The most notable sports stories of 2014
FRUITLAND, N.M.
The Navajo Times sports department has seen a fair share of noteworthy events throughout 2014.
We have watched local athletes earned state titles, broke records and on a sad note we said farewells to legends.
Here is a look at my top 10 sports stories for 2014.
1. State champions
This year was a successful one for many local fall sports teams and athletes. The Ramah High School volleyball team picked up a Class 2A state title after a nine-year absence, but local runners took over the stage after some individuals and teams returned home with state titles. Miyamura High School junior Niles Thomas won the 5A state boy’s cross-country title after an undefeated season. Navajo Pine High School sophomore Annoesika Laughlin took the 2A state title and earned the school’s first girl’s title in the sport. Navajo Pine’s Terrence Lee led the boy’s team to their first title in six years and earned himself an individual title along the way.
2. Shiprock girls finish year at 29-1.
The Shiprock High School girl’s basketball team had a nearly perfect record after 25 years. The Lady Chiefs placed second at the 2014 New Mexico Activities Association Class 3A state basketball championships after losing to Portales in the championship round. The loss was their only loss and they finished the season 29-1.
The Lady Chiefs had the No. 1 seed and had trouble finding competition all season, until their final game.
Shiprock head coach Larenson Henderson said it was a tough loss but a hard fought one.
“At halftime we came in and I said to the girls ‘we’ve been looking for competition all year long and we got girls that can basically keep up with us athletically, so it’s going be a ride’ and it was,” he said.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow