Peerman's Power Rankings: 10 best things in New Mexico sports this week (March 3)

Welcome to Peerman's Power Rankings (PPR), the 10 athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman's attention. Look for a new power rankings list every Sunday.

Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or contact me on X @LucasPeerman.

10. Orbit

Where does Orbit, the Albuquerque Isotopes mascot, come from? Who knows? But PPR is glad this being of unknown origins ended up in the Duke City. USA Today is asking people to vote for the best mascot in minor league baseball and with a week to go until the polls close, Orbit is in third place nationally, behind Chico from the rival El Paso Chihuahuas (No. 2) and Buster from the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (No. 1). Cast your vote for Orbit at bit.ly/2024VoteOrbit.

9. Two-Icee night

New Mexico State men's basketball coach Jason Hooten is on record saying he celebrates big wins with a frozen sugary drink from a convenience store — two frozen sugary drinks if it's an especially big win. On Saturday, the team stopped at the Buc-ee's in Leeds, Ala., for a postgame treat after beating Jacksonville State 66-64. It was the Aggies' (12-18, 6-9 in Conference USA) first win away from the Pan American Center this season and broke a six-game slide overall. Hooten's order? Two Coke-flavored Icees. Cheers to Coach Hooten and the Aggies, now 1-0 in March.

8. UNM women's basketball

"Never a dull fourth quarter with this bunch," Journal Staff Writer Ken Sickenger wrote after the team beat San Diego State 66-63 at home Wednesday. That statement has defined this season's UNM women's basketball team. The Lobos' last four games have come down to the last shot, including a heartbreaking 83-82 home loss to Nevada on Saturday. It's been an exciting and successful season. UNM can do no worse than a fourth-place Mountain West finish and can secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with win Tuesday at Fresno State.

7. NMSU women's golf

The Aggies shot 18-under par to win the GCU Invitational in Phoenix earlier this week, not only the team's first tournament win since 2022 but this was also the team's lowest score ever for a 54-hole event. Sophomore Emma Bunch went 14-under par (posting a career low 66 on the first day) to win the tournament and also picked up her third Conference USA Golfer of the Week award of the year.

6. Harper Dunn

This 6-foot-6 freshman sensation for 1A Corona/Vaughn was named the 2024 MaxPreps/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week in Region 6 (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico) for the week ending Feb. 18. For context, Bella Hines is eligible for this award but has not won it this year (Hines did win it once last season). But back to Dunn, who posts jaw-dropping stats on her X account after each win. For example, Feb. 16 against Carrizozo: 46 points, 20 rebounds and 12 blocks and Feb. 12 against Hozho Academy: 33 points, 21 rebounds, 13 blocks. The Cardinals are 19-3 and a must-watch at the state tournament.

5. Magdalena boys basketball

Staying in 1A, let's talk about the Steers. The Magdalena boys have a 27-1 record heading into the state tournament and are dominating all-comers. Some of their final scores this year: 75-5 over Carrizozo, 86-15 over Ramah, 59-6 over Reserve and 57-23 over No. 7 Cliff on Saturday to win their district title. The Steers' only loss this season was by five points to Grants, the eighth-ranked team in 4A. Magdalena playing for a 1A state title is as safe a bet as any.

4. Josh Kerr

Former UNM distance runner Josh Kerr won the men’s 3,000 meters at the World Athletic Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday. An Edinburgh, Scotland native, he is the first Scot to win gold in an indoor world championship in 31 years. Kerr is also an outdoor world champ in the 1,500 meters and a world record holder in the 2 mile race.

3. Mountain West basketball

Tuesday night featured a slate of five games (UNM was the only MW team not playing) and encapsulated in one night a Mountain West regular season that has been "competitive, unpredictable, absolutely entertaining" as Journal Staff Writer Geoff Grammer put it in a recent analysis. Two games were decided in overtime. Two games featured last-second, banked-in 3-pointers at the end of regulation by road teams. The road team won four of five games. The one exception was 22.5-point underdog San Jose State, which was within three points of upsetting San Diego State in Viejas Arena in the final minutes. Seven teams have a legit shot at winning the conference tournament. Buckle up basketball fans, it's going to be a fun one in Vegas this year.

2. March Madness

What can beat the drama of a buzzer-beater to win a basketball game in a single-elimination tournament? How about back-to-back buzzer-beaters just minutes apart in district tournaments? And both in 55-55 games, no less. On Thursday, Los Alamos' Josiah Fresquez drove the baseline in the final seconds and hit an outstanding reverse layup to give the Hilltoppers a 57-55 win over Española Valley in the semifinals of the District 2-4A tournament. Minutes later, in another high school gym, Farmington's Zander Griego nailed a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to lift the Scorpions over Eldorado, 58-55, in the District 2-5A quarterfinals. These games happened Feb. 29, but we'll still allow for this apropos beginning to March Madness.

1. Braden Appelhans

PPR's top spot this week goes to a member of the UNM men's basketball team who bravely shared the details of his battle with depression on social media. Millions saw Appelhans' posts on X and Instagram and thousands chimed in, nearly all comments in support of the 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman who admitted he was "in a dark place," was struggling in school and had lost his love of basketball. After finding the right cocktail of medicine, working with a sports psychiatrist and receiving support from his family, coaches and teammates, Appelhans says he's doing better now. Thank you Braden for sharing your story. It means so much to so many people.

Honorable mention

NMSU swimming: The Aggies swimming and diving team finished third at this weekend's Western Athletic Conference championships, the team's best showing in three years. Senior Lindsay Puhalski won four medals, capping an outstanding career in which she reached the podium at the WAC championships 15 times.

Stephanie Jaramillo: The Albuquerque native will be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada, next month. “I’m accepting it on behalf of the South Valley and everybody in New Mexico,” she told the Journal.

Eldorado baseball: Trailing 10-3 to defending 4A state champs St. Pius, the Eagles scored 11 runs in a marathon, 30-minute bottom of the fifth and eventually won their season-opener 14-11 on Tuesday. And, in case you missed it, check out Journal Staff Writer James Yodice's preseason baseball and softball previews.

End of the bench

Geoff Grammer's Emptying the Notebook included some of the best (worst?) overreactions from UNM men's basketball fans after the team's loss at Boise State on Saturday. One Lobo fan (but not a fan of coach Richard Pitino) posted on X that he'd tattoo the coach's face on his body if UNM made the NCAA Tournament. The fan later deleted the post. UNM men's basketball fans should be concerned after the team played without its usual vigor in back-to-back losses, but the sky-is-falling reaction is tiresome. Take those overreactions to the end of the bench, where maybe the entire season will come into focus and from that vantage point, you'll see the Lobos are more likely than not to get an invite on Selection Sunday.