and offers many bargain rates that

Spring golf course overview

Get on the GreenPinon Hills Golf Course


run as low as $25 for 18 holes and a shared

golf cart. Since rates are based on both time

of day and day of week, players are encour-

aged to call for the current fee schedule.

The Riverview Grille is a perfect comple-

ment to the practice and playing facilities

with a full service restaurant offering break-

fast and lunch items before during and after

your round.

Riverview also hosts the Four Corners only

Foot Golf course combining the wonderful

sports of soccer and golf for an entertaining

family oriented outing.

Riverview looks forward to kicking off the

golf season with their annual Cinco de

Scramble golf tournament on Saturday, April

30.

PINON HILLS GOLF COURSE /

CIVITAN GOLF COURSE(505) 326-6066 (Piñon Hills) / 505.599.1194

(Civitan)505.326.6066

www.pinonhillsgolf.com

Piñon Hills is a par 72 18-hole champi-

onship golf course. It is set in the high desert

terrain of Farmington, New Mexico, and

winds through sandstone rock and native

piñon and juniper trees. It measures about

7,200 yards from the tips, and is noted for its

tiered greens and elevation changes. It is

consistently rated as one of the top munici-

pal courses in the country, as well as a top

course in New Mexico.

Junior golf will be big this year at Piñon

Hills. Programs include PGA Junior League

and The First Tee. The First Tee programs will

take place in June and July. These programs

are great for experienced junior golfers as

well as kids who have never picked up a golf

club. Adult instruction is also available on an

individual basis or in a group setting, with

two PGA instructors on staff.

Piñon Hills is working hard to make the

Piñon Hills Classic a great event this year.

The Classic is an amateur stroke play event

that is open to anyone with an active USGA

handicap. The dates for the tournament are

July 23 and 24. The various golf associations

(men and women) have many exciting tour-

naments that are also open to anyone with

an active handicap.

The rate structure at Piñon Hills varies de-

pending on the time of year. During peak sea-

son, a San Juan County resident can play 18

holes with a cart for $43 on weekdays and

$47 on weekends. There is also a twilight

rate starting at noon every day for $35. This

rate is good for either 9 or 18 holes and a

cart.

Civitan Golf Cource

Civitan Golf Course is also operated by the

city of Farmington and offers a 9-hole par 3

course that is great for junior golfers and

adults alike. If you are strapped for time and

need to play a quick round, or just want to

practice your short game, then Civitan is the

place for you.

AZTEC MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE(505) 334-3248

www.aztecmunicipalgolfcourse.com

Aztec Municipal Golf Course, opened in

1950 with a nine-hole layout designed by Jim

Casey. It was expanded to 18 holes in 2001,

then rebranded (formerly Hidden Valley Golf

Club) in 2015 when the city of Aztec took over

operations and management.

The three-tee course is 5,852 yards from

the tips. It has a traditional style with paral-

lel bentgrass fairways, push-up greens, penal

shot values, numerous elevation changes and

towering cottonwood trees that significantly

enhance the rolling desert skyline. It’s also a

pure-golf experience – there is no housing

anywhere on the course.

Golfers this season can look forward to an

upgraded golf experience, including a brand

new fleet of gas-powered carts, refreshed

clubhouse, PGA instruction, rental clubs, and

an enhanced tee-to-green maintenance pro-

gram. The clubhouse grille features the deli-

cious fare of longtime favored Aztec

Conquistador Golf Course

10 Four Corners SPoRTS APRIL 2016

restaurateur Ruby’s, outdoor patio, free Wi-

Fi, Pay Per View events, and a state licensed

bar that serves craft beer, wine and cock-

tails. The entire venue is available for corpo-

rate events, charity tournaments, team

building, groups, parties and special events,

and is a program location for The First Tee of

San Juan County, NM.

Rates are as follows:

• Daily Greens Fee, including cart: $30 for

18 holes; $15 for 9 holes

• 10-Round Coupon Book (18 holes in-

cludes cart; no expiration date; fully transfer-

able): $250

• Adult Membership (age 19-54; 12-month

validation): $500

• Senior Membership (age 55 and older;

12-month validation): $400

• Government/School Employee Member-

ship (12-month validation): $250

• Corporate Membership (12-month vali-

dation): $1,250

Aztec Municipal Golf Course is a worth-

while experience. It’s a family environment

with easy tee time access, excellent mainte-

nance and course conditioning that offers Piñon Hills Golf Course


PHILIPS GOSAFE GOES EVERYWHERE YOU DO!

No Doctor’s Order Required

In-Home Care Services at A?ordable Rates

San Juan County’s Best Choice for Home Care

Philips Lifeline Medical Alert System

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consistent challenge to all levels of golfers.

The 6,000-yard layout can be played 25 per-

cent to 50 percent faster than a standard

7,000-yard course.

The entire golf industry is fixed on efforts

to bring back, retain and attract golfers.

Only a few ideas seem to be working. One

method is to dramatically shorten a 7,000-

yard track, which makes it much more fun

for kids, beginners, couples and time-sensi-

tive players. Aztec fits that bill.

CONQUISTADOR GOLF COURSE (Cortez, Colorado)

970.565.9208

www.fourcornersgolf.com

Conquistador is an 18-hole par 72 champi-

onship golf course in Cortez, Colorado. It

boasts a challenge with rolling hills, large

trees, water that comes into play on eight

holes, small undulating greens and pristine

panoramic views of the La Plata Mountains,

Mesa Verde and the Ute Mountain.

Conquistador’s friendly professional staff,

affordable rates, beautiful panoramic views,

and well-maintained championship golf

course is a destination you do not want to

miss.

The golf rates are:

Monday through Thursday: $19 for 9 holes

and $28 for 18 holes.

Weekend and holiday rates are $22 for 9

holes and $34 for 18 holes.

They offer 25 percent off green fees

March 1 through April 15 and October 15

through November 1.

Conquistador offers many events on the

calendar each year. The two major events

are the Firecracker Classic and the Pinto

Bean Classic. The Firecracker is a team

event that is held in July and even offers a

professional division. The Pinto Bean is an

individual stroke play event that is always

played each year on the third weekend in Au-

gust. These two popular events attract

golfers from all over the country.

Conquistador is extremely excited about

the continuing changes on the course for

2016. The bunkers have been reshaped and a

few extra have been added to challenge all

players. They are also adding new forward

tees to each hole and a new championship

tee on the ninth hole stretching the par 4

hole from 390 yards to 440 yards. The greens

are very challenging, and with the purchase

of a new greens roller the speed of the

greens will be kept consistent from 9.5 to

10.5 on the stimpmeter.

12 Four Corners SPOrTS MAY 2016

Ben BrashearStory and photos

Whenever you mention the gargantuan un-

dertaking of running the Hardrock 100-mile

course, a 100-mile circuit that boasts over

34,000 feet of ascent beginning in Silverton, Col-

orado, reaching almost to Lake City, wrapping

its way over 14’ner Handies Peak to Ouray and

then ascending to Telluride and going beyond

the glacial blue water of Ice Lakes finally mak-

ing its way back into Silverton, most people

stand in awe of such a feat. The look in most

people’s eyes is a look that seems to say any-

one attempting the course must possess some

mythical strength, some supernatural en-

durance or must be, at the very least, insane”.

gargantuanundertaking

Athletes complete the first crossing of the Winter Hardrock 100


What then can be said of a winter at-

tempt at the Hardrock on skis? If you’ve

ever had the opportunity to meet interna-

tionally accomplished runners Jason

Schlarb, Paul Hamilton, ski mountaineer-

ing competitor Scott Simmons or camera-

man Noah Howell in person, their humility,

humor, and stoicism is unassuming. If you

have met them in the mountains – well,

you might be more inclined to believe that

their strength is something worthy of myth

and tall tales. Yet, their successful comple-

tion of the Hardrock on skinny “skimo”

gear in four days served more to reveal

their humanity.

“We didn’t do it for a fast time, we just

did it for the adventure,” Schalrb said.

Their exploits can be seen in Howell’s

upcoming documentary film, Skiing the

Hardrock 100.

It is 45 minutes past 6 a.m. and the start

of the first of four days. Schlarb, Hamilton,

Simmons and Howell negotiate a rotten

and unsupportable snowpack through the

thick timber near Blair Gulch, only miles

from Silverton. They are struggling to fol-

low the summer Hardrock trail and near

impossible conditions have forced them to

descend to the valley floor to parallel the

Animas River until they can safely ascend

Arrastra Creek toward Little Giant Peak.

“We got cliffed-out and it was either

climb up the rotten snowpack or cross the

river at that point,” Simmons said. “We de-

cided to cross the river and Howell, in-

stead of shouldering his skis, tried to

throw them across. One ski didn’t make it

and it bounced back into the river and

Howell went splashing in after it. After that

we all decided we’d get wet and cross the

river there. Our feet were wet and that’s

when we knew that we were in for an ad-

venture,” Simmons laughed.

Only miles into the day the men realized

that they were several hours off of their in-

tended pace. The first day was shaping up

to finish by headlamp into camp Sherman,

going from a 9-hour day to a 15-hour slog

through the mountains.

Schlarb and Simmons both put in count-

less hours of reconnaissance months be-

fore the trip. They skied and scouted

nearly every line of contention. They knew

“We didn’t do it for a fast time,

we just did it for the adventure..”

— Jason Schlarb

14 Four Corners SporTS MAY 2016

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how demanding the San Juans were, but that

difficulty only seemed to dawn on the group

after meeting several setbacks. “There were a

few spots, though, that we didn’t have the time

to check out, and that’s where the unknown –

the adventure – comes in,” Schlarb said.

By 11:30 a.m. the men slowly picked their

way through the high consequence “no fall”

zones with hundred-foot high cliffs and only a

thin ribbon of snow bounded by exposed grass

and quartzite that allowed them to ski the

3,000-foot face of Little Giant peak.

The team arrived at Cunningham Gulch,

their one re-supply for water and food that day

nearly three hours behind schedule. Schlarb

experienced hobbling foot pain and, according

to the group, was skiing like a “bow-legged

cowboy.”

At the impromptu aid station Schlarb, gri-

macing, pulled off both ski boots and grabbed

Howell’s multi-tool out of desperation and

began to aggressively “modify” his footbeds by

sawing them in half to relieve the acute pain in

his arches. Schlarb was in such great pain that

the group doubted that he would be able to

even finish out the day.

With his entire body shaking with pain,

Schlarb managed to put his ski boots back on

and the team headed out from Cunningham

Gulch to face a 4,000-foot climb up Green

Mountain. The wind-buffeted snow in conjunc-

tion with a strong melt-freeze cycle presented

the men with verglas, frozen water ice, over an

unconsolidated snowpack, which meant that

their skins and skis were ineffective for for-

ward progress. The 50-degree slope and ice

forced them to shoulder their skis and throw

on their crampons.

Simmons, while traversing a steep but short

couloir suddenly fell through the unconsolidated

snowpack into a six-foot-deep well and left

Schlarb yelling back at Hamilton and Howell

“Scott’s gone! He’s disappeared!” Schlarb said.

15Four Corners SPOrTSMAY 2016

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Simmons, uninjured, was able to climb out

of the snow-well – of course after Howell cap-

tured his predicament on video. “Yeah, I was a

little scared there for a moment,” Simmons

said.

A heated disagreement over route finding

late in the day split the group into two pairs.

The argument arose when Simmons and

Schlarb were sure that they were on route as

they chose to descend below the confluence of

the Middle and West Fork of Pole Creek, though

Hamilton was insistent that the group needed

to remain above the confluence.

“We brought the right map for 90 percent of

the route but 5 percent of it was not on the

map, which might have helped us,” Simmons

said. “Schlarb and I had it set in our heads that

we knew where we were going and Hamilton

actually knew the right way to go. So, there

was a little shouting back and forth,” He re-

called.

Schlarb and Simmons finally regrouped with

Howell and Hamilton only to face a harrowing

descent by headlamp through the dark into

camp Sherman along a “tight-twisting ice luge

and big frozen pillow-drops on trashed legs,”

Hamilton said.

“It’s only been my second trip to Colorado

skiing and I had the worst day I’ve ever had on

skis,” Howell said as he remembered trying to

ski on quads that were fried 14 1/2 hours in of

15.

The barrage continued on day two as route

finding up Handies Peak once again had the

group in disagreement over the “best route.”

Slow transitions, waiting for camera shots, 50-

mph gusts, a chest cold and broken ski pole

for Hamilton, and a poor choice in Bear Creek

that left Simmons swimming with his skis on

brought the men to the lowest point on their

journey.

Once in Ouray, Hamilton expressed that he

did not think he would be able to continue the

trip. Schlarb asked Hamilton to speak his

doubts on film. “He was all in after that,”

Schlarb smiled.

Day three was a “rest” day with only 17-

miles from Ouray to Telluride. They were able

to casually walk the Camp Bird Mine road and

then faced breaking trail through fresh pow-

der up Governor Basin. Although the day was

supposed to be easy, it still took the group

eight hours to complete the segment. However,

their humor had returned.

The best laughs came as the men de-

scended Liberty Bell Trail into Telluride proper.

Perhaps it was the oddity of four men in skin

suits surrounded by the glitz of alpine skiers,

but it was, as Simmons recalled, four men in

stinky skin suits going straight for the wine

and cheese in the lobby of their hotel along-

side the glamorous clientele that really got

them laughing.

Day four, 15 hours and 25 miles were all that

remained from Telluride to Silverton. The

group resupplied their water and food at mile

88 of 100 at the Hardrock KT aid station, lo-

cated six miles up South Mineral Creek, before

taking on their last big 2,000-foot climb to the

summit of Putnam Basin.

“Just a few days ago this seemed so far

away,” Schlarb marveled.

* Hardrock 34

16 Four Corners SpoRTS MAY 2016

BEER + YOGAEmily Faulkner, Three Rivers

embrace national trend

17Four Corners SPoRTSMAY 2016

Beer and yoga – it’s a trend that is rocking the nation, including Farm-

ington.

An article on the Yoga Journal website in February states, “New re-

search shows that drinking beer might have more health benefits than

we once thought. Breweries that offer yoga classes followed by beer tast-

ings may be serving up more than a practice and post-class cama-

raderie.”

Sipping a pint may have health advantages too, according to a recent

study published in the Journal of Cereal Science. That research offered,

“A Finnish research team analyzed barley grains (a common brewing

starch) and beer samples and discovered ample hordatines, phenolic

compounds that may possess big-time antioxidant power. Plus, hor-

datines have been found to help keep digestion humming by triggering

smooth muscle contractions.”

Three Rivers Brewery in historic downtown Farmington has enthusias-

tically embraced the trend. Emily Faulkner has taught yoga for 12 years

and formerly owned a Pilates and yoga studio, and now offers beer yoga

classes at the popular brewery at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday

nights. Classes are $10, which includes a pint of your favorite brew.

BEER + YOGAStory by Dorothy NobisPhotos by Josh Bishop


“Beer yoga is taking root all over the country, taking form in many

ways and different styles,” Faulkner said. “I personally teach a fun, all-

level ‘yoga flow’ class (moving fluidly from one pose to the next). People

sign in five to ten minutes before it starts, order a beer, and it’s deliv-

ered after we’ve started. Typically, we might take a couple of sips every

ten minutes or so.”

“At the end, people usually hang out for a bit and catch up with their

friends while they finish their beer,” Faulkner added.

Faulkner admitted to being skeptical of the beer yoga concept at first.

“I thought, ‘That can’t be right.’ Once you experience it, you think,

‘Where has this been all my life?’” she added with a laugh. “The promise

of a beer creates a relaxed atmosphere. The unique environment of the

brewery provides a lot of fun, good beer and a lighthearted – but chal-

lenging – yoga class. What could be better?”

Faulkner usually has between 10 to 12 students at each class. The va-

riety of personalities and different levels of experience keeps the class

interesting. “No one is there to judge,” she said. “We’re all there to get a

good workout and laugh.”

Monica Leaming is a regular at Faulkner’s beer yoga classes.

“I enjoy beer yoga mainly because Emily makes it a really fun environ-

ment,” Leaming said. “It’s a draw for men as well as women, and also for

children who enjoy Three Rivers homemade root beer ‘brew.’ Beer yoga

is a chance to get a great stretch and to do your practice while listening

to upbeat music, instead of the more typical spiritual practice that other

19Four Corners SpORTSMAY 2016

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yoga studios offer.”

“Most of the time, I crave a spiritual

practice of yoga, but sometimes I just

need to get my body into those stretches

without the prayerful intention,” Leaming

added. “Of course, the cup of beer doesn’t

hurt either! It’s a great location, pulling

the community to downtown Farmington.

Emily is a great guide and understanding

of wherever you are in your practice, and

always giving modifications for those who

are just starting yoga for the first time or

who are too tight to get into deeper

poses. She is a blessed soul to share a

room with.”

Classes are held in the banquet room

at Three Rivers, which is between the

pizzeria and the Tap Room. “The restau-

rant and brewery are constantly introduc-

ing new, tasty food and fresh craft beer,”

Faulkner said. “I enjoy recommending my

favorites to newcomers. It’s popular for

students to head next door after class for

Taco Tuesday or Mug Club Wednesday.

Beer yoga is a great way to unwind at the

end of the day with friends.”

20 Four Corners SportS MAY 2016


Story by Rick HoernerPhotos by Josh Bishop

While Dodger executive Branch Rickey is

known as the man who brought Jackie

Robinson to the Majors to integrate profes-

sional baseball, he was also the man who

popularized the concept of Knothole Day.

Knothole Games or Knothole Gangs were

part of baseball lore with ballparks being

surrounded by wooden fences, much like

Ricketts Park today.

As the inevitable knotholes would fall out

of the fences, kids would gather at the fence

to get a glimpse of their diamond heroes.

As early the 1880s, baseball teams such

as the New Orleans Pelicans were offering

Knothole Days to “youths of sound behavior.”

The St. Louis Cardinals, under the direc-

tion of Rickey, began their first Knothole

Gang in 1938, a tradition he continued with

the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s and ’50s.

In Farmington, Knothole Day is the official

beginning of youth baseball, a tradition that

goes back to the days of Lefty Fox as head

coach at Farmington High and continues

today.

Initially, Knothole Day was the opening

ceremonies for the Farmington Amateur

Knothole Day

in a

baseball townThe present meets the future on Farmington’s field of dream

* Knothole 32

As we progress further into the spring,

most of us have shaken the fall/winter cob-

webs and made our way out to the golf

course. Whether players are hitting balls in

preparation for the summer season, or have

played countless rounds, one thing holds

true – and will until the weather once again

turns cold.

The one constant in the game of golf is

that your swing will feel different from day to

day or week to week. one day everything will

be in synch and you will hit glorious shot

after glorious shot. The next day it will feel as

though you never swung a golf club in your

entire life. The ebbs and flows of your golfing

experience will look like the stock market

over the past few months. Some days you will

feel infallible and the next you will question

the very reason you play the game.

So what do you do when your swing feels

foreign and your body isn’t responding? You

play with what you have that day. remember,

the object of golf isn’t to make it look pretty,

but it is to get the ball into the hole in the

fewest number of strokes – period. There are

no stroke deductions for beautiful draws

that head right toward your target. And con-

versely, there are no stroke penalties for

“worm-burners” that end up 10 feet from the

hole. The only thing that matters is your

score.

Take for example, a player (whom we will

call Jordan) who usually shoots 85 and hits a

consistent fade. Jordan doesn’t hit it long,

but is in the middle of the fairway every time

(to the point that the people with whom Jor-

dan plays gets sick of watching it). Jordan

shows up and hits a small bucket of range

balls and notices something amiss. The con-

sistent fade has become a consistent slice

and the ball is moving from the left to the

right and landing 25 yards off target. Jordan

finishes the driving range session and is

about to be called to the number 1 tee.

miffed by the slice, Jordan walks to the tee

box with two options.

option No. 1:

Jordan can start questioning the move-

ment of the golf ball and attempt to make

mechanical swing changes right before the

tee time. Jordan starts changing the grip and

ball position to make the slice go back to the

fade. What Jordan then realizes is a night-

mare of in-round adjustments that cause the

slice to get better, then worse, and then be-

come a pull hook going to the left instead of

the right. Jordan is now in limbo not knowing

22 Four Corners SPorTS MAY 2016

TomYOSTThe First Tee

Play with what you have that day


��

��

swing. Jordan now has no clue what is hap-

pening, and instead of focusing on where the

ball needs to go, the focus has now shifted

from making swing changes to making the

ball go a certain direction. Jordan has made

the “holy grail” of mistakes – focusing on me-

chanics and swing changes during a round

leads to catastrophic results of the not-so-

good nature.

Option No. 2:

Jordan realizes that something is a bit off

with the timing of the swing and makes an

aiming adjustment on the first hole. Jordan

aims a bit farther left to play for the in-

creased slice and movement of the golf ball

from left to right. As the round goes further

along, Jordan’s timing returns and the slice

has now come back to become a manageable

fade that the group and player have become

accustomed to. Jordan played the game with

what the body was capable of on that given

day at that given time. Instead of making in-

game swing adjustments, Jordan made in-

game aim adjustments and did the best with

what he had. Eventually, the normal swing

came back mid-round and no further harm

was created.

I could probably count on my left hand the

number of players (including myself) that opt

for Option 2 rather than Option 1.

It is human nature to try to fix what ails us

as players. The problem is that the human

body reacts differently on different days – so

what you might feel as a swing problem is in-

stead a body or timing problem. By taking what

your body and swing give you on that particu-

lar day you will save yourself weeks and

months of swing adjustments to get back to

where you were. Place trust in the fact that in-

round swing adjustments will cause more

harm than good, and play with what you have

that day.

In other words, quit tinkering with your

swing and just get the ball into the hole!

2nd Annual Clubs For Kids presented

by Merrion Oil and Gas

Just a reminder that The First Tee of San

Juan County, NM will be hosting their 2nd An-

nual Clubs For Kids Event at Piñon Hills Golf

Course on Thursday, May 12 from 3 p.m. until 7

p.m.

The first 200 youth in attendance will receive

a free club to take home and use. Golf profes-

sionals, coaches, high school player and volun-

teers will be in attendance to offer free swing

instruction and pass out materials regarding

summer youth golf programs throughout the

county. For more information, call The First Tee

of San Juan County, NM office at 505.334.4291

or go to their website at www.thefirstteesan-

juancounty.org.

High school tournaments

The spring high school golf season is under-

way at various golf courses throughout the

county. The varsity golf season will wrap up

with the state tournament on May 9 and 10. We

are lucky enough to host the Class 5A state

event in Farmington at Piñon Hills Golf Course.

If you would like more information on the Class

5A state tournament, would like to watch, vol-

unteer or help out in any capacity – please give

Tom Yost a call at The First Tee Office

505.334.4291 or shoot him an email at

[email protected]

May 9th and 10th – Class 5A State Golf

Championships at Piñon Hills Golf Course.

24 Four Corners SPortS MAY 2016

Drop by Civitan Golf Course any given

weekday around 9:45 in the morning and

there’s a chance that you’ll see 93-year-old

Don Ice drive into the parking lot and get

ready to tee up for 18 holes. Fifteen minutes

later Don’s playing partner, George Kiddie,

signs in and the two friends head to the first

tee with George pulling his golf cart and his

senior of over 25 years carrying his bag.

Growing up in a West Virginia steel town,

Don Ice never saw himself as a golfer. Golf

was for the local doctors, lawyers and upper

echelon of the steel mill. It would be 20 years

after high school before Ice would pick up a

club and begin his addiction.

After graduating from high school in 1939

Ice took on the town trade and began work-

ing at the steel mill for $100 a week. After ap-

plying to the Air Corps he joined the military

in 1940. Ice began in the motor pool before

transferring to a newly formed fire brigade,

finally joining the flying sergeants. He soon

joined navigation school where he learned to

fly the P38 and the B26 Marauder before it

was retired toward the end of World War II,

and eventually the A26 Invader. As the war

progressed, Ice began training navigation

Never too oldFor Don Ice, 93, nothing is better

than a daily game of golf with friends

Rick Hoerner


crews to fly four-hour attack missions on

both the Atlantic and Pacific fronts. In 1945

Ice was assigned to an attack bomber crew

waiting to be assigned in the Pacific when

the news of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the

end of the war returned Ice to civilian life.

Over the next four decades Ice flew for pri-

vate companies and was a private pilot flying

for various executives and families. Eventu-

ally, in 1959, he landed with El Paso Natural

Gas where he worked until he was forced to

retire at the age of 60. After living in a multi-

tude of cities throughout his career, Ice de-

cided to move to Farmington.

It was during his time as a private pilot

that Ice picked up golf. While flying execu-

tives up and down the East Coast one of his

clients recommended that Ice play a little

golf to kill time between dropping off and

picking up a client. He was hooked Immedi-

ately. On a regular basis Ice began to play as

his clients worked, playing the likes of White

Sulfur Springs where the legendary Sam

Snead was the golf pro.

After taking years off to attend to his ailing

wife, Ice picked up the game again, playing

Piñon Hills regularly when it opened in 1989.

In the late ’90s Ice got the opportunity to see

the pro game up close. His son-in-law con-

vinced Ice to come to Thousand Oaks and vol-

unteer at the Greg Norman Shark Shootout at

the Sherwood Oaks Country Club. When Tiger

Woods moved his World Challenge tourna-

ment to Sherwood Oaks, Don was there too.

Don had the honor of working the 13th tee

box. There he built a working friendship with

his favorite player, John Daly.

Friendship is the reason Don loves the

game still today and still gets out as much as

he can. His friendship with George Kiddie

began on the golf course. For Don’s part, he

appreciates George’s “patience and friend-

ship” for putting up with Don’s pace and play.

George is just happy to be out there with Don

listening to stories of his time in the military

and his amazing life. In actuality Don is no

slouch on the course, still shooting around

35 for nine holes on the Par 3 course.

Don knows his game may never be what it

once was, but he loves coming to Civitan.

“This place is important. It’s great for the

young learning to play and the old who still

want to play.” When asked what he loves

about the game Don simply says, “You get to

meet people and have a new experience

every time you play.

After a round the 93-year-old packs his

bags in his trunk and proudly drives off with

his valid license that he gets checked on an-

nually. After 44 years as a pilot and 60 years

on courses across the country, Don Ice still

loves to play. “I get to be outside and play

with my friends.” There can’t be much better

than that – at any age.

“This place is important. It’s great for

the young learning to play and the

old who still want to play.”

— Don Ice

26 Four Corners SpORTS MAY 2016

Any high school junior – well, most high

school juniors – know that in 1920 the19th

Amendment was ratified finally providing

women their constitutional right to vote. So

imagine, if you will, how long this took. That

is 146 years after the Declaration of inde-

pendence, 135 years after the constitutional

convention, and even 55 years after newly

freed slaves were granted the right after the

civil War. Obviously change is slow. it’s no dif-

ferent in sports for women. After all, my

mother-in-law used to tell tales of her high

school basketball experience in South

Dakota, playing three on three half court in a

full length skirt.

With the help, and sometimes hindrance,

of Title iX, women’s athletics have changed in

the public schools and universities. i never

saw a women’s college basketball game on

television when i was growing up, or even

knew there was a women’s National Team in

soccer. As suffrage, equality on the field has

been slow. But even the most ardent of

sports fans had to be a little shocked by the

announced lawsuit from our Women’s Na-

tional Soccer Team that was suing for equal

pay from the U.S. Soccer Federation. Actually,

the lawsuit itself should not be surprising,

but the details of the suit were the real

shocker.

The pay equity debate really should be no

wonder. Women still are not paid what men

in the same position do, and that alone

should be solid grounds for this lawsuit.

However, there was far more. Other discrimi-

natory issues listed within the suit moved be-

yond the pocketbook. While men have

absolute control over their playing condi-

tions, women have no such power. While men

insist their World cup games be played on

grass, women play on artificial turf despite

their – and the rest of the world’s – objec-

tions. Travel accommodations are not the

same. The women are expected to take

cheaper flights in shorter amounts of time

than the men.

How is this still Ok in our society?

Of course money is the primary issue. The

Is thIs stIll a thIng?

RickHOERNEREditorial columnist

27Four Corners SpORTSMAY 2016

women’s team

raised $20 million

more than the men’s

team last year, yet

were paid nearly 25

percent of what the

men made. That’s 25

cents to every dollar.

The women aren’t

even paid for inter-

national friendlies

unless they win,

while the men take

home a minimum of

$5,000 a game – win,

lose or draw. The

women’s team is not

even guaranteed

compensation if they

play over the con-

tractually obligated

20 international

friendlies. Even their

daily per diem is

slanted. The men’s

team gets $75 per player per day, the women $60. Do women need

less to live on? Do they eat less? Have fewer personal use items?

Doubtful.

Even in today’s divisive political climate this should be an easy sell

on both sides of the aisle. For the liberals, there is the obvious will to

form a level playing field for all, and the conservatives, who believe

the market dictates all, should recognize that the women’s team has

outperformed the men in the market, yet are receiving less. It is a

true political win-win to make this right.

Of course those involved from the United States Soccer Federation

would argue that this is what was collectively negotiated by both

sides. That may be true. However, for me that makes it even worse.

The USSF negotiated as a starting point a discriminatory contract.

Just to be clear, that is why the men celebrate moving on to the next

round at the World Cup, while the women have won it – three times!

For their win, the team earned $2 million while the men received $9

million for going 1-2-1. That doesn’t even include the Olympics where

the women have won four times and the guys can’t even qualify. The

USSF’s basic stand is that the women should be lucky just to be play-

ing.

From the perspective of a husband and a father, I find any argu-

ment behind the whole idea that you should be lucky just to play is a

joke. Athletics meant an awful lot to my daughter and for a vast num-

ber of girls across this country. How can it be that our society still

devalues the efforts of female athletes over their male counterparts?

On the athletic field there has always been the argument that

women’s athletics are just not as good as the men’s.

The criteria usually consist of speed of the game and athleticism.

While this argument may hold true is some instances, why can’t the

women’s game be held on its own ground and not in comparison with

the men? Consider the

most dominating team

in American sport, the

Connecticut Huskies.

When they go on a his-

toric run, it’s bad for

the game. When UCLA

did it, it was a dynasty.

The most dominant

American tennis star

is Serena Williams. The

biggest MMA draw is

Rhonda Rousey. Even

America Ninja War-

riors’ most dominant

star is the diminutive

Casey Cantanzaro. It’s

time sports fans keep

up with the times and

give the proper recog-

nition and equality to

women. Or maybe it’s

not the fans, who seem

to be ahead of the

curve, but the male-dominated upper echelon of sport that looks to

take care of themselves and their old world thinking.

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28 Four Corners SpORTS MAY 2016

Tom Yost

In the basketball crazy town of Kirtland, a

special season evolved for a group of 7th and

8th grade boys at Kirtland Middle School. Both

the junior varsity and varsity teams won not

only Basin Championships, but in doing so

achieved perfection for the entirety of the sea-

son.

Chris Ledek, a math teacher at the middle

school and the varsity boys coach for the past

two years, got to enjoy the feat from the side-

lines. And while the expectations were set at

an extremely high level at the beginning of the

season, he didn’t expect what unfolded.

“Expectations for the varsity team were re-

ally high as they had won the 7th grade cham-

pionship the year before,” explained Ledek.

“We had a very talented bunch of guys return-

ing and added a few more so I was excited

from the get go.”

“Having both teams go undefeated was the

furthest thing from my mind,” added Ledek.

“We have an excellent girls program and I

thought if anyone could go undefeated it

would be the girls teams, but lo and behold it

was our year to accomplish it.”

Despite coming into the year with a champi-

onship team returning, the team continued

their winning ways through hard work and

continued dedication to make the dream sea-

son a reality this year.

“Basketball is the most popular sport in

Kirtland,” said Ledek. “So it is fun to see how

much they love their basketball. They have a

lot of expectations, but they work hard and

are always playing and practicing to get bet-

ter. Our guys have a lot of experience, they

have played a lot of basketball and have very

high basketball IQ’s. They got the most out of

their size and ability, and that is what I am

most proud of.”

After a hard fought battle with Shiprock

late in the season, where he saw his squad

come back from being down 13 points at half-

time and 12 points after three quarters, the

thought of an undefeated season started to

creep into his head as they entered the Basin

Tournament.

“The tournament is always tough and you

never know what is going to happen so I

didn’t really think about it again until after the

boys had won the championship.

It wasn’t too long ago that the Heights Mid-

dle School varsity boys basketball team won

the Basin Championship by going undefeated.

When asked to compare his teams to that

squad, Ledek looked to the future in hopes

that his boys could have the same success at

the high school level.

“I have a tremendous respect for the

Heights team that went undefeated a few

years back,” Ledek reflected. “And anytime you

have a group of boys like this you would love

for them to be together at the high school

level, because getting them ready to partici-

pate and compete at state would be the ulti-

mate reward for me.”

And looking to next year Ledek loses a var-

sity squad that lost one game in 7th and 8th

grade, but receives a 7th grade team from

Coach Ryan Nelson that finished their season

undefeated.

“Coach Nelson did such an outstanding job

with the 7th graders, and the goal of this team

is to complete both seasons as undefeated

Basin Champions,” said Ledek. “We are in a re-

ally good spot for the program right now –

and we hope to keep it rolling.”

Kirtland 7th and 8th grade boys basketball teams go undefeated

Basin Champs

8th Grade Champions


7th Grade Champions

Kirtland Middle School JV Basketball

Record 17-0 — Coach Ryan Nelson

Opponent Score

Hermosa 36-12

Mesa View 55-4

Tibbetts 47-8

Heights 35-31

Aztec 65-37

Shiprock 52-21

Bloomfield 49-14

Hermosa 50-13

Mesa View 48-8

Tibbetts 36-23

Heights 34-27

Aztec 60-22

Shiprock 44-30

Bloomfield 40-10

Tournament Games

Quarterfinals - Mesa View 57-17

Semifinals - Aztec 56-34

Finals - Heights 41-30

7th grade roster

Ivan Allen

John Amago

Liam Beckstead

Cameron Crawford

Ryan Griffith

Jaxon Manning

Deyon May

Jonas Miller

Derrick Russell

Kameron Tsosie

Troy Allen White-David

Ethan Yazzie

Jayred Yazzi

Kirtland Middle School Varsity Basketball

Record 17-0 — Coach Chris Ledek

Opponent Score

Hermosa 45-40

Mesa View 46-15

Tibbetts 42-39

Heights 47-15

Aztec 49-19

Shiprock 40-23

Bloomfield 58-32

Hermosa 55-38

Mesa View 37-21

Tibbetts 38-30

Heights 45-26

Aztec 41-26

Shiprock 41-40

Bloomfield 30-26

Tournament Games

Quarterfinals - Mesa View 46-25

Semifinals - Bloomfield 41-27

Finals - Hermosa 55-35

8th grade roster

DeAndgre Barber

Sharam Benally

Isiah Charles

Brock Dowdy

Bailey Foutz

Wade Hatch

Hakaan Hewey

Ty Jenks

Jacoby Love

Mikal Monclova

Justin Sandoval

Roland Shorty

Joshua Smith

Lathan Watson

Kobe Yazzie

Hyrum Yonnie

Managers:

Mykal Nocki

Joseph Hernandez

Ethan Pierro

Dallin Mangleson


‘K – so what else in the whole, entire,

wide world could create the buzz and

excitement that Dale Earnhardt Junior’s

most favorite sandwich did this week?

Nothing, NN’s tellin’ ya – NOTHING!

And, if NASCAR Nellie had any money that

wasn’t marked and could be used against

her in a court of law, she’d be buying stock in

Hellmann’s mayonnaise and banana trees or

bushes or bunches. Who knew that mayon-

naise (Junior is pretty specific it must be

Hellmann’s, on accounta Hellmann’s mayo is

a major sponsor of Junior’s car and Junior

prob’ly gets all the mayo he wants from the

Hellmann’s people on accounta Junior is the

sports most popular driver for the

gazillionth time in a row) and ba-

nanas would create a sandwich

sensation that hasn’t happened

since the “Where’s the beef” lady

from Wendy’s looked at a Big

Smack and decided the beef was

missing.

Wendy’s enjoyed a big boost in

sales, the Big Smack got a beef

overall, and the little old lady who

couldn’t find the beef make a gazil-

lion dollars, even though she ad-

mitted later, over a coupla glasses

of wine, that she, herownself, pre-

ferred the veggie burgers from the now-de-

funct Veggie Burger Queen, which featured

burgers made of pickled beets, ginger root,

dried pumpkin and a sauce made with

tequila, rum, and fireball whiskey.

NN always suspected it wasn’t the veggie

burger the little old lady liked, but the sauce

– a LOT of the sauce, which she paired with a

sauce of her own, which was mostly Crown

Royal, Sweet Cherry Pie wine and a shot of

Wild Turkey. Just sayin. . . .

Tweet heard round the world

So Junior “tweeted” (NN doesn’t tweet. She

tried to tweet once and her tweet was re-

jected by the tweet police at Twitter and Twit-

ter PD blocked her from tweeting or twitting

or twelling for the next 500 years. NN would

tell ya what she tweeted, but the Twitter peo-

ple made her sign a “legal document” stating

she would never, ever, in the next 500 years,

utter, write or attempt to tweet those words

again.

Ya try to have a little fun with tweeting and

twooting and twarting and they get mad and

take your tweeter away from you. Whatever)

that a banana and Hellmann’s mayo sand-

wich is his favorite and he adds a little video

of hisownself making said sandwich, then

eating it (without gagging, which NN thinks

deserves a nod by the Academy of

Tweets, Twerks and Commercial

Videos). There was a stampede by Junior

Nation as every single one of the 50 gazil-

lion members of JN stormed every grocery

store, convenience store, WalMart, Target

and neighbor’s fridges, looking for Hell-

mann’s mayo and bananas.

There is now a shortage of bananas, which

will make the apes in all the zoos all over the

world mad, which could create another inter-

national crisis as the USofA cries out for

more bananas from its friends in the UN. It

could happen, ya know. For reals. It’s Junior

Nation and it’s Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sports

most popular driver. Junior Na-

tion reveres its general and

does as he does. Just so’s ya

know.

Sandwiches for charity

Once Junior found out that

there was no more Hellmann’s

mayo to be found anywhere in

Junior Nation, he called his

buddies at Hellmann’s and

asked them to make more on

accounta Junior started a do-

nation site –

DaleJrSandwich.com, where

everyone can donate money

and all the money will go to charity, Bless-

ings in a Backpack, which packs lunches for

kids who are in need.

That website rocked not only Junior Na-

tion’s world, but NN heard from someone

who isn’t banned from tweeting, that all of

the presidential candidates are donating all

the money they received for their campaigns

to Blessings in a backpack. NN isn’t real sure

about that, though, on accounta the one who

tweeted it was Gary Johnson, who is running

for president on the Libertarian ticket. Mr.

Johnson may have been on medicinal banana

peels and may or may not have known what

he was tweeting. It happens.

JUNIOR’S BANANA & MAYONNAISE SANDWICHES

Tweet causes uproar; NN favorites other than just Junior


NN enjoyed a medicinal banana peel once

and called the White House and asked if they

delivered something other than bad news. NN

was thinking of pizza, but the White House

wardens didn’t like it and sent local wardens

to “confiscate” NN’s medicinal banana peels.

NN heard ‘em giggling in their “unmarked

unit” all night and found banana ashes all

over her driveway the next day. She’s pretty

sure the peels never made it back to the evi-

dence room at the White House or the Round

House or the Big House. Whatever.

Junior’s PR people sent out a media re-

lease saying he was “shocked – in a really

good way -- at how much attention this pic-

ture received,” and even said he appreciated

the people who saw the photo of the sand-

wich and made nasty remarks about it after

they ate it. NN, her ownself, is a huge Junior

fan and is a founding member of Junior Na-

tion, but will pretty much stick to her peanut

butter and banana sandwiches and leave the

mayo to the sports most popular driver of all

time. Just sayin. . . .

For those of you who think NASCAR Nellie

is just all about Dale Earnhardt Jr., the

sport’s most popular driver, you are wrong.

Kinda.

More favorites than just Junior

NN has her ‘nother favorite drivers – she’s

a big fan of Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart

(who just HAS to recover from his back boo

boo and get back in the car again – forcryi-

noutloud, it’s his farewell season, doctors!),

Ward Burton (you all remember Ward Burton

– he hadda sit on a phone book and have lit-

tle wood blocks added to the pedals in his

car when he raced, and if he’da just had a

chance he’da won a championship. For reals.

NN LOVES Ward Burton,) and, from the

younger generation, NN loves, loves, LOVES

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Trevor Bayne,

who NN saw in Vegas after he won the Day-

tona 500 in 2011. NN accidentally broke the

protection barrier, which is s’posed to keep

fans from grabbing at drivers, but it couldn’t

stand the weight of NN and gave way like a

Jello smoothie, and NN, trying to regain her

balance, grabbed Trevor and he panicked,

thinking NN was going to never let him go

and he hollered for security, which happens

to follow NN whenever she’s at a NASCAR

track and/or race.

Security did believe NN’s “fluffiness of

body” broke the barrier, but pretty much did-

n’t buy the fact that she didn’t actually grab

Trevor’s backside on accounta it was his

backsid. She grabbed at it, hoping to break

her fall. Security hauled her “fluffy backside”

off to the security hauler, where she hadda

wait for the security mafia to “question her

and her actions” before they let her go. What-

ever.

Martin Truex Tony Stewart Ward Burton

Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Trevor Bayne

32 Four Corners SPOrTS MAY 2016

And, as much as it pains NN to say it, she no

longer boos Kyle Busch every time she sees

him. For lotsa years, NN referred to Kyle as

“Boo Hoo” Busch and said things about him

that weren’t necessarily nice, but where true.

Boo Hoo was arrogant and insufferable and

NN put her extensive M&M collection – on

which she spent her Perfect Child’s inheri-

tance on – in storage, including the one share

of M&M stock she found on Me-Bay.

Then Boo Hoo got married and had a cute

baby and NN found out he is a big Denver

Bronco fan. NN LOVES her Denver Broncos, she

loves love stories and cute babies and all of a

sudden, Boo Hoo wasn’t Boo Hoo anymore. He

was Kinda Kind Kyle. NN doesn’t say not nice

things about KKK anymore and she is consid-

ering bringing what’s left of her M&M collec-

tion out of the wine crawl space and

displaying it in her wine room/aka garage. NN

is a forgiving person, especially if the one she

is forgiving bleeds blue and orange. Just

sayin. .. .

NN is also happy that Jeff Gordon is happy

in The Booth, where he shares his experience

and knowledge with Darrell Waltrip, who

thinks he knows everything. There were ru-

mors that DW and JG weren’t getting along

well in The Booth, but they have assured

everyone they love each other and respect

each other and hug each other and we, as

fans, must believe that. It’s like Santa at

Christmas time – if you don’t believe in Santa,

he doesn’t let you sit on his lap after you

stand in line with a gazillion little kids, just

so’s you can sit on his lap and tell him what

you want for Christmas. So NN believes DW

and JG share the love and The Booth and the

ego wall. Yeppers, she does (cough, cough).

So, it isn’t just about Dale Earnhardt Junior,

the sport’s most popular driver. For NN, it’s all

about the cars, the fuel, the tires, the tight dri-

ver’s suits, the way the drivers get in and out

of their cars and the mayo and banana sand-

wiches they eat. For reals.

Knothole continued from 21

Baseball Congress with the Scorpions welcoming the new baseball

year.

With the opening of Piedra Vista, Knothole Day has evolved to

merge opening ceremonies with a game that will most likely be one

of two games for a district title.

On Knothole Day every ballplayer that suits up for the summer gets

the chance for their team to be introduced and to high-five all of the

Scorpions on one baseline and the Panthers on the other.

The players are then welcomed to an afternoon of lunch and, usu-

ally, a beautiful day at the ballpark watching our local pastime. For

the high schools, they get a chance to play in front of a full house be-

fore August.

PV wins district title 9 to 7

This year on Saturday April 30 the game, as usual, did not disap-

point, as the Panthers topped Farmington 9-7 and earned their sev-

enth straight district championship title.

Prospects were bleak for the Panthers for the first couple of in-

nings with the Scorps up 4 to 0. PV fought back and ended the sixth

inning tied at 7-7. By the ninth the Panhters got the best of FHS and

walked away with a 9- 7 victory.

Once in Farmington’s recruitment brochure for new teachers,

Farmington was labeled as a baseball town. A simple look at Knothole

Day shows baseball is alive and well here at the home of the Connie

Mack World Series where on a beautiful Saturday afternoon the fu-

ture meets up with the present.

33Four Corners SPoRTSMAY 2016

Piedra Vista graduate Zach Johnson, a junior

at the Air Force Academy, set a new Academy

record in the 100-meter dash with a time of

10.43 seconds beating the 10-year-old record by

.03 of a second.

Dance & Cheer State ResultsAfter basketball, the 2nd most attended event

in state competition is the State Dance & Cheer

championships. The local teams made a solid

showing at state bringing home two trophies.

The Farmington Kelly Greens took home an im-

pressive second place trophy in 5A placing just

behind Roswell’s Charlie’s Angels. Piedra Vista

placed 5th while Aztec finished 10th. In cheer,

Piedra Vista brought home the green trophy

placing 3rd behind Los Lunas and Centennial.

Aztec came in 7th while Farmington was 13th. In

4A, Bloomfield cheer placed 4th and in Co-ed

cheer, Kirtland was 4th while Navajo Prep came

in 8th place.

New Mexico - Arizona All Star GameThe New Mexico All Star team swept a pair of

games from Arizona in the Navajo Times All Star

game. Shiprock’s Elijah Harry and Andre Joe led

a three-point barrage leading New Mexico to a

117-99 win in game one and completed the

sweep with a 116-93 win. PV’s Keegan Acosta

chipped in six points for the New Mexico squad.

BaseballThe traditional start of the summer baseball

season began with Knothole Day as Piedra Vista

hosted Farmington at Ricketts Park at 11 a.m.

State tournament opening round was May 1

and 2 with a best of three series at the higher

seed’s home park. The quarterfinals begin the

following Thursday, May 7, with the state cham-

pionship on May 9 in Albuquerque.

SoftballState softball began with the single elimina-

tion game on May 6 or 7 at the home of the

higher seed. Class 4A double elimination final

eight begins on May 11 at Rio Rancho High

School with the championship game at UNM

Lobo Field on May 13. For 5A schools the double

elimination quarters begin on May 12 at Cleve-

land High School with the championship round

at Lobo Field on May 14.

TrackThe track season runs to an end in May as

teams head to the district and state meets. Dis-

trict meets was May 6 and 7 with the State

Championships the following weekend at UNM.

GolfThe 5A state championship returns to San

Juan County as Piñon Hills hosts state golf on

May 9 and 10.The District 1AAAA and 5A meet

will take place at Riverview Golf Course on May

2. The 4A state meet takes place May 9 and 10

at Spring River in Roswell.

SigningsCongratulations to Aztec’s Elana Kresl who

just signed her letter of intent to attend New

Mexico State to run cross country and track

Piedra Vista’s Cassandra Crowell signed her

letter of intent to run cross country and track

for Lubbock Christian University

Peyton Rasmussen of Farmington High has

signed to play soccer at the University of East-

ern New Mexico

Aztec Senior Kinsey Gomez has committed to

play soccer at Western Texas College in Snyder,

Texas, this fall. Her male counterpart, Bailey

Walkins, recently committed to Yavapai Junior

College in Arizona

CampsNavajo Prep’s Rising Stars Basketball and

Volleyball camps will begin the first week that

school is out with volleyball running May 31

through June 4, Boys basketball June 7

through June 11. Midschool girls basketball

runs June 14 through June 18, with high

school girls running June 21 through June 25.

The cost for camp is $200 which includes,

camp, dorm stay, food service and night activi-

ties. For more information contact Rainy Crisp

at Navajo Prep 505.326.6571.

Panther Summer Basketball Camp for ages

7 through 14 will be held June 1 through June

3 at the Piedra Vista Main Gym from 1 to 4 p.m.

each day. Cost is $45 for pre-camp signup and

$55 at the door. Contact Michelle Russo at

505.720.6059 for details.

The Farmington Boys & Girls Club Epic Sum-

mer Adventure begins on May 31 with sessions

beginning at the beginning of each month. The

club will offer mini-sports camps daily that will

include soccer, volleyball, basketball, cheer,

golf and tennis, and a football passing acad-

emy. Call 505.327-6396 for more information

Benefit Golf TournamentsAztec High School Golf Team Fundraiser, The

Don Greenwood Annual 4-Person Scramble,

will be held Saturday, May 14, at 9 a.m. at the

Aztec Municipal Golf Course. For more informa-

tion contact Irene Barry at 970.903.9285.

The 12th Annual Robbie Ward Scholarship

Tournament takes place June 11 at 8 a.m. at

the Aztec Municipal Golf Course. For more infor-

mation contact Bob Ward at 505.947.1954

CatChing Up

with the CoUnty

34 Four Corners SPorTS MAY 2016

“It was,” Hamilton laughed.

“Well, sitting really lets the aches and pains

show up,” Schlarb said looking to Simmons as

the group stood to put on their skins and skis

ready to ski down into Porcupine Creek, the last

big climb and finally to home.

The team arrived at the South Mineral Creek

crossing, the “home stretch” right at dusk with a

full moon cresting Kendall Mountain. They ex-

changed their wet ski boots for running shoes,

crossed the pavement of Highway 550 and

pushed hard into the last two miles and Silver-

ton by 9 p.m.

“I’m amazed at all that could have gone

wrong. Skiing in the dark, avalanche terrain, and

so many variables. It’s amazing it all came to-

gether,” Schlarb said.

“That was a mighty big loop, boys!” Simmons

said, high fiving his team.

The streets were deserted except the bark of

a neighborhood dog. Lights in homes lit the

street as the men and their support crew of one,

Hannah Green, sat contented on a cinder block

wall eating cold burgers and beer. There were no

crowds of cheering fans; their families were at

home in bed. Simmons was so tired that he

barely reacted when he knocked his full beer to

the ground. When asked how victory tasted,

Hamilton replied between mouthfuls of burger,

“It tastes sweet. And meaty,” he laughed.

Hardrock continued from 15

Mehall continued from 6

His setbacks in getting the book published had little negative effect on

him, it simply pushed him to see his project through to the end. Ultimately

it has opened him up to pursue publishing other authors' work, to become

his own publishing house. Promoting his own work has always felt weird,

even egotistical, he confesses. "I really want to publish other peoples'

work, to collaborate on their projects," He says.

Mehall sits up straight and runs his hand through his short cropped

hair as he tangentially moves between the profundity of climbing

metaphors in Andre 3000 to his great appreciation of the counterculture

and the unique characters that have helped to shape his world view,

"those who choose to be a dirtbag out of an intellectual, philosophical and

informed choice, those are the most interesting people out there. And

then there are people my age having families and moving on but they still

live their lives through the philosophy they learned while leading the

lifestyle," He says.

American Climber is the dirtbag phiolosphy embodied in Mehall's striking

and honest prose, in the lyrical sprawl of the Beat Generation and the envi-

ronmental fascination of Abbey. He takes his readers through to his per-

sonal acquisition of all that it is to be a dirtbag climber. "It's not some b.s.

marketing when I say climbing saved my life, it's very real and changed my

life," he says. It's a tale of suicidal tendencies, drugs, sex and the salvation

of souls through climbing. It's a collection of honesty that Mehall confesses

will probably shock his mother, even his closest friends. He stands up from

the small dining booth and in place of rag wool and Sundowner boots are

the soft flex of approach shoes and denim– Kerouac shouting to this genera-

tion, get out and "climb that goddamn mountain."

Documents

Four Corners Sports May 2016