2011

Alan Dils

Yet another win for the Lobo’s men’s tennis team!  Alan Dils, four-time Mountain West coach of the year, has been recognized for his many tennis achievements as a competitor and coach. 

Born and raised in Belen, N.M., Alan Dils attended Belen High School where he played and lettered all four years and won two state doubles titles.  He was named honorable mention All-American and Belen High Athlete of the Year following his senior season.  Dils was also presented the Presidential Academic Fitness Award by President Ronald Regan. 

Dils was recruited to the UNM men’s tennis team in 1984 and became an outstanding player.  He was all-Western Athletic Conference (1987 and ‘89), WAC doubles champion (1989) and WAC singles finalist (1989).  Dils graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Business Administration.

Upon graduation, Dils continued his life and passion for tennis by accepting the assistant coaching position at UNM.  In 1996, Dils was named head coach at his alma mater.  Since 1989, Dils and his twin brother, Loren, have combined to win 10 WAC and MW championships.  He also has the most wins of any Lobo Tennis Coach.

Today, Alan Dils remains at the helm of the Lobos men’s tennis program and is a member of the ITA Regional Committee.

Loren Dils

Loren Dils’ tennis career has steered him in many directions.  Like his twin brother Alan, Loren was born and raised in Belen, N.M., and attended Belen High School.  In high school, he was ranked No. 3 in the state and won two state doubles titles.  Despite his success in tennis, Loren was not sure it was in his future.

After visiting the campus of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Dils felt at home.  Unable to get into NAU on an academic scholarship, Loren was compelled to take a tennis scholarship.  Although tennis was not his first choice, Dils put his all into the sport and captured Big Sky Conference doubles titles in 1985 and 1986.  He was all-conference on the court and in the classroom three times. 

After graduating from NAU with a degree in Anthropology, Dils returned to New Mexico to team up with his brother as the assistant coach for the Lobo men’s tennis team.  Together they won 10 Western Athletic Conference and Mountain West championships, produced several All-Americans, conference players of the year and singles/doubles participants at the NCAA Championships. 

Dils has received a bevy of awards: United States Tennis Association (USTA) Southwest Section Inspiration of the Year (2009), Four Time ITA regional assistant coach of the year and USTA Southwest Section Tennis Club of the Year (2010). 

He has also been a delegate for the New Mexico Chapter of A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease) Organization in which he travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. senators and congressmen. 

Dils is recently retired as the director of the Linda Estes Tennis Center. 

A man of many talents, James “Lefty” Economides, has truly left a footprint in not only University of New Mexico history, but in American history. 

Economides came to the University on a baseball scholarship in 1954 where he dominated on the field, leading the Skyline Conference in slugging percentage (.762).  During his time with the Lobos, he was an all-conference selection, Skyline batting champion and a Western All-American choice as a senior. 

Economides was, and is, an excellent handball player.  In 50 years, he has achieved and four world titles and 20 national championships from the United States Handball Association (USHA).

 After graduating with a degree in Health and Physical Education, Economides served his country by joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1957 – Hoorah!  He became a qualified fighter and helicopter pilot after completing Naval Aviation Flight School in 1958.  Economides was deployed to Vietnam where he received recognition and congratulations from the President of the United States when he returned.

In 1964, Economides received a master’s of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico and soon after began a journey down a new path.  He attended Baylor Dental College, receiving his D.D.S. diploma in 1969.  That same year, Economides was awarded the Baylor Dental Basic Science Award.  He went on to receive an Orthodontic Specialist Degree, M.S.D., in 1972.  

Since becoming a dentist, Economides’ work and research has been monumental.  He has published articles in the American Journal of Orthodontics, become a diplomat on the American Board of Orthodontics (1982), was appointed to the Presbyterian Albuquerque Board of Trustees for Specialty Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and is currently a consulting editor and referee for the American Journal of Orthodontics. 

Economides has been recognized by Sandia National Laboratories for performing research for Direct Digital Radiography.  For the past 13 years, he has been helping to develop a breast cancer detection system.

Despite negative remarks from her coach, Nao Ikeda proved she was better than “good enough.”  Before joining the Lobos, Ikeda was a member of the Hitachi Volleyball Team – one of the best in Japan.  When invited to enroll at UNM, her Hitachi coach warned that she was not good enough to play intercollegiate volleyball. 

The University of New Mexico’s MVP (1986 and 1989) not only achieved individual success but was able to share Japan’s respected style of play.  Ikeda earned considerable accolades during her time at UNM.  She was High Country Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and second team all-conference in 1986, and first team all-league and all-region in 1989.  With a new style, hard work and dedication, Ikeda led the Lobos to the 1988 conference championship.

Ikeda graduated from UNM in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in University Studies, concentrating in Economics and Family Studies.  She stayed to work with the Lobos as the administrative manager of the Lobo Volleyball League then later became the event manager for UNM volleyball in 1991.  That same year, Ikeda coached the junior varsity volleyball team at Albuquerque Academy and was the assistant coach for the Lobos.  UNM was Western Athletic Conference champions in 1991. 

Ikeda went on to become a successful assistant coach at several schools, including Illinois (NCAA Tournament in 1994 and ‘95) and Minnesota (NCAA in 1996, 1997, and 1999 to 2010).  While coaching at the University of Minnesota, her teams have made three NCAA Final Four Appearances (2003, 2004, 2009).

During the off-season, Ikeda participated in countless summer camps in Nebraska, New Mexico (high schools and UNM), British Columbia, Illinois and Minnesota. 

Since June of 2000, Ikeda has been the director of operations coach at the University of Minnesota Volleyball Program. 

John P. (Jack) McFarland came to Albuquerque at the age of four.  He attended Albuquerque High School where he played football and was named to the Bulldogs’ all-time team.  After high school, McFarland attended the University of New Mexico where he continued to play and excel in football.

As a Lobo, McFarland was an all-Far Southwest selection and was chosen to UNM’s all-time football team in 1930 and 1946.  In 1927, he was a member of the only undefeated football team in Lobo history.  After graduating from UNM, McFarland took charge of all scouting operations for the Lobos and worked as an assistant football coach.   

McFarland joined the U. S. Army, serving his country during World War II in the Philippines under the direction of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.  He was later deployed to Australia to assume command of Allied Forces in the Pacific.  McFarland was awarded the State of New Mexico Distinguished Service Medal as well as two prestigious military awards: the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

From 1947 to 1952, McFarland served as commander of the 11^th Anti-Aircraft Brigade and Assistant Adjutant General.  He resigned from the National Guard and transferred to the U. S. Air Force in 1955.  He retired as a Brigadier General.

A University of New Mexico football legend, Purple Heart and Bronze Start recipient Brigadier General Jack McFarland died of a heart attack in 1964.  He is now being honored as an inductee to the University of New Mexico’s Hall of Honor.

A leader among leaders, Raymond Sanchez has been a well-respected figure in the Lobo community and the State of New Mexico for nearly 50 years.  Sanchez received both his bachelor’s degree (1964) and Juris Doctor (1967) from the University of New Mexico and has been practicing law in New Mexico for the past 43 years. 

            Sanchez has been a political figure for the State of New Mexico and UNM as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives and is a former Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. 

In the past two decades, Sanchez has been a huge advocate for Lobo Athletics by assisting with the allocation of millions of dollars towards athletics facilities and equipment.  He carried legislation to create the Athletic Training Act, the Tow Diehm Athletics Facility, the completion of the north seating and west boxes at University Stadium, and secured funding for the renovation of The Pit and the Student Services Learning Center.

            Raymond Sanchez’s love of UNM led him to serve as the President of the Board of Regents for the University of New Mexico in 2009.  After two years as President, Sanchez was recently recognized for his integrity and leadership during a difficult time and received the Nambé Lobo Head plaque for completing his term as President of the Board of Regents.     

And here comes Joe Franklin making yet another lap around as Coach of the Year!  Franklin has received coach of the year honors 17 times during his professional career, but it has yet to remove his concentration from producing top student-athletes. 

In 2007, Franklin accepted the head coaching position for track and field and cross country at the University of New Mexico.  Since then, Lobo cross country teams have outperformed all previous UNM squads.  Championships have become the norm. 

Women’s cross country has won the past two Mountain West titles and finished fifth at the 2010 NCAA Championships. The Lobo men also captured last year’s MWC championship and were 16^th at the NCAAs.  Franklin was named the Mountain West and Mountain Regional Coach of the Year for men’s and women’s cross country in the fall of 2010.   UNM produced 14 all-conference performers during the 2010-11 track and field season.

An athlete himself, Franklin was a four-year letterman at Purdue from 1986-91 and a two-time All-Big 10 honoree in the 800 meters.  He graduated from Purdue with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing and a master’s in Education Administration. 

            Before Franklin became UNM’s coach, he mentored cross country and track and field at DePauw, Purdue and Butler.  During that time, he was awarded Men’s Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year (1998), conference indoor track coach of the year (twice), and NCAA Cross Country Coach of the Year (2004). 

            Congratulations Coach Joe Franklin and Go Lobos!

Rory Fraser has gone the distance, coming to Albuquerque from Leicester, England, where he attended Leeds Metropolitan College.  Before crossing the “pond,” Fraser placed 16^th in the 5,000-meter race at the 2008 Great Britain Olympic Trials and was a member of the Great Britain Junior National Team. 

            Fraser earned first team All-America recognition by finishing 6^th in the 5,000 meters at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In his first year as a Lobo, Fraser qualified for the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in the 5,000 meters.  He is the third runner in Lobo history to finish the 5,000 in under 13:40.  As a member of the cross country team, Fraser earned all-region and 1^st team all-Mountain West. 

He was Academic All-MWC, an MWC Scholar Athlete and a 2010-11 ESPN The Magazine Academic all-district.  Fraser recently completed a master’s degree in Sport Administration.