Peerman's Power Rankings: 10 best things in New Mexico sports in January 2025

Welcome to Peerman’s Power Rankings (PPR), the 10 athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman’s attention. Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or contact me on X @LucasPeerman.

10. Jalin Fuller

In his professional Muay Thai debut on Jan. 25, Fuller defeated Zach Bunnell by third-round TKO in Albuquerque. Bunnell entered the contest with 18 pro Muay Thai fights and was the No. 1 contender for the vacant WBC USA super middleweight (168-pound) title. That’s quite a first performance from Fuller, a theater and choir kid at Rio Rancho High who one day “randomly walked into a gym,” and started practicing mixed martial arts. “I kind of talked slick sometimes and I live in New Mexico and I needed to back that up,” Fuller said of how he got involved in the sport.

Jalin Fuller

9. Remy Albrecht

Cleveland’s junior guard went off for a career-high — and school-record — 47 points on Jan. 18 in leading the No. 5 Storm to an 84-75 home win over third-ranked Hobbs. The 5-foot-10 Albrecht had two points after the first quarter. “And then, he could barely miss, not from any level. Not from distance — and sometimes he was far away — not in the mid-range, and not when he drove to the cup and finished,” writes Prep Sports Editor James Yodice. Yodice told me later it was the best single-game performance he’s seen all season.

8. Pablo Romero

Freshman Pablo Romero, a lethal outside shooter from Springer, had himself a game Jan. 11 in a 91-31 home victory over Reserve. Romero scored 48 points — all on three-pointers. His 16 made threes set a state record, breaking the old record (15) set nine years earlier by his brother, Estevan Romero, and tied just eight days earlier by Texico sophomore Jett Curtis. Pablo Romero’s 33 points on 11 triples in the third quarter set state records for points and three-pointers made in a quarter. Also, both Texico and Springer made 23 shots from the arc in their victories, and both teams now share the state record in that category.

7. Jason Eck

UNM’s new head football coach would likely be on this list if only for signing FCS All-America running back Scottre Humphrey, a transfer from Montana State — “there might not be a more significant transfer in UNM’s recent history,” beat reporter Sean Reider writes — but it was Eck’s in-state recruiting video that sealed the deal. On Jan. 9, Eck posted a video outside Rio Rancho High School noting he was on a tour of area high schools, “trying to find the best players in New Mexico to stay right here and play for the Lobos.” The in-state campaign has resulted in a couple of offers, so far, and one commitment in Volcano Vista linebacker Thomas Pettus.

6. Logan boys basketball

The Longhorns (No. 1 in Class 1A and No. 18 among all classes of teams in New Mexico) have started the season 15-0 and have been demolishing their competition in January. In eight games, Logan is nearly doubling its opponents’ scores, winning on average 80-41 this month. Big game Thursday as the Longhorns play at Texico, 12-1 and the top-ranked team in 2A. Logan is the only unbeaten team in New Mexico boys basketball this season.

5. Roy/Mosquero girls basketball

The Lady Blue have been leaving their opponents feeling pretty blue this season. At 17-0, Roy/Mosquero (No. 1 in Class 1A and No. 21 among all classes of teams in New Mexico) is the only girls basketball team in the state without a loss and some of their victories have been astonishingly one-sided. The Lady Blue annihilated Amherst (Texas) 81-2, downed Grady 60-9, blasted New Mexico School for the Deaf 71-7 and crushed Monte Del Sol 66-1. Roy/Mosquero’s only non-blowout victories were a 58-49 win on the road against 1A’s second-ranked Fort Sumner/House and a 51-50 thriller at home over 4A’s Aztec.

4. Bella Hines and Harper Dunn

New Mexico’s most high-profile girls basketball players continue to put up eye-popping stats, and in mid January both hit career scoring milestones (Dunn got to 1,000 points and Hines amassed 3,000 points). Dunn, Corona/Vaughn’s 6-foot-6 sophomore center, is the No. 16 girls basketball player nationally in the Class of 2027. She’s averaging 21.1 points per game, 18.9 rebounds per game and 7.2 blocks per game, which all lead the state (not including prep schools). Hines, a 5-foot-9 senior shooting guard playing for ABC Prep, is No. 23 in her class and has already committed to LSU. Her per-game averages are 38.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

3. UNM milers

Because there’s less oxygen in the air at elevation, distance runners will record their best times at sea level. To that end, results in races above 3,000 feet (Albuquerque is about 5,000 feet above sea level) will often come with an asterisk — run at altitude*. There’s the context. Here’s the claim: UNM’s Collins Kiprotich and Pamela Kosgei ran the fastest indoor miles* in collegiate history during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational, held Jan. 24 and 25 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Also, here’s a claim that needs no asterisk: Kiprotich (3:58.60 raw/3:53.40 altitude adjusted) and Kosgei (4:36.70/4:30.67) were not only faster than every other runner on the track on Saturday, they were faster than any collegiate runner who has ever run a mile on that track.

2. Donovan Dent

New Mexico’s outstanding junior point guard entered the “why aren’t we talking about this guy more” conversation among college basketball pundits after a brilliant, 34-point performance in a 75-73 win at UNLV on national television Saturday. Lobos fans have known about Dent’s court artistry for years, of course, but now the nation is noticing Dent is as elite a shot maker near the basket as there is in college basketball. Coupled with Nelly Junior Joseph’s emergence as one of the best big men in the Mountain West, the Lobos are off to a 9-1 start in conference and, along with Utah State, have established themselves as the team to beat come March.

1. NMJC women’s basketball

The Thunderbirds, who have cruised to a 20-1 record and a No. 1 ranking nationally through the end of January, are national title contenders. It’s the first time NMJC women’s basketball has attained the top ranking in the nation. “This is a special group, but this is just one goal of many that we hope to achieve with this team,” said coach Austin Mefford. How good has the team been this year? The Thunderbirds are beating opponents by an average of almost 30 points a game (79.3 to 50.1) and only two games have been within single digits. The only blemish on the NMJC’s season was a 59-57 defeat to No. 12 South Plains College on the road Jan. 6, when South Plains drained a jumper to take the lead with 1 second to go. The Thunderbirds have been winning with balanced scoring (four players average between 10.5 and 13.5 points per game) and solid interior defense (ninth in opponents’ field goal percentage and second in blocks nationally).

Honorable mention

KAPIOLANI ANITELU: The former Farmington star is stuffing the stat sheet in her freshman year at New Mexico Highlands. The 5-foot-11 guard is second on the team in scoring (16.1 points per game) and rebounding (5.2), leads the team with 18 blocks and was recently named to a list of the 15 DII women’s basketball freshmen to watch in the second half of the season.

DESIRAE SPEARMAN: New Mexico State’s outstanding incoming sophomore was slotted at No. 83 on Softball America’s 2025 Preseason Top 100 Players List. As a freshman, Spearman earned first-team All-Conference USA selections as an outfielder AND a pitcher, and was named the conference’s Player of the Year. The Aggies’ softball season begins next week.

AUSTIN SANCHEZ: Let’s talk about a Las Cruces boxer named Austin. No, not Trout. The younger king of the ring is Sanchez, who, fresh off winning a USA Boxing Bantam Division national title in December, added a Silver Gloves regional title on Jan. 12. Sanchez also was named Outstanding Boxer in the boys 12-13 age group in the regional competition.

Meet the editor

Albuquerque Journal Assistant Managing Editor for Sports and Features Lucas Peerman will be visiting a different coffee house the last Wednesday of every month to meet with community members. This is an opportunity to discuss in person what you’d like to see in a sports section, or to just talk sports. This month, meet Lucas at Rust is Gold Coffee, 3732 Eubank Blvd., from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. Look for the little guy.