SEVEN SCHOOLS SELECTED AS COMPETE WITH CLASS HONOREES FOR DECEMBER 2017

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The New Mexico Activities Association is proud to announce that seven schools from the Northwest corner of the state have been recognized as the Compete with Class award recipients for the month of December 2017.

In an email to the NMAA from Aztec Athletic Director Bryan Sanders following the tragic events that occurred on the Aztec High School campus in early December, he explained how these six rival high schools rallied in support of a community in need.

Sanders commented by saying, “On December 7, 2017, Aztec High School experienced an unthinkable tragedy.  The outpouring of love and support that our school and community have received has been tremendous!  We have received messages of support from schools across the state and the encouragement has been very heartwarming and uplifting.  The number of schools and teams that have offered support are too numerous to name and I know that I would miss some if I tried.  I would, however, like to specifically recognize the students, coaches, and communities in San Juan County.  Never in a million years did I think that I would see the Bloomfield ‘B’, the Farmington ‘F’ and Piedra Vista’s ‘PV’ painted orange.  We have had many of the teams in the area wearing orange socks, orange stripes on their uniforms, black and orange headbands – and the list goes on-and-on.  Student sections decked out in Tiger colors and holding signs of support.  We at Aztec High School appreciate the overwhelming support we have received from Bloomfield, Farmington, Piedra Vista, Kirtland Central, Navajo Prep, Shiprock and Northwest.  These are teams that we have had heated rivalries with but all that was put aside as our kids and community were hurting and they have stepped up and supported us in an extremely classy way. From the bottom of my heart, I want to express the gratitude of myself, Aztec High School and the community of Aztec! #aztecstrong”

Sportsmanship is defined by the NMAA as the act of treating others in a respectful manner, taking personal accountability for one’s actions, and responding with integrity while engaged in competition.

The NMAA would like to thank and recognize those seven schools from the Northwest Area of New Mexico for setting a great example for the state of New Mexico.

Their act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true ideals of the Compete with Class Sportsmanship Initiative – respect, integrity, and responsibility. More information regarding the “Compete with Class” sportsmanship initiative can be found on the NMAA website at www.nmact.org.

Note that the NMAA will announce a monthly honoree throughout the remainder of the 2017-2018 school year. Questions regarding this announcement can be directed to Dusty Young, NMAA Associate Director, at (505) 977-5385.