Kirtland Central standout Krista Tsinigine-Yazzie commits to Haskell

Krista Tsinigine-Yazzie is taking a San Juan County athletic path to one of the country’s best-known Native-serving campuses. The Kirtland Central senior has committed to Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, where she will continue both basketball and volleyball.

Tsinigine-Yazzie, a Navajo athlete from Kirtland, is listed by MaxPreps as a Class of 2026 senior who plays basketball and volleyball for the Broncos. FieldLevel lists her at 5-foot-10 and from Kirtland, New Mexico, a profile that fits the two-sport versatility that made her a college recruit in both programs.

Haskell’s landing spot carries weight beyond the box score. The university sponsors women’s basketball and volleyball, giving Tsinigine-Yazzie a chance to stay in both sports at the next level while joining a program long associated with Indigenous student-athletes from across the region. For families in Kirtland, Naschitti, Shiprock and the rest of San Juan County, it is another example of a local Native athlete moving from a public-school power into a culturally significant college setting.

Her high school résumé was built in pressure games. Kirtland Central won the New Mexico Class 4A girls basketball state championship in March 2026, finishing the season 29-3 and capturing the program’s 22nd state title in its 36th title-game appearance since 1979. In the championship game, Tsinigine-Yazzie finished her Broncos career with nine rebounds and two steals.

She also stayed visible on the court after the title run. Tsinigine-Yazzie and teammate Haylee Nocki represented Kirtland Central in the New Mexico High School Coaches Association statewide All-Star games in April 2026, extending the Broncos’ presence into the postseason showcase circuit.

Volleyball was part of that résumé, too. Earlier postseason coverage identified Tsinigine-Yazzie as one of Kirtland Central’s leaders in kills during the 2025 volleyball run, underscoring why college programs saw value in her as a two-sport athlete rather than a one-dimensional recruit.

Her commitment adds to a familiar pipeline from Kirtland Central into college athletics, but Haskell gives that pipeline added visibility. A player who helped deliver a state championship now heads to a university built to develop Native talent, carrying San Juan County’s reach with her to Lawrence.