Tradition is the Bridge from Past to Present

By Amy Archuleta

Former Greyhound Mike Ahlenius (BBA 88) along with teammates and classmates from multiple generations returned for Blackwater Draw Stadium’s final game on October 24, 2015 to reminisce, celebrate and look forward to the future. Two months earlier, Greyhound legend B.B. Lees (MA 57, BA 52) passed away; coaching legend Jack Scott passed away as well in December 2014. Coupled with the University’s discontinuation of the Zia symbol, the final game at Blackwater Draw Stadium marks the transition from one era to the next one, a pivot point rooted in the past.

Mike, along with many other past Greyhounds, orchestrated the event using social media to reach different generations of players. Months before the event, Mike converted old VHS game tapes to digital files and uploaded them to YouTube. This was the starting point for the momentum that resulted in a successful Facebook event with 257 and finished with an exciting multi-generation reunion in Portales.

Standing L-R: Mike Moore (79-82), Marvin Grimes (79-81), John Sain (85- 88), Marty Heim (83-84), Larry Hayes (82-84), Lou Mora (85-87, coached 89- 90), Greg Field (80-84), Jorge Fernandez (83-84), Unknown, Pat Brady (77-80, coached 81-83), Cecil Jackson (83, 85- 87), Brian Markwell (84-85), Pete Regetz (84-85), Rusty Ray (83-86), Will Wright (81-84), Jim Bob Walsh (80-84), Chris Anderson (83-86), Dave Wilson (83-84), Kevin Kott (83-84), Chuck O’Brien (83-84), Scott Weidner (79-82), Ray Cruz-Solano (79-82). Front: Jeff Ebert (coach 86-88), Bryan Brittain (79-82), Jim Conger (81-84), Ricky Roberson (82- 83), Mike Meeks (84-87), Glenn Johnson (76-79, coach 80-83), Joe Mullen (84-85), Curtis Harris (84-85), Keith Wattenbarger (83-84), Billy Hawkins (82-85) and Mike Ahlenius (81-84).

The event ensured that future generations will not forget about Blackwater Draw Stadium and its 50 years of Greyhounds who played there. The event also served as a way to ask about the missing records and if they were lost, deleted or if there are plans to recover the data from the 80s . “Coach Josh Lynn stopped by after the game to tell us it meant a lot to his current players and staff. And that meant a lot to us.” Mike explained, “It was huge that we were able to merge multiple generations of players and show that we still really bleed green. That’s the bond that bridges the past to the present.”