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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Lady Pinto Aiming for More Titles Next Year

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph
      Ho hum. Kristin Valencia gets yet another award.
    The 5-foot-9 Moriarty High junior raked in the athletic accolades this past school year. Now, she is a Mountain View Telegraph 2007-08 female prep co-athlete of the year, an honor she will share with her twin sister, Brandi.
    In volleyball, Kristin was the state Class 4A all-state and all-District 5-4A player of the year, and she was selected for the all-metro first team. The Lady Pintos (23-3) won the district-tournament championship and the state Class 4A title with Kristin leading the team in kills (371) and blocks (108 solo, 263 total) .
    “They're just really blessed athletes,” Moriarty volleyball coach Kim Bell said of her twin stars. “And they're very humble. They care about the team, not just about their individual accomplishments… They do well in school, and their teammates are important to them. They're just good kids.”
    Then in basketball, the sport Kristin will probably concentrate on in college, she made the all-state first team and was named the district player of the year. She and Brandi led Moriarty (24-5), which advanced to the state semifinals, in scoring and rebounding.
    “Our goal now is to win another state title in volleyball, and then get one for basketball,” Kristin said. “It will be our last chance for basketball. There are six or seven seniors (on the Pintos' 2008-09 hoops roster). We all want it so bad.”
    In the meantime, Kristin won't be resting on her laurels. She and Brandi will be traveling the country with their basketball club team, the New Mexico Heat.
    First up is a Nike invitational in Oregon City, Ore., on July 6-9, according to Heat coach Robert Sanchez. Then, there's the Nike Showdown in Chicago on July 11-14 and up to three more tourneys extending into September.
    “Kristin is a determined, aggressive team player,” Sanchez said in a recent telephone interview. “She's a very fiery competitor, a very competitive individual.”
    “And regarding her skill sets, her defense and her rebounding are her strengths,” the coach continued. “She's very big for a point guard. She's one of the best defensive players in the state.”
    Several colleges have expressed an interest in Kristin's services.
    “There's no doubt (she and Brandi) have NCAA Divison I potential…,” Sanchez said. “And they're the perfect (University of New Mexico women's) coach (Don) Flanagan-type players. They're excellent shooters, they're good human beings, and they're very coachable, multiple-role players, and he knows that.”
    However, the Valencias — after all, they still have a whole two semesters left in high school — are leaving their options open for the time being.
    “UNM would be cool,” Kristin said. “It's like close to home. Going away would be exciting, but it might get lonely… I do think we (she and her sister) do plan to go to college together. But it will be OK if we don't, if it doesn't work out that way. ”
   

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