2017

On November 8, 2014, there was a confluence of events that led Dakota Cox down the path to December 16, 2016 when he stood on a stage in the glistening New Mexico sun, accepting the Defensive MVP Award for the Gildan, New Mexico Bowl.

On that November 8, trailing Boise State 53-49, Lamar Jordan’s diving first down was curiously overruled by a replay official, a call that almost anyone watching would agree was incorrect.  Instead of UNM’s offense matching for a dramatic go-ahead touchdown, UNM’s defense came back on the field.  Three plays later, Dakota Cox, UNM’s heart and soul, tore his ACL after getting hit near the sidelines.  Cox’s season was over.  His 2015 season was already in jeopardy.  However, Cox made a pact to himself, his family, and his teammates, that he would be on that field in 2015, and UNM would make a bowl game.

Call him Nostradamus if you will, but that’s exact what Cox did.  UNM lost that bowl game, and so for 2016, the next promise was made.  He would be named Defensive MVP of a bowl game.  While that sounds unlike Dakota in its brashness, he told the Albuquerque media why that was his goal.  “Because if I’m Defensive MVP, that means we won the game, and that’s what I care about.”

Mission accomplished.

Cox, the first three-time captain in the 118-year history of New Mexico football, recorded 10 tackles and led a Herculean defensive effort as UNM won the Gildan New Mexico Bowl 23-20 over UTSA.  Cox, who was indeed the Defensive MVP, led UNM in tackles for a fourth straight year, the first Lobo to accomplish that feat, and he became just the 14^th player in FBS history to do so for his school.  He also broke the 400-tackle mark for his career, only the third player in Mountain West history to accomplish the feat.

He was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week over his career, but more importantly to his exploits on the football field, his exploits off the field were far greater.  Cox never redshirted and earned his college degree in just three years, and is currently finishing up his master’s degree.  He was the face of the program, never turning down a media request for an interview, regardless of the outcome of the game at hand.  He led groups to local elementary schools, reading to school children, or visiting sick children at UNM Children’s Hospital.

His senior season capped off one of the all-time great careers at UNM football, and he certainly earned his accolades, on the field, and off.

If you had to pick one word, just one, to sum up Josh Kerr and his 2017 season, you would have a wealth of options to choose from.

Fast. Talented. Historic.

But, for one of the newest faces of New Mexico track & field, only one word seems apropos to describe his accomplishments.

Winner.

Kerr, a Edinburgh, Scotland, native, won a pair of national titles during his outstanding 2017 track campaign, sweeping both the mile run and the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships.

At March’s NCAA Indoor Championships at Gilliam Indoor Track in College Station, Texas, Kerr defeated 17-time national champion Edward Cheserek of Oregon in the mile to claim his first NCAA crown.

In June, at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Kerr seized his second national title, holding off the field to win the 1,500.

He is just the 11th athlete in NCAA history — and the first since 2008 — to accomplish the indoor/outdoor sweep.

After a relatively under-the-radar start to the 2017 season, Kerr started making a name for himself as he earned wins in the mile and the distance medley relay at the MW Indoor Track & Field Championships in February.

He then shocked the nation with his win at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and proved he was no one-hit wonder as he ran the sixth-fastest 1,500-meter time in NCAA history, 3:35.99, at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April.

That time sits just .69 seconds off the 36-year-old NCAA record in the 1,500 and also doubles as the New Mexico and Mountain West records in the event.

He continued to roll during the outdoor track season, sweeping the 800 and 1,500 at the MW Outdoor Championships in May before holding off fierce competition for his 1,500-meter title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

For his efforts, Kerr was selected as the 2016-17 Mountain West Male Athlete of the Year, an award bestowed annually to one male student-athlete who achieved athletic excellence during academic year.

Along with that, Kerr was named MW Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Student-Athlete of the Year and a semifinalist for the Men’s Bowerman Award, the highest individual honor in collegiate track & field. He is the first athlete in Mountain West history to earn all three honors in one season.

He also advanced to the IAAF World Championships in London, England, where he competed in the 1,500 for Great Britain.

But, for an athlete who attracts all sort of appellations for an amazing season, Josh Kerr can be summed up in just one word: winner.

When Bob Davie became the head coach for The University of New Mexico in after the end of the 2011 season, it was all about the numbers, or lack thereof.

Certainly, a number that stood out for him was the scholarship number, as he was inheriting a team that had the fewest scholarships in the country due to NCAA sanctions.  There was the number 10, which was the number of years between head coach jobs for him, as he went from Notre Dame to the broadcast booth, working at ESPN.  Perhaps the biggest number was the numbers 3, and 37.

The three was wins over the previous 40 games.  The 37 was the number of losses, and most of them were not close.  Davie also had another number … the number five.  He felt that it would be a five year rebuild, but that in five years, UNM would be where it needed to be.  Man was he ever right.

In the fifth year of his five-year rebuild, Davie led UNM to a record breaking season, one that saw UNM lead the nation in rushing yards per game, rushing yards per carry and runs of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 yards.  It saw UNM reel off five straight wins, and it saw UNM tie for its first divisional championship in 19 years.  It culminated with a 23-20 win over UTSA in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, giving the Lobos just their second bowl victory in the last 56 seasons.

Davie’s team did it with a record-breaking offense that averaged over 34 points per game and twice rolled up over 600 yards of offense.  It also saw an opportunistic defense that scored three touchdowns, and special teams that extended UNM’s record streak of seasons with a kickoff return touchdown to seven.  But most importantly, he did it with a group of players that also gave back to the community, performing numerous community service initiatives in the country.  UNM had a CoSIDA Academic All-American in Garrett Adcock, who was also a national semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, given to the player who best combines athletics, academics and community service.  UNM has 19 players earn Mountain West All-Academic, and the team once again turned in a near record GPA.

UNM football has come a long way under Bob Davie, and those numbers of the past, 3-37 in particular, as long distant memories.  Now it’s a new set of numbers, ones like 16, the number of wins in back-to-back seasons for UNM, a school record, or 11, the school record number of conference wins in back-to-back seasons.  Or 42, the number of graduates the program has produced over the last two seasons.  It’s those numbers that Davie is most proud of.

Charles Smith attended the University of New Mexico from 19931997 where he excelled both on and off the court. He was notably an incredible basketball player for the Lobos as he was the scoring leader from 1995-1997. He had a career game against Hawaii where he placed 21st all-time on the single game scoring list and had the 17th all-time best scoring season in 1997. He ranks as the number one player in UNM’s career scoring history with 1,993 points, while being the 9th fastest player to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Smith is one of three Lobos to lead the team in scoring for three straight seasons. The list doesn’t stop there as he is the all-time leader in career field goals made, which comes along with being UNM’s leading scorer. He was also the team’s leader in steals from 1996-1997 landing him 6th on the all-time steals list in a season and in a career. He finished up his career with Western Athletic Conference All-Conference honors in both 1996 and 1997, with an NABC All Star Game start in 1997, and three NCAA Tournament appearances. After his time at UNM, Smith was selected in the first round by the Miami heat, where he was later traded. He played with the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He had a great career in the NBA, but he also had success in the European national leagues with Makedonikos Kozani, Virtus Bologna, and Efes Istanbul. With the Italian League team Scavolini Pesaro in 2005, he won the first-ever Alphonso Ford Trophy, as he was the leading scorer in the 2004–05 EuroLeague season. He was also named the Finals MVP of the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) in the 2006–07 season, while playing with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid. Smith excelled in his time at UNM and professionally as noted by the amount of accomplishments he had, but he was also a great teammate as so many members of his team pushed for him to be inducted into the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor. Smith showed a true meaning of success on the court, by being a great player and displaying great leadership at UNM.

Mandi Moore was the true essence of a student-athlete. Not only was she the University of New Mexico women’s basketball program’s alltime winningest player, she finished her career at New Mexico with the Mountain West Scholar Athlete award, a bachelor’s degree in business and her master’s degree in Sports Administration. Moore was a fourtime Mountain West Conference All-Academic and a four-time All-Conference selection – winning 2001-2002 Mountain West Newcomer of the Year. Moore was seen by many as a great basketball player, but her work ethic is what set her apart. For her coaches, teammates and many fans she was the epitome of the Lobo women’s basketball program at a time when the Lobos were making noise nationally. Moore was truly something special as during her four years as a Lobo, she led her team to three Mountain West Tournament titles, two regular-season titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances. She was selected to the 2003 and 2005 All-Mountain West Tournament team. The program won 95 games during her four years playing at The Pit – more than any other player in UNM women’s basketball history. She’s the only player in UNM women’s basketball history with 500 assists – finishing her career with an incredible 651. She holds the UNM record for most minutes played in a career with 4,324. She’s the only player in UNM basketball history (men or women) with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. Mandi Moore’s career at UNM didn’t stop after her playing eligibility was done. She finished her master’s while she worked as the Lobos’ director of operations from 2006-2008 where she made an impact on several other Lobo student-athletes. Moore now works in medical sales in Amarillo, Texas. She is happily married and has two amazing children. Moore is a true inspiration for any current and future Lobos and will forever hold a place as one of the best to ever play in the world renowned Pit

Richard Wayne Howard began his track & field career at the University of New Mexico in the fall of 1958 at the age of 23. This came just after competing with the U.S. State Department Track Team in the far east and after transferring from Compton Junior College. Unlike anything anyone had seen in New Mexico, his speed on the track is what captured the eyes of so many. In his first meet at UNM in February of 1959, Howard tied the school record in the 100-yard dash. Two weeks later, he moved on to break the school record in the 220-yard dash, as well as the record in the 220-yard low hurdles. A major accomplishment for him came during spring of 1959 when he attracted close to 4,000 fans to Zimmerman Field to watch him compete in a dual meet versus the Air Force Academy. On that day, he clocked in the fastest time in the nation with a time of 22.4 seconds in the 220-yard low hurdles. After his outstanding performance, he was then invited to the renowned Kansas Relays, where he competed against some of the country’s best and won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. His outstanding career didn’t stop there. The summer of 1959, Howard made his way to Lincoln, Nebraska, winning the 400-meter hurdles against some of the best in the NCAA. He would then move on to win the AAU Championships before finishing off his season with a national championship in Boulder, Colorado. The achievements began to pile up. Richard was also a prominent face off the track as well. At UNM, he was a member and well-known singer in the Glee Club. He also managed a janitorial service and hosted a Sunday afternoon jazz program on the Albuquerque radio station KLOS. In Howard’s second season at UNM, he continued to play a significant part of the success of the UNM track & field team. In 1960, a panel of track & field writers picked Howard as the best 400-meter hurdler in the nation. Howard was invited to compete in the Olympic Trials where he was favored to win gold. After finishing second in the Trials, he qualified for the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. After a captivating race, he captured the bronze medal with a time of 49.7 seconds, which was a personal record for him. After a lifetime full of achievements, Richard Wayne Howard passed away in 1967 at the youthful age of 32, leaving behind a beautiful wife and five daughters. His legacy lives on through the life of his family, and he will forever be remembered for his accomplishments both on and off the track. 1999 Hall of Honor Inductee Buster Quist shared as story of how Howard made his way to UNM. “Dickie and I met as members of the US Track & Field Team touring Japan in Aug 1958. The tour was over 3 weeks and Dickie and I roomed together. Amazed by his natural talent I began recruiting him to come to New Mexico. During the 20-hour flight to San Francisco, I had him committed. I didn’t let him out of my sight. I went with him to LA, met with the President of Compton Junior College and helped get his transcript in order. After a couple of days, we went to Albuquerque together. When Wrenetta (Wife) and their two small children arrived, there wasn’t any accommodations for married couples with children. My parents and myself took them in at our home until a room at UNM was available. In short, had I not proved to him that there were good people at UNM and he would be welcomed, Dickie would probably have never made the transfer and we wouldn’t be honoring him.”

Tim Herron played four incredible years of golf at the University of New Mexico from 1989-1993. He was on four Western Athletic Conference (WAC) All-Conference First Teams from 1989-1993, WAC Player of the year in 1992 and 1993, with selections to the Second Team All-America team in 1991 and First Team All-America Team in 1992 and 1993. He is also first All-Time with the most individual Tournament wins in a career with 5 and most in a season with 4. Herron also shot the all-time round low of 62 at the annual William H. Tucker Invitational and had the third all-time lowest 54 Hole Total of 201 in 1992. He was named the 1993 Hall of Honor Male Athlete of the Year. Herron has the opportunity to play in the 1993 Walker Cup representing the United States. The Walker Cup is a tournament for the leading amateur golfers from the United States, Great Britain and Ireland. Herron finished up his four years at UNM and earned a degree in University Studies in 1993. After his time at UNM, it didn’t take long for Herron to get his PGA tour card. He received the honor in 1995 and is currently still on the Tour. In his first full pro year he won the Honda Classic shooting an amazing 17 under with a 62 on the first day. Since that first win he has gathered three more victories. He also has seven runner up finishes, and six third place finishes, and 59 top ten finishes on the PGA Tour. He has has been remarkable in his 22 year playing career. Tim was a great addition to the lobos in 1989 and raised the bar for this program and its history as he accomplished incredible feats with a strong desire to win. Current Lobo Men’s Golf Coach Glen Millican says of Herron, “He was a great Lobo during his time at UNM and has been very successful since graduating. He has been a great example to many Lobos that have come after him and it will be a special evening to celebrate his entire career with his family as friends here with him in Albuquerque. Lobo Golf is very proud to have Tim as an alum and thankful to him for the positive impact he left on our program and University.

Dr. Wayne Gares received his B.S. in Health and Physical Education at the University of New Mexico in 1958. He began to pursue his master’s shortly after. During his years at UNM he was a three-sport athlete, lettering in baseball, basketball and football. His athletic accomplishments included finishing tenth in the nation in hitting, he earned an All-Skyline Conference selection as a Tackle in 1957, and he was recruited by both the Chicago Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers. After his years at UNM he went on to play Semi-Pro Basketball for M&W from 1959-1966. After Wayne’s years at UNM he pursued a Doctorate of Philosophy in College Student Personnel, as well as post-doctoral work in counseling at the University of Northern Colorado. He was a well-established coach over the years, serving as head baseball coach at the New Mexico Military Institute, leading the team to a conference championship in 1963. Gares was also an assistant football coach from 19631966. He moved on to be head baseball coach at Eastern New Mexico University as well as an assistant football coach from 19661970. He was named Coach of the Year in 1968 for his work on the diamond. From 19711991 he served as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. He was named ENMU’s “Boss of the Year” and “Outstanding Educator in America”. He served as president of the National Newgate Council and he won the Associated Students of ENMU award for outstanding service to students. Gares initiated “Town and Gown” in Portales with the main goal to improve student and professor relations as well as welcoming students from “Up With People” into his home. He was later inducted into Tucamcari High School’s “Greatest Athletes of the Century.” Wayne Gares is an outstanding individual and exemplifies the qualities of what UNM and its Lettermen stand for. He was an exceptional student-athlete at UNM and demonstrated great character and integrity in everything he did.