LAHS Coach Lindsey Montoya is named the girls cross country coach of the year for New Mexico as part of USTFCCCA annual recognitions. Courtesy photo

SPORTS News:

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced the state-by-state winners of its annual High School Cross Country Coaches of the Year Presented by the United States Marine Corps on Thursday.

One boys coach and one girls coach from 50 states – as well as the District of Columbia – were honored for their successes during the fall of 2025, as selected by a committee of experts from around the nation (two coaches are honored, if they share coaching responsibilities).

Montoya coaches the Hilltopper girls cross country team, which in 2025 was the best team in New Mexico, going undefeated as a varsity, JV and C team during the season. The girls won their 25th state title in program history in 2025.

Montoya is deemed an incredible coach, not just for the girls but for all athletes who run cross country and track and field at LAHS. She is also a PE teacher at LAHS.

State-by-state winners were selected based on their teams’ performances throughout the 2025 cross country season. Among the factors taken into consideration were team score and placement at the state championships, margin of victory, performance against rankings if available, individual championships, and how their teams’ performances stacked up to previous years (e.g. first title in school history, consecutive titles, etc.).

Each honoree will receive a trophy from the USTFCCCA recognizing their achievements.

The winners from each state are in consideration for the association’s National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year award. One boys coach and one girls coach from among all the states will be selected by a panel of experts and be announced next month as the national winners.