2014

La Vern Clark-Roberts’ name is spread throughout the record books of New Mexico track & field. Between her titles and accolades that rival almost every female track & field athlete in program history, she’s earned that much. Clark-Roberts, from Winnipeg, Canada, is one of the most decorated female track & field athletes to come through New Mexico, competing in the long jump and triple jump while winning conference championships and All-American plaudits during her three years as a Lobo. She is the only New Mexico field athlete to earn two All-American honors in one championship, and won five conference titles during her collegiate career. Add in her considerable accomplishments at the international level, and it is clear the type of legacy Clark-Roberts left at UNM. Clark-Roberts’ collegiate experience began in 1988 at Oklahoma State University, where she competed under then-Cowgirls coach Richard Shanahan. While a freshman in Stillwater, Clark-Roberts claimed the Big Eight title in the outdoor triple jump and captured her first All-American nod as she placed fifth in the triple jump at the 1988 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Even more than a quarter century after she left Oklahoma State, she still ranks 10th all-time in the triple jump. When Shanahan took a position as assistant track coach at New Mexico, Clark-Roberts followed him to Albuquerque. In the ensuing three years, she became a national-caliber force in the horizontal jumps. During her junior year in 1990, she recorded her collegiate bests in the long jump and triple jump, leaping 20 feet, 11 ¾ inches and 43-1 ½, respectively. She also won the long jump and triple jump at the High County Athletic Conference outdoor championships in 1990, parlaying those performances into her first two All-American nods as a Lobo, where she placed eighth in both events at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. A year later, Clark-Roberts continued her reign in the jumps. At the Western Athletic Conference championships, she seized the individual crown in the indoor triple jump and defended her sweep of the horizontal jumps at the WAC Outdoor Championships. She capped off her superb senior year with another NCAA Championship appearance, where she placed ninth—and barely missed another All-American selection—in the triple jump. When she graduated from UNM in 1991, Clark-Roberts held the school records in the indoor triple jump and both the outdoor long jump and triple jump. Those records, since surpassed, stood for almost two decades. She is also one of only two UNM athletes to qualify to the NCAA Championships in the triple jump and is one of just three Lobos to make the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the long jump. Clark-Roberts’ success also extended to her home country of Canada, where she is the former Canadian record holder in both horizontal jumps. She won the triple jump four years running from 1988 to 1991, and owns the distinction of being Canada’s first ever national champion in the triple jump after the Canadian Track & Field Association officially recognized the event as a championship event in 1988. Additionally, she holds the senior records in both the long jump and triple jump in Manitoba, the province in which she was born, and was ranked as high as 12th in world rankings for both events in 1991. Clark-Roberts excelled in the international competition, as well, representing Canada at the World Student Games. She was also a member of Canada’s Junior National Team and was twice a part of Canada’s Senior National Team. Post-collegiately, Clark-Roberts earned a doctorate in chiropractics, and is licensed in New Mexico, the United States and Canada. 

It’s been all about volleyball for inductee Tania Gooley-Humphry; from being a go-to player on the volleyball court at New Mexico, to becoming an Olympian, to playing professionally in Australia, to establishing her own volleyball school.

An Australian native, Gooley-Humphry came to New Mexico in 1991. In just her freshman season as a Lobo, she was part of the 1991 Western Athletic Conference Championship team — along with 2007 Hall of Honor inductee and best friend Pauline Manser — which went on to play in the NCAA Sweet 16, the fourth NCAA appearance in Lobo volleyball history.

Gooley-Humphry goes down as one of the most decorated volleyball players in UNM history, earning many accolades in her four years. She was a three-time All-WAC selection, a three-time All-West Region selection and was UNM’s MVP for two seasons.

She is ranked in many statistical categories. In UNM’s all-time categories, Gooley-Humphry is first on the list in kills with 1,579. She is first in attempts (3,721), first in points (1,818), sixth in digs (1,113) and fifth in aces (109). In a single-season, Gooley-Humphry is 10^th in kills after collecting 433 kills in 1993. She is seventh in attempts, recording 1,131 in 1994. She is fourth in points (550.0) and fifth in aces with 39.

In her junior season, she collected 35 kills against Colorado State on November 6, 1993 which is the second most kills in a single match in UNM history. She also had 70 attempts against CSU the next season which is fifth most attempts in a single match.

After her senior season, she was named UNM’s Hall of Honor Female Athlete of the Year in 1995.  But it wasn’t just about volleyball for Gooley-Humphry. She also was successful in the classroom. Majoring in exercise technology, Gooley-Humphry finished with a 3.4 GPA.

Following her collegiate career, Gooley-Humprhy became a professional volleyball player, switching from the hardwood to the sandy beaches of her home country. In 1996, she was the number one beach volleyball player in South Australia and continued that rank until 2003.

During those years, she competed for Australia at the international level on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World tour and finished fifth in the 2000 Beach Volleyball Olympics. In 2002, she earned the top honor of Australian Beach Volleyball National Tour Champion and Most Valuable Player.

Once she decided her professional career was finished, she was a school teacher for two years in Adalaide, South Australia. Following her teaching career, Gooley-Humphry established the “Tania Gooley Beach Volleyball School”, her own school to teach young individuals the game of volleyball and potentially watch them grow into professional athletes.

Gooley-Humphry currently resides in Australia with her husband and two daughters Jessica and Madison.

“Part of having a good program is establishing tradition and she is a big part of our tradition here,” said current head volleyball coach Jeff Nelson, who nominated Gooley-Humphry for this award. “She is a great volleyball player and all of her accolades and records have created a great sense of history and tradition that she has been a part of.”

From the moment Ana Friganovic Kucelin stepped on the campus at the University of New Mexico in 1996, she made an impact.  The tennis star from Croatia wasted no time as she started making a name for herself as arguably the most distinguished player in the history of the UNM women’s tennis program. 

                Kucelin came to UNM as an accomplished juniors champion and was No. 1 in Croatia for two years.  As a freshman, she made the US Collegiate scene take notice.  Kucelin earned the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors, was named first team All-WAC, and was also named the ITA’s Central Region Rookie Player of the Year.  She was only the second player and first freshman in New Mexico school history to be selected as an individual for the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships.  As documented in her sophomore season media guide, she set a goal to play in the NCAA’s every year, and she went on to do just that.

                She completed her collegiate career with several accomplishments including being named a four-time All-Conference (in both the WAC and the Mountain West), All-Academic and Scholar Athlete, and a two-time ITA Academic All-American. 

                Kucelin played the No. 1 position in the lineup her entire collegiate career and was team co-captain her senior season.  She was the first women’s tennis player in program history to have competed in nationals each year she was a Lobo. 

                Among other accomplishments, Kucelin was named co-champion (with teammate junior Natalia Alekhova) at the 1999 ITA Central Region championships.  As a senior, she was named the 2000 ITA Central Region Senior Player of the Year plus earned the 2000 ITA Central Region/Tennis Magazine Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship and Leadership award.

She established UNM’s career record for most wins with 112 and also dominated the classroom.  She managed to maintain a 3.7 cumulative grade point average while earning her degree in International Business with a minor in German. 

This is not the first time Kucelin has been recognized by the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor.  In 2000 she was named the Female Athlete of the year.  At the time, the head women’s tennis coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said, “Ana was our most influential women’s student athlete tennis player ever at UNM.  She accomplished more than any other tennis player in the program by going to the NCAA four years in a row.”    

Since leaving UNM, Kucelin has had several stops that include playing for the Women’s Tennis Association, coaching at Virginia Tech, working as a Junior Tennis Director and earning two Masters Degrees (Health and Physical Education, Nutrition) which helped her become a registered dietitian nutritionist.  She currently resides in Georgia with her husband and two daughters, Bianka and Kalie Bella. 

Current UNM Women’s Tennis Head Coach Erica Jasper said, “Ana set the standard here for how a #1 should play and compete.  The sheer number of wins, NCAA Individual bids, NCAA Team bids—her player record is hard to argue with!  Once you factor in her academic prowess, she truly is an unbelievable role model for our current tennis student-athletes.  I was fortunate (or maybe unfortunate is the correct term) to face Ana across the net during my own college career; she competed with such determination and was always a tough out and had that reputation nationally.  She is one of those unique players who defined a generation of Lobo Women’s Tennis and our players continue to aspire to match her achievements on and off the court.”

For many long time Lobo football fans, Don Woods is among one of the greatest to don the cherry and silver. Although his time at the University of New Mexico was short, he made an immediate and lasting impression on not only the UNM football program but also the Albuquerque community as a whole.

                A native of Denton, Texas, Woods came to UNM by way of New Mexico Highlands University where he starred as quarterback for the Broncos for three seasons. When Highlands dropped their football program after the 1972 season, the Lobos had the good fortune of picking up the talented signal caller.

                When Woods first arrived at UNM it didn’t take long for the team to realize that he was a special talent who also brought with him a quality of leadership that any team needs to be successful. They wasted no time making him their starting quarterback for his senior season.

“Beyond his talent, Don’s leadership changed the fabric of our football team,” friend and teammate Ron Wallace said. “He was a hard worker who never quit giving his all up until the final gun sounded.”

                The hard work paid off that season. Woods set a season rushing mark for UNM quarterbacks with 971 yards that still stands to this day. He also could pass, which helped him accumulate 1,840 yards of total offense. He was named Back of the Week by United Press International (UPI) after rushing for 118 yards and scoring three touchdowns (two rushing and one passing) in a 48-6 victory over in-state rival New Mexico State. Woods was a shining star on that Lobo football team and was named Most Valuable Player by his teammates. The New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame also recognized him as Athlete of the Year for his accomplishments that season.

                Woods accomplished his lifelong dream of making it to the National Football League when he was drafted in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers in 1974. After switching from quarterback to running back upon turning pro, he got lost in the training camp shuffle and was cut five days before the season opener. This time it was the San Diego Chargers who had the good fortune of picking up the powerful athlete in search of a team. In just twelve games, Woods ultimately became the second leading rusher in the NFL his rookie season. Despite missing two games, he racked up 1,162 yards, which was an NFL rookie rushing record. Not only did his Charger teammates go on to select him as their Most Valuable Player, he earned the NFL Rookie of the Year title.

                Woods went on to play for the Chargers for six seasons before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1980 where he finished his professional playing career. Although his athletic accomplishments were top notch, it is his character that seems to stand out most when others speak about him.

                Following his NFL career, Woods went back to UNM where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Special Education. He has been a staple in the community working for Albuquerque Public Schools for sixteen years as an educator, coach, mentor and role model. Woods and wife Margaret established the Ray of Hope Foundation in 2009 to assist “disadvantaged youth” that desire a post-secondary education. He has worked to host celebrity golf tournaments, football camps, benefit dinners and other charitable events to help raise funds for scholarships for the program.

                Woods embodies the purpose of the Hall of Honor; an extraordinary athlete and person. We are lucky that a twist of fate made him a Lobo for life and we are proud to welcome him to the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor.

Eva Sever Rus turned in one of the greatest true freshman ski campaigns in school history, finishing in the top three in 10 of her 12 races on the season, earning First Team All-America twice, and winning the NCAA National Championship in the 15k Freestyle.

Sever Rus, who didn’t enroll at UNM until after Christmas, finished 16^th in her very first race, the 10K Classical at the Pat Miller Invitational in Utah.  She would finish finish lower than third just once the rest of the season, and that was a fourth place finish. 

Three times she won freestyle events.  Her first title was at the 15K Colorado/Spencer Nelson Invitational, and then she won the RMISA/NCAA West Region championship, also in the 15K freestyle.  Sever Rus then came from behind to win the NCAA title by 1.8 seconds. 

Not only was Sever Rus a two-time First Team All-America, she earned First Team All-RMISA and was also named RMISA Skier of the Week and the RMISA Women’s Nordic Athlete of the Year.  She became the first female Nordic individual race winner in nine years, and she became the first female to win three Nordic races in a season in 20 years, since Ivana Radlova in 1993.​

If you’re looking for a symbol of the commitment to excellence of the New Mexico men’s basketball program, then look no further than the senior season of 2013-14 of Cameron Bairstow. The forward erupted onto the national scene becoming the eighth All-American in program history. As dominant as Bairstow was on the court, he represented the program at the highest levels in all facets of being a student-athlete.

He was an All-American after averaging 20.4 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Lobos. He played his way to a MW Tournament MVP award as he helped New Mexico become the first program in conference history to with three consecutive MW Tournaments. His physical play brought Lobo fans to their feet with thunderous dunks that tested the stability of baskets around the Mountain West. He outworked and outmuscled his opponents to 298 free throw attempts, which was three short of the program’s all-time record.

As dominant and impressive as he was on the court, Bairstow was a Lobo to the highest degree off of it. He earned academic all-conference honors three times in his career. He also became a beacon of hard work after his post-game regimen of lifting weights became public.

Bairstow was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 49^th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft and signed a multi-year contract with the team this summer. As he begins his professional career, Bairstow remains a “Lobo for Life”.