- Stoney Case
- Stoney Case
From the grounds of University Stadium, to the classrooms of the University of New Mexico, Stoney Case has made a name for himself in Lobo history. While the term student-athlete is attributed to all sports participants, Stoney case was exceptional in both areas, effortlessly excelling in athletics and academics in his four years as a Lobo.
A native of Odessa, Texas, Case came to New Mexico in 1990 shortly after quarterbacking his high school team to an undefeated, 16–0 season and the Texas 5A football title. At New Mexico, Case was a four year starter for the Lobos and was the only player besides Colt McCoy in DI-A history to post 8,000 career passing yards and 1000 rushing yards. In the course of his college career he scored 98 touchdowns, fourth in DI-A history. Case’s total offense in 1994 is also ranked third in the NCAA record books at 304.1 yards.
Stoney Case goes down as one of the most decorated football players in UNM history, earning many accolades in his four years. As a sophomore, Case threw for 2,289 yards and scored 18 touchdowns which earned him the 1991 Clyde Hill Award for most improved player. In his junior and senior seasons he was a two-time Bill Brannin MVP, Blue-Gray All Star Game MVP, the WAC Player of the Week in 1994 vs BYU, WAC Offensive Player of the Year, a WAC All-Conference 1st Team selection, Albuquerque/New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year Award winner, Joe Kearney Award for the top WAC male athlete, and the Reese Hill Award winner for top offensive player. This is not the first time Case has been recognized by the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor, in 1994 he earned the Male Athlete of the Year award.
In addition to his many successes on the football field, Stoney Case was a dedicated student at UNM, earning substantial recognition for his academic achievements. Case was a two-time Academic All-Conference selection, a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, a Hitachi CFA Scholar Athlete, a recipient of the Stan Bates Award for WAC top scholar athletes, a member of Who’s Who College Students, and even earned the Alumni Association Citizenship Award. Stoney Case was a true embodiment of what a student-athlete should look like.
After graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1994, Stoney Case took his talents to the professional stage. In 1995 he was a third round pick in the NFL Draft and subsequently played quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals from 1995 to 1998. He was signed as a free agent by both the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens in 1999, and later went to the Detroit Lions as an unrestricted free agent in 2000. Appearing in five games for the Lions, Case was the primary backup to quarterback Charlie Batch. After undergoing major shoulder surgery, Case moved to the Arena Football League where he spent the remainder of his career with the Tampa Bay Storm (2004-2007).
To many longtime Lobo fans, Case remains one of the best quarterbacks the Lobos have ever had. We are proud to welcome him to the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor.
- Abby Garchek Jaramillo
- Abby Garchek Jaramillo
When the topic of the University of New Mexico women’s basketball program comes up in conversation, the name Abby Garchek comes to mind. When it comes to who is arguably one of the best players to set foot on Bob King Court, Abby Garchek comes to mind. And when it comes to who was one of the most lovable players in the Lobo women’s basketball program, Abby Garchek comes to mind.
A Racine, Wisconsin native, Garchek came to the University of New Mexico in the fall of 1994 and made an immediate impact in her first season with the Lobos. She was nominated for the Western Athletic Conference Newcomer of Year and the All-WAC Newcomer’s team after posting a total of 265 points as a freshman. She started 21 games of a total 27, with a career-high 27 points against Utah that season.
As her Lobo career went along, Garchek improved her play to become one of the biggest scoring threats in the WAC and in Lobo history. She was a three-time All-WAC First Team selection that finished her career as the all-time leader in UNM history in points (1,836) and in the WAC with 921 conference career points.
She led the Lobos in her final three seasons in scoring and had the most 20-point games in a season with 15. She also set the record for points in a single season (666), beating her previous mark of 491 set in just her sophomore season. She is one of 12 Lobo players with 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.
By Garchek’s senior season, the Lobos not only became a scoring threat, but she became a scoring threat beyond the arc. She was at the top of the list at UNM in three-point field goals, both made (164) and attempted (509) and also in free throws (392). She set a three-point record for most made in a single season with 84.
Her senior season was one to remember, as she went on to lead the Lobos to its first tournament championship in program history and first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. She earned WAC Tournament MVP after posting a record of 81 total points scored in the tournament and finished the championship game with 25 points and eight rebounds.
Following her stellar UNM career, Garchek was named the Hall of Honor Female Athlete of the Year in 1998. She went on to train with the LA Sparks in 2001 before playing professionally for a year overseas in Portugal. In 2002 she trained with the Detroit Shock.
Following her professional career, Garchek transferred her skills into coaching but is now currently focusing her time as a mom, spending time with her kids.
Abby Garchek will forever be remembered as one of the greatest women’s basketball players to set foot on the University of New Mexico campus, the one that made her mark in the UNM history books and a Lobo for life.
- Kent Jones
- Kent Jones
Now a lifetime member of the PGA Tour thanks to 11 Top-10 finishes, 48 Top-25 finishes and earning a combined 5.5 million dollars in prize money, Jones has cemented himself as one of the most prestigious alumni of UNM athletics in any sport.
A New Mexico native, Jones graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1985 before coming to UNM and becoming one of the greatest golfers in program history. A four-year letter winner while competing for the Lobos, Jones was a standout. His junior season was one for the record books. He won the 1989 William H. Tucker Invitational, was the WAC Individual Conference Champion, and earned the WAC Player of the Year Award. He was an All-Conference honoree and Academic All-American in both 1989 and 1990. He graduated with a degree in accounting in 1990 and received his master’s in business administration the following year.
Jones began his professional career in 1996 on the Nike Tour, and he eventually gained PGA Tour membership for the first time in 1998. He broke out in 2000 by recording two wins on the Buy.com Tour (now The Nationwide Tour) and was able to once again compete on the PGA Tour’s circuit as a full member. He would retain that membership for 10 consecutive seasons before deciding to step away from the game as a professional in order to pursue the life of a businessman.
Jones is an annual participant in free golf clinics for both the Lobo golf program and the PGA Tour in addition to being a lifetime member of the UNM Lettermen’s Association. He has been a member of the Lobo Club for over a decade as well as being a member of the UNM Men’s Golf Top 100 Club.
One of the most charitable UNM Alumnus, Jones regularly sponsors the UNM Presidential Scholarship and donates to a number of organizations including the UNM Children’s Hospital and New Mexico Cancer Services.
Current UNM Men’s Golf Head Coach Glen Millian said, “Kent being selected to the Hall of honor is exciting for Lobo Golf. He was a complete student-athlete while at UNM and has been one of the most successful alums in the history of Lobo Golf. His professional career has been great to watch and his dedication to his alma mater is second to none. He’s an excellent role model for any Lobo student-athlete that has come after him and a great example of what all Lobos can become. We are very happy for Kent and his family and are proud to have him represent our program in the UNM Hall of Honor.”
- Dionne Marsh McDonald
- Dionne Marsh McDonald
For many University of New Mexico women’s basketball fans, the name Dionne Marsh is synonymous with greatness. In fact, Marsh is one of the most accomplished basketball players to ever don the cherry and silver.
Marsh, joined the Lobo women’s basketball program in the fall of 2004, making an immediate impact in her first season. She earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Third Team All-MW and was the first freshman to be named the MVP of the Mountain West Tournament after setting a Tournament record with 25 field goals.
After improving her numbers year-by-year for the next three seasons, Marsh finished as the all-time leading scorer in the history of Lobo women’s basketball with 1,913 points, taking over Abby Garchek’s record, who is also being inducted into the 2015 Hall of Honor. Marsh had 13 double-doubles and became one of 13 members in the 1,000 point/500 rebound club.
Marsh became a Mountain West legend, earning two more Mountain West Tournament MVP awards in her career, the only player in Mountain West history to earn the award three times, and became the third all-time leading scorer in Mountain West history. But it wasn’t just the points that got her on the Mountain West lists. She also was a four-time Academic All-Mountain West selection in the classroom.
Because Marsh had the attitude of getting things accomplished, she also help lead the Lobos back to the NCAA Tournament four straight years and was the leader of three Mountain West Tournament Championships (2005, 07, 08).
Marsh earned many other accolades along the way, including New Mexico Female Athlete of the Year in 2007. She also was a part of the 2006 USA Basketball National Trials. Marsh is a member of the Mountain West All-Decade Team.
Following her Lobo career, Marsh spent time training with the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA. She played overseas for the Paghiakos in Athens, Greece for the year of 2008 before returning to the Land of Enchantment to coach high school basketball for the Manzano Monarchs in Albuquerque.
Marsh currently is the manager of Practice Operations at Presbyterian Hospital.
For the Lobo women’s basketball program, Dionne Marsh will forever be remembered for her clutch play in the Mountain West, getting the job done and being a Lobo for life.
- Jordan Pacheco
- Jordan Pacheco
From the moment Jordan Pacheco first donned the Cherry and Silver, he was destined to be a star. He was a local kid who had been recruited by some of the top programs in the country, but he chose to play for his hometown school. That turned out to be a tremendous decision not only for him, but also for UNM and the baseball program.
His .408 batting average in 2005 was not only the best ever at UNM by a freshman, but it was also the Mountain West record for freshmen, and it helped him earn Freshman All-America honors. He also set new freshmen records in runs (65), hits (95), home runs (15), total bases (167) and slugging percentage (.717), the last of which was also a Mountain West freshman record. He was also named All-Mountain West First Team, the first of three straight seasons he would earn that honor.
During his sophomore season he hit “just” .351 and slugged .504 on his way to scoring an amazing 79 runs, which remains the fourth-most a Lobo has ever scored in a single season, and it was the second most in Mountain West history.
His junior season capped off what is not only one of the best in UNM history, but also one of the best in Mountain West history. He hit .397, slugged .580. scored 63 runs, drove in 50 more, and posted an on-base percentage of .511. He was named Mountain West Player of the Year and earned All-America honors. It also turned out to be his final season as a Lobo, because following the season he was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the ninth round of the 2007 MLB Draft.
He ranks in the career top 10 at UNM in numerous categories: runs (4th, 207), assists (4th, 566), batting average (6th, .384), on-base percentage (7th, .511), doubles (9th, 59), hits (10th, 269) and total bases (10th, 209). And that was all in just three seasons. If he had played a fourth season at UNM, he likely would be the all-time leader in several categories.
He also is near the top of several career Mountain West categories. He is second in both career average and OBP and fourth in runs, and in 2010 he was named to the 10th Anniversary All-Mountain West Team.
His career, of course, continued as a professional. He broke into the Major Leagues in 2011, and in 2012 he had a fantastic rookie season for the Rockies. He hit .309 with 32 doubles, 5 home runs and 54 RBIs that year to finish sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. In five major league seasons he is a career .278 hitter for both the Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
He remains a rabid Lobo fan to this day and is an active member in UNM’s Alumni Lettermen Association. He is one of the greatest players in Lobo history and the perfect embodiment of UNM’s Hall of Honor.
- Turner & Margaret Branch Distinguished Service Award
- Turner & Margaret Branch Distinguished Service Award
Any Lobo fan knows the name Branch after one visit to UNM’s Branch Field at University Stadium. The football field is named after Turner and Margaret Branch, power attorneys in the Albuquerque area and dedicated supporters of Lobo Athletics. A 1960 graduate of the University of New Mexico, Turner earned his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences before moving to Texas to earn his JD at the Baylor School of Law. Margaret earned her business degree at New Mexico in 1975 and continued her education at the UNM School of Law where she earned her own Juris Doctorate. The Branch’s now own the Branch Law Firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
As Lobos for life, Turner and Margaret Branch donated $1.5 million for the naming rights to the field at University Stadium, the second largest gift of all time from living individuals to New Mexico Athletics. The Branch Law Firm also acts as the title sponsor of UNM’s Dick McGuire Golf Invitational which is the home women’s golf event each fall season and of the school’s postseason men’s basketball banquet.
In her free time Margaret serves on the Lobo Club board of Directors, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Women’s Forum, and the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors. The Branch’s sponsor major fundraisers for Lobo Women’s Golf, Football, and Men’s Basketball throughout the year and have donated over $2.2 million to the University of New Mexico. As a result of their continued support, Margaret received an Honorary Letter from UNM Alumni Lettermen in 2009 and Turner received an Honorary Letter in 2010.
UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs said, “There are no better Lobo fans than Turner and Margaret Branch. They care deeply about the University of New Mexico, our coaches and our student-athletes. The have great passion for the Lobos and that passion is reflected in their emotional and financial support for our great University. I am proud to call them friends and have great admiration and respect for them as individuals and community leaders. They are Lobos for Life!”
- Joe Franklin Coach of the Year
- Joe Franklin Coach of the Year
If you counted the number of trophies Joe Franklin has won as a coach at New Mexico, you might want to take a seat. He’s earned quite a few.
Currently in his ninth year as the head track and field/cross country coach at the University of New Mexico, Franklin has built the Lobos into an undoubted conference powerhouse and perennial national contender, and is renowned in the cross country world as one of the top collegiate coaches.
A simple look at the awards he’s won during his time in Albuquerque would prove that. Between cross country and track & field, he’s won 13 Mountain West Coach of the Year awards and 10 regional coach of the year awards, and has helmed the Lobos to 18 Mountain West championships.
And the 2014-15 campaign might have been one of his best years yet in the Duke City.
Last year, Lobo cross country soared to unprecedented results as the men’s and women’s teams continued their domination of the Mountain West. The women won their seventh straight title and the men their sixth.
It’s a streak that is unmatched in MW history, and UNM’s run is the second-longest active streak and is tied for the fourth-longest in the Division I history.
The Lobo women’s cross country team also cruised through the UNM-hosted NCAA Mountain Regionals behind Alice Wright and Charlotte Arter, and, along with the men, qualified to another NCAA Championship. Mirroring their success in the MW, the Lobos have made six straight NCAA Championships, with the women qualifying to seven in a row and the men to six consecutive.
But the real headline of the season came at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., as the women surged to third place in the entire nation. It’s the program’s highest finish at the national championships and the highest finish by a women’s athletic team in New Mexico history.
The men also found success, placing 14th for their third straight top-25 national finish.
On the track, Franklin’s Lobos defended their Mountain West championships with a sweep of the 2015 MW Indoor Track & Field Championships, fending off the rest of the league to win the indoor championships on their home track.
Aasha Marler, Sammy Silva, Zoe Howell, Holly Van Grinsven, Ridge Jones and Django Lovett all broke UNM records indoors, with Silva, Jones, Lovett, Adam Bitchell, Elmar Engholm, Allan Hamilton and Calli Thackery qualifying to the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bitchell, Silva and Hamilton all earned All-American honors.
Outdoors, the Lobo women took second and the Lobo men were third at the conference championships, and four Lobos — Callahan, Wright, Thackery and Logan Pflibsen — all made the NCAA Championships and earned All-American honors. It’s the only time in program history that four athletes qualified to the NCAA Outdoor Championships and all four finished as All-Americans.
Academically, Franklin’s Lobos shined, earning team accolades from the NCAA, the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches’ Association and the Mountain West. Additionally, Callahan was named First-Team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America, the sixth such honor for the Lobo track/cross country program in the last three years.
- Chantale Riddle Female Athlete of the Year
- Chantale Riddle Female Athlete of the Year
It took a tremendous amount of time, effort and perseverance for Chantale Riddle to even find the court as a member of the New Mexico volleyball team.
But, at the end of a decorated career, there wasn’t much Riddle couldn’t do.
The all-time leader in kills at both the University of New Mexico and in the Mountain West, Riddle wrote a storybook finish to her time as a Lobo, earning her third-straight All-American honor, numerous statistical records and, perhaps most importantly, a college degree in 2015.
The right-side hitter from Roswell, N.M., shined in her final year in Albuquerque, not only on the court, but in the classroom, as she became the first person in her family to receive a college degree.
Riddle graduated from the University of New Mexico last December with a degree in family studies, and has already started a career playing volleyball professionally overseas.
Yet her road to success was fraught with trials. She redshirted her first season after eligibility concerns delayed her admittance to UNM. After waiting an extra year to play as a Lobo, she finally found her stride, becoming one of the most feared outside hitters in the Mountain West.
Her chase for the program record in kills was closely followed by many people, including Chantale’s mother, Laura Riddle. Laura, battling with breast cancer, saw her daughter not only seize the record but also graduate with a degree before passing away in January.
Chantale, a three-time AVCA All-American, goes down as one of the most decorated players in the history of Lobo volleyball. In 2015, she claimed many non-conference tournament accolades to go along with two Mountain West Player of the Week selections, a Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week selection, First Team All-Mountain West and AVCA Honorable Mention All-Pacific South Region.
She’s the only player in New Mexico history to earn three All-American honors in a row, and is just the second athlete in program history to claim a national player of the week selection.
She capped her final season as New Mexico’s all-time career leader in kills (1,623), points (1,910) and total attempts (3,288). She is also second all-time in block assists (382) and total blocks (435).
Riddle also became the Mountain West all-time career leader in kills, capturing the record in her final match in a Lobo uniform as she collected 22 kills in a three-set sweep of Air Force on senior day.
She finished 2014 ranked first among the Mountain West in points with 4.67 per set and second in kills with 3.90 per set. Riddle ranked in the top 70 in the nation in four categories, including 43rd in points per set (4.67), 59th in total kills (441), 62nd in total blocks (136) and kills per set (3.90).
- Gavin Green Male Athlete of the Year
- Gavin Green Male Athlete of the Year
Throughout the entire history of the men’s golf program at the University of New Mexico, you would be hard-pressed to find a better golfer than Gavin Green. A three-time All-American, Green was named the Mountain West Men’s Golfer of the Year in 2014-15 for the second straight season after claiming three tournament wins as a senior. He shattered UNM’s record for career wins with eight, which is three more than the previous record, in becoming just the second Lobo golfer to be named the Mountain West’s best two years in a row.
His average score of 70.45 during 2014-15 was the second best ever by a Lobo and it helped him earn the No. 6 national ranking by the NCAA as well as a spot on the 24-man All-Nicklaus Team. He was also a semifinalist for the Ben Hogan Award, which recognizes the top collegiate/amateur golfer in the country, after 10 top-10 finishes last year.
Green was also No. 6 in the World Amateur Golf rankings thanks in part to his success at professional events. He finished 25th at the European Tour’s Maybank Malaysian Open and placed in a third-place tie at the PGM Panasonic Open Malaysia Tournament of Champions.
Perhaps most impressively of all, though, was the fact that he became the first amateur to ever win an event on the Asian Development Tour when he won the PGM Vascory Templer Park Championship by 11 strokes in June 2014.
