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NMAA Complete with Class Award

Tragedy at Aztec High School brings seven schools in the Northwest area of the state the NMAA Complete with Class Award for December

Schools show support in many ways, including displaying the Tigers’ colors of orange and black

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

They all chipped in.

That was the summary of the announcement made by the New Mexico Activities Association, as no less than seven schools from the Northwest corner of the state have been recognized as the Complete with Class awards recipient for the month of December.

In an email to the NMAA from Aztec High School Athletic Director Bryan Sanders, he explained how these seven neighboring schools rallied in support of a community in need.

It was on Dec. 7 that Aztec High experienced an unthinkable tragedy, a shooting by a non-student who made his way into the building and killed two students.

Said Sanders: “The outpouring of love and support that our school and community have received has been tremendous. We have received messages of support from schools across the state and the encouragement has been heartwarming and uplifting. The number of schools and teams that have offered support are too numerous to name, and I know that I would miss some If I tried.”

Sanders went on to add that he would specifically recognize the students, coaches and communities in San Juan County.

“Never in a million years,” he said, “did I think I would see the Bloomfield B, the Farmington F, and Piedra Vista’s PV, pained orange, our colors. We had many of the teams in the area wearing orange socks, orange stripes on their uniforms, black and orange headbands, and the list goes on and on,”

There were also student sections decked out in Tiger colors and holding signs of support. And Aztec High announced that it appreciated the overwhelming support received from Bloomfield, Farmington, Piedra Vista, Kirtland Central, Navajo Prep, Northwest, and Shiprock.

These are schools that have had heated rivalries through the years with the Tigers, and they put this all aside for the Aztec students and community that was hurting. Sanders said they stepped up and supported us in an extremely classy way.

“From the bottom of my heart,” Sanders said, “I want to express the gratitude of myself, Aztec High School, and the community of Aztec.”

The NMAA announced it would like to thank and recognize these seven schools from the Northwest area of New Mexico for setting a great example for the state.

This act of sportsmanship exemplifies the true ideals of the Complete with Class Sportsmanship initiative — respect — integrity and responsibility. More information regarding the Compete with Class sportsmanship initiative can be found on the NMAA website of www.nmact.org.

The NMAA will announce a monthly honoree throughout the remainder of the 2017-2018 school year. Questions regarding this announcement can be directed to Dusty Young, NMAA associate director at (505) 977-5385.

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