Sports News Report
Sport: BasketballCountry: MexicoCategory: Coaching

Personal stories celebrate resilience in New Mexico basketball community

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 14, 2026, 3:06 AM

Last updated Sep 14, 2026

Summary

A recent column highlights personal stories from New Mexico's basketball community, focusing on individuals such as Jake Griego, a 96-year-old Korean War veteran known for performing the national anthem on harmonica. Griego recently shared copies of the Journal with friends and family. The column also features Mike and Yolanda Sanchez, who have dedicated 25 years to supporting UNM basketball and are currently battling cancer. The UNM community recognized their service at a recent football game. Additionally, Valerie Flores, known as the 'Pole Lady,' represented New Mexico at ESPN’s College Game Day shows while raising awareness for educational causes.

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Key Details
  • •Jake Griego, 96, bought 100 copies of the Journal to share.
  • •Mike and Yolanda Sanchez supported UNM basketball for 25 years amid health struggles.
  • •UNM recognized the couple during a football game attended by over 24,000 fans.
  • •Valerie Flores waved New Mexico flags at ESPN's College Game Day shows in September.
Latest Updates
  • 3:06 AMYahoo Sports — Catching up with some friends who inspired us
What they're saying
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As a New Mexico State University graduate covering the UNM Lobos, I’ve gotten plenty of “Not bad for an Aggie” comments through the years about things I’ve written. Over the past two months, since starting an A1, front page column for the Journal that I chose to dedicate to storytelling — personal profiles, really — about some of the great people around our state who I’m lucky enough to come ...

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