The 30th Annual Down Under Sports competition announced their selection of Miyamura High School junior student Elijah Begay, 16, to represent New Mexico on the 2018 Cross Country Team in Queensland, Australia.

So what is Down Under Sports?

The organization, based in Utah, provides exceptional athletes “with the opportunity to experience the culture, beauty and grandeur of the land down under all within the framework of spirited and intense competition,” according to a press release.

Begay, of Gallup, said, “It’s a real special honor to get invited [by Down Under Sports] and to represent New Mexico.”

Growing up, Begay never thought he would be a runner. His father...

Gallup dominates game on defense

The Gallup Bengals started slow on offense, but kept the defensive pressure on the Bloomfield Bobcats for long periods of time and came away with a 60-45 decision Jan. 23 in a boys 5A conference game played at Gallup High School.

The Bengals (12-7, 3-0) are in the midst of district play, having started Jan. 16 with a 61-47 home win against Farmington (7-12, 2-1).

Tuesday’s game saw five turnovers in the first six minutes, thanks to some heady defense by both teams. The Bengals went ahead, though, by the score of 4-0 on shots by senior forward Zakarri Fields and sophomore shooting guard Quincy Smith. Bloomfield (6-14, 1-2), challenged Gallup...

Lady Bengals get big lead, don’t look back

The Gallup Lady Bengals blew out Grants Jan. 12 74-29 in a basketball game played at Gallup High School, but couldn’t muster the same wherewithal against Cibola 24 hours later.

The Grants game saw Gallup get out to big leads, before the team went ultimately ahead by a large margin toward the end of the first quarter. Grants never led the entire game.

The Lady Bengals led after the first quarter by the score of 24-4. Grants wasn’t able to establish a fluid offensive flow in the first half and that continued into the second half. The Lady Bengals started the game with a 3-point shot by junior guard Amanda Mitchel. Senior guard Lanae...

Maes, Harrison, Toledo too much for Lady Lynx

REHOBOTH, N.M. – The Rehoboth Lady Lynx entered the Jan. 13 Rehoboth Girls Basketball Tournament with a reputation for tenacity and nerves of steel.

But the 2A To’hajiilee Lady Warriors (6-9, 1-0) managed to cut through that Rehoboth veneer and beat the Lady Lynx 60-53 in the championship game in which superstars emerged on both sides. And it wasn’t just the players that stepped up to the plate, the head coaches made their presence known right down to the wire with some crafty decision-making.

“This is who we are. It’s what type of team we are,” To’hajiilee head coach Daniel Gallegos said afterward. “I just told the girls...