Montoya Named 2025 New Mexico Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year

Lindsey Montoya of Los Alamos High School has been named the 2025 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association state girls cross country coach of the year for New Mexico. The recognition follows a dominant 2025 season in which the Hilltopper girls went undefeated at the varsity, JV and C levels and captured the program’s 25th state championship.

The award is part of the High School Cross Country Coaches of the Year Presented by the United States Marine Corps. State winners were selected by a committee of experts from around the nation, and state honorees are under consideration for a national coach of the year award that will be chosen by a panel of experts and announced next month. The association announced state winners in New Orleans.

Montoya is listed as a physical education teacher at Los Alamos High School and is identified in school materials as a co-head coach who will coach distance events for both genders. School athletics listings provide contact information for Lindsey Montoya at li.montoya@laschools.net and the Los Alamos cross country team at losalamosxc@gmail.com. Those listings also show Steven Montoya as boys cross country coach and note that Steven Montoya is a math teacher and that 2025 will be his 10th year coaching the boys track and field team at Los Alamos High School.

Local coaching staff and volunteers round out a multi-generational program. School bios name assistant and volunteer coaches including Daniel Dunning, who will primarily coach sprints, relays and hurdles and appears on the program’s all-time triple jump list; Christie Kelley/Kelly, who coaches high jump; Ernest Martinez, who leads girls track and field and coaches pole vault for the boys; and Blake Wood, a long-time volunteer distance coach and prolific team photographer. Those staff roles illustrate the program’s reliance on a mix of professional staff and community volunteers to sustain competitive depth and youth development.

Los Alamos has a recent track record of statewide recognition for cross country coaching. In 2021, coaches Kathy Hipwood and Steven Montoya were selected as state coaches of the year, a history that underscores sustained program strength and administrative support.

For Los Alamos County residents, Montoya’s award highlights the local return on investment in school athletics: sustained competitive success, youth participation pathways, and public visibility for the high school. Recognition at the state level can affect booster activity, volunteer recruitment, and community fundraising. The national award selection will follow, and community members seeking information on practices, youth programs, or volunteer opportunities can contact Lindsey Montoya at li.montoya@laschools.net or the team at losalamosxc@gmail.com. Photo materials associated with the award are credited as courtesy images and should be cleared with the school or district before republication.