Preps: La Cueva's Starr is an All-American

Meet Winston Starr, an All-State soccer player and now, also an All-American.

The La Cueva High midfielder has been named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American squad for the Fall 2025 season, the only New Mexican to be so recognized.

“Honestly, I was somewhat shocked,” Starr said. “Because that’s a huge thing and New Mexico doesn’t necessarily get recognition a lot for our talent. I was happy to show what New Mexico has and honored to be an All-American.”

Starr, a crucial component to La Cueva’s Class 5A state championship season this year, also was named to the USC All-Far West Region team and chosen as New Mexico’s Player of the Year.

Starr is a member of the New Mexico United Academy. While he is talking to multiple Division I programs, his primary focus lies elsewhere.

“One of my main goals is to make the NMU first team, that’s always been a main goal for me,” Starr said. “To play for my hometown team, to be a professional soccer player.”

He has, he said, spent a minimal amount of time with the first team in preseason capacity, and even debuted at 16 in a friendly against a club from Juárez.

“I’ve been in and out of the environment,” he said, and now that’s he finished at La Cueva, “I can put my focus fully on that.”

Sandia midfielder Mateo Ojeda and St. Pius forward Nico Reyes, both juniors, were also named to the All-Far West Regional team.

RUNNING: Both Class 5A state champion Gianna Rahmer of Eldorado and 4A state champ Carmen Dorsey-Spitz of Moriarty will be in San Diego on Saturday to compete in Brooks Cross Country National Championships at Balboa Park.

Rahmer automatically qualified weeks ago into the Brooks national race, receiving what is called a Fleet Feet Golden Ticket. The total field Saturday in San Diego is expected to be about 50 girls.

Dorsey-Spitz qualified by winning the Brooks West Regional title in Walnut, California, last weekend. Dorsey-Spitz completed the course in 17 minutes, 38 seconds, and is believed to be the first girl from New Mexico in 15 years to qualify for nationals through a regional performance.

Rahmer and Dorsey-Spitz also competed head-to-head just a couple of weeks ago in Mesa, Arizona, at the Nike Cross Southwest Regionals. Rahmer qualified for nationals there, Dorsey-Spitz did not.

Rahmer, a three-time Class 5A state champion, went on to place 50th last weekend at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.

TOURNAMENT WEEK: It’s a big week for prep basketball around the metro area, with three major tournaments on the schedule.

The Mel Otero Invitational at Rio Rancho has a spectacular field of girls teams. Three of the top four ranked squads in Class 5A from the season’s first coaches’ poll are entered: No. 1 Albuquerque High, No. 2 Rio Rancho and No. 4 La Cueva, plus 4A’s second-ranked Kirtland Central.

The La Cueva-Kirtland matchup highlights Thursday’s first round, as they square off at 3 p.m.

The host Rams, champions of the Gallup tournament last weekend, take on Centennial at 1 p.m. AHS plays Clovis at 7 p.m., and Mayfield meets St. Pius at 5 p.m.

The semis are at 1 p.m. (the Rio Rancho/La Cueva/Kirtland/Centennial half of the bracket) and 5 p.m. on Friday. The championship game is 3 p.m. Saturday.

Down the road at Cleveland is the Phil Griego Invite boys tournament, which also has a tremendous field. No. 2 Cleveland and No. 4 La Cueva are on opposite halves of the bracket.

The best of the first-round games Thursday pits La Cueva against No. 9 Cibola at 4 p.m.; these two met in the 5A first round at state last March.

Also Thursday, Cleveland takes on Miyamura at 6 p.m., Los Lunas plays Roswell at 2 p.m. and West Mesa meets Santa Fe in the opener at noon.

The semis are 5 and 7 p.m. Friday, and the final is 4 p.m. Saturday.

Academy’s annual Joe Armijo Classics also begin Thursday. The boys opener is perhaps the best of the first round, with 5A’s sixth-ranked Sandia sharing a floor with 4A’s sixth-ranked Hope Christian.

Del Norte-Centennial follows Hope-Sandia at 1:15 p.m. The host Chargers, rated No. 3 in 4A, meet Mayfield at 6:30 p.m. Clovis and Piedra Vista end the day at 8:15 p.m.

The semis are 6:30 and 8:15 p.m. Friday, with the championship game at 8:15 Saturday night.

Cleveland-Del Norte at 8 a.m. and Hope-Las Cruces at 9:45 get things started Thursday in the Armijo’s girls bracket. Sandia plays Artesia at 3 p.m., and the host Chargers, coming off a triumph at Artesia’s tournament last weekend, takes on Organ Mountain at 4:45.

The semis are 3 and 4:45 p.m. Friday, and the title game is 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

FOOTBALL HONORS: Both Cleveland quarterback Jordan Hatch and Las Cruces running back Danny Amaro have won a prestigious postseason award.

Hatch, a Storm senior, was chosen as New Mexico’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

He threw for 2,888 yards and 40 touchdowns for Cleveland, completing over 75% of his passes. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Hatch even caught a TD pass in Cleveland’s 35-28 championship game victory over Las Cruces on Nov. 29.

Amaro, also a senior, was named the MaxPreps Player of the Year for New Mexico. Amaro rushed for 1,927 yards in 13 games, and scored a whopping 42 touchdowns in his dominant season for the Bulldawgs.

THIS AND THAT: Kaiden Reese had great success as Los Lunas High School’s quarterback, but his future lies on the diamond. The big left-handed pitcher has committed to play baseball for Eastern New Mexico.