Prep notes: Rio Rancho AD leaves; Eldorado hoops star picks up more big offers

Apr. 25—Bruce Carver, 64, is retiring from Rio Rancho Public Schools as the district athletic director for a second time.

Carver leaves the position in June. He had served in that capacity previously, originally retiring in 2018. He returned to Rio Rancho two years ago and was instrumental in helping the district's high school sports teams at Cleveland and Rio Rancho navigate the post-pandemic waters.

A familiar face will be taking over that job this summer.

Todd Resch, a longtime prep basketball coach in the metro area who had coaching stints at both St. Pius and Del Norte and who also is a former principal at La Cueva, has been with RRPS as its executive director of secondary curriculum and instruction. He will succeed Carver on July 1. Resch, a former associate superintendent in Albuquerque Public Schools, already is working alongside Carver as the district transitions.

HINES ADDS FOUR: Eldorado's Bella Hines continues to rack up quality Division I offers.

The 5-foot-9 guard, who'll be a junior next season, recently picked up a basketball offer from the University of Cincinnati, On Tuesday, she got three more offers, from Florida State, TCU and West Virginia.

Hines, who averaged 30 points a game last season, also has offers from Alabama, Kansas State, Utah, SMU, Arizona State, BYU, San Francisco, Delaware State, Colorado State, New Mexico State and New Mexico.

COACHING COMINGS/GOINGS: Albuquerque High and Valencia are looking for new girls basketball coaches. Janai Campos is leaving the Bulldogs program with AHS coming off one of it best-ever seasons. Albuquerque High was 25-3 and a 9 seed in the state tournament last season. Campos was 45-10 in her two seasons.

Nicaela Medina led the Jaguars to a 19-11 mark last season.

Among the new coaches?

That includes Colton Oord, who is leaving the West Mesa boys to take over the Rio Rancho girls soccer program. Dave Modica, Sandia's new girls soccer coach, has been a Matadors assistant since 2019.

METRO TRACK: The last of the 2022-23 metro championships for Albuquerque Public Schools, track and field, will be held Thursday and Friday at Nusenda Community Stadium. The district's 13 public high schools are entered, as well as Cleveland, Rio Rancho, St. Pius, Hope Christian and Bernalillo.

There are two blocks of times Thursday for the eight field events on the schedule: 4:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The only running final Thursday is the 3,200. The track program begins at 5:15 p.m.

The remaining six field events are 4:15/6:45 p.m. Friday. The rest of the running finals will be held starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

SIGNINGS: A handful of Highland High School athletes are going to sign their national letters of intent on Wednesday.

Girls basketball player Aaliyah Nevarez and football player Aaron Loya are both signing with New Mexico Highlands. Another member of the Hornets girls basketball team, Rebekah Carpenter, is signing with Northern New Mexico College in Española. Brandon Medina from the boys basketball team is signing with College of the Southwest in Hobbs, and boys soccer player Yahir Jimenez is signing with Eastern New Mexico.

—La Cueva senior Sophia Montes signed to play volleyball at New Mexico Highlands. She won two state championships with the Bears. ... Los Lunas' Geleio Griego, a standout guard last season, has signed to play basketball with Northern New Mexico.

La Cueva also is doing a signing ceremony on Wednesday for Savannah Ames (track and field; Northern Colorado); Karleigh Gutierrez (basketball; Wayland Baptist); Alexis Ayers (basketball; Milwaukee Area Technical College); and Calvin Van Dyke (tennis; Wheaton College in Massachusetts).

CARLSBAD BASEBALL: New Mexico prep historian Marty Saiz offers this tidbit:

Carlsbad High's two baseball victories over Roswell last week gave it 1,401 all time, making it just the sixth school in the country to surpass the 1,400-win plateau, according to record-keeping.