Magdalena basketball coach Sara Sue Olney has only been at the helm for two seasons, but that didn’t stop her peers at the New Mexico High School Coaches Association from selecting her as the head coach of the All-Stars Red Team on Monday.
Olney made the playoffs in her first season with the Steers, but last year’s 13-15 record pales compared to this season’s 22-8 tally. Magdalena was the only team in the final eight that didn’t have a winning record last year.
There will be one familiar face on her squad with senior Kambree Montoya selected as one of the Red Team’s All-Stars.


“I am super honored and excited to be a part of this really cool experience for seniors. Being able to do it with one of my players on the team makes it even more exciting and fun,” Olney said. We are just going to go have a blast, get after it, and play fast and hard. It’s more for the girls than anything else.”
Friday’s 1/2A girls All-Star game is set to tip off at 4:40 p.m. at Volcano Vista High School.

Steers senior All-Star

Magdalena senior Labrent Ganadonegro’s ability to pop pints out of nowhere helped with his All-Star selection, as did his helping lead the Steers to their second straight Class A boys state championship game.

The Steers finished at 30-2 this year and won their 11th straight district title.


Apache is an All-Star
Alamo Navajo’s hard-charging Jacob Apache will take his high-flying moves to the 1/2A boys All-Star game after leading the Cougars to their second straight district title and a 19-9 record.
The boys game is also at Volcano Vista High School and is set for a 6:15 p.m. start.


Socorro’s All-Star
Senior Tamra Fowler is Socorro’s lone All-Star after helping the Lady Warriors secure their second consecutive league crown with a 5-1 mark.
The 3/4A girls 11 a.m. game gets underway at Volcano Vista on Saturday.

Russell Huffman | Assistant Editor