Letters to the Editor: On NMSU athletics
These letters appeared in the Feb. 19, 2023 publication of the Las Cruces Sun-News.
On NMSU athletics
The NMSU men's basketball team and coaching staff ended their season the second week of February 2023. The head coach has been fired and the team has been suspended pending a felony criminal investigation and allegations of player hazing. The NMSU Women's Swimming and Diving Teams are an example of what is right about NMSU athletics. I’d like to tell you a good news story about NMSU athletics.
For the past 17 years, the NMSU swimming and diving program has earned College Swimming Coaches Academic All-American Honors with an average GPA of 3.2 under Head Coach Rick Pratt. In the pool, his teams have set or broken 67 school records, and have claimed 20 individual WAC Championship titles. Coach Pratt earned WAC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2017, and 2019 for consistently leading his team to both academic and athletic success.The swimmers and divers that graduate from Coach Pratt’s program have gone on to do some amazing things: a Physicist working at CERN, Switzerland, a NASA engineer developing technologies for the next Mars expedition, an inventor who created a low-cost water filtration system for African villagers, as well as computer scientists, business entrepreneurs, physicians, dentists, engineers, and educators.
While the NMSU men's basketball team has suffered a huge setback, I have no doubt that the program will eventually bounce back. Coach Lou Henson, the legendary NMSU basketball coach, swam every morning at the NMSU pool. He wasn’t the fastest but he was there every day. He said, “Consistency was the key to success."
I am a proud graduate of NMSU and an avid swimmer. Go Aggies!
Philipp Djang
Dona Ana County
Rawson Builders Supply Celebrating 50 years in business
In February 1973, Leonard Lee Rawson, a third generation licensed contractor, founded Las Cruces Door, now known as Rawson Builders Supply. He began manufacturing door units locally for his builder friends, slowly adding more building supplies and services through the years. Today Rawson Builders Supply provides a full line of materials including doors, windows, fireplaces, shower doors, hardware, lighting as well as commercial hollow metal and storefronts. Many of our current customers are the children of those early builder associates. We are now celebrating 50 years of doing business in Las Cruces as well as across southern N.M. and El Paso.
Along with Lee, family members Moira, Benjamin, Kirsten, and Philip are actively engaged in all aspects of the business along with several grandchildren. In recent years, Benjamin has grown Rawson Building Supply outside of Las Cruces to better serve the Southwest. He has led the acquisition of Artistic Entryways in Sunland Park and Jack White Fireplaces in El Paso. Philip is a fourth generation licensed contractor. The grandchildren represent the fifth generation of Rawsons serving the construction industry in our community. With Lee and Benjamin’s vision and leadership along with a current team that includes Brian Saunders, Manuel Galindo, Dawn Sutton, Alree Sweat, Ruben Duran, and Jim Williams, Rawson Builders Supply has become a leading provider to residential and commercial contractors as well as to home owners in our community.
Our business has been enriched by many talented employees, some of whom have served with us for over 40 years. We are grateful for our many loyal customers who have trusted us with their building needs through five decades. We look forward to serving our community many more generations!
Rawson Builders Supply
Las Cruces, New Mexico
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Letters to the Editor: On NMSU athletics
