New Mexico

New Mexico group creates haven for Texas abortion seekers

Published

11 months ago

January 31, 2024

New Mexico group creates haven for Texas abortion seekers

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If there is a silent witness to the effects of Texas’ abortion law, it’s a cozy and sterile room in an old office building in downtown Albuquerque.

The hospitality suite at the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is somewhere between a spa waiting area and a makeshift medical tent. Four cots with pillows in paper cases and eye masks wrapped in cellophane wait, ready for the next group of Texas abortion seekers.

It’s a world of Joan Lamunyon Sanford’s making, where abortion is spoken about loudly and matter-of-factly. The 63-year-old executive director of the reproductive rights nonprofit said it contrasts doctors’ offices across the Texas border where the procedure is mentioned in hushed tones, if at all.

Large sheets of grid paper titled “Messages for future travelers” shout words of encouragement written with different colored markers.

“Do not feel ashamed because you made a choice for your life,” one client wrote. “Just know you are not alone.”

One morning every week, up to 10 people board a flight from Dallas to Albuquerque to terminate their pregnancies in a state where abortion is still legal. They’re driven to their appointments in shifts before returning to the nonprofit’s offices for a couple of hours of rest before their flight home that evening.

Like other states that have doubled down on abortion protections post-Roe, New Mexico has become a haven for patients from nearby states with restrictions or bans, including Texas and Oklahoma. The women find the abortion programs through news coverage, Texas abortion funds or by word-of-mouth, but the process is often shrouded in mystery.

After Texas lawmakers passed chilling abortion restrictions in 2021 and the Supreme Court overturned the abortion protections of Roe vs. Wade in 2022, the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice pivoted its model and staffed up. The organization supported 953 Texans in 2023. It saw 22 New Mexico residents in the same period.

The Dallas Morning News visited the Albuquerque operation but was unable to speak with any of the women who passed through the gates of the nearby abortion clinic. The trip out-of-state can be marked by fear and uncertainty, both for potential legal repercussions and social fallout. Lamunyon Sanford and her staff are fiercely protective of the passengers entrusted to their care.

The logistics of multi-day travel are unfeasible for people who can’t afford to miss work or find overnight childcare. The same-day flight model is born out of desperation, Lamunyon Sanford said.

New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, in partnership with the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, needed a solution that prioritized convenience without becoming impersonal, one that balanced the needs of individual travelers with rapid-pace appointments bookended by flights across state lines. The trip is free of cost for travelers and comes with no financial or need-based prerequisites.

Across the hall from the hospitality suite is a men’s bathroom, the only one on the floor. It’s a relic of a time when women couldn’t work in the offices where travelers now recover. Lamunyon Sanford put a fake plant in the urinal.

“It’s like sleepover vibes,” said program director Brittany Defeo, 34.

The activists have a standing group flight reservation each week; names of fliers are needed only 72 hours in advance. More often than not, the tickets are claimed within days of a trip, mostly by Texans within driving distance of Dallas.

Every seat is filled.

“ Messages for future travelers,” are posted on the wall of the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice’s office, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Albuquerque, N.M. Women who had abortions in New Mexico, left messages for the future travelers to come here to have abortions.(Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

The making of an abortion rights activist

Lamunyon Sanford never heard her mother call herself a feminist, but she kept both her birth name and her married name on her nursing license. It set the tone for Lamunyon Sanford’s childhood.

“That was unusual in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s for women to keep their birth name,” she said.

Lamunyon Sanford grew up in Albuquerque attending a United Methodist church with her parents and two younger siblings. She stopped going to regular services when she went to college.

When she moved to Gallup, New Mexico, she found community in monthly women’s circles hosted by the local church. The habit stuck when they returned to Albuquerque in the late 1980s, even though she later left the United Methodist Church.

It was there, in a United Methodist church downtown, that Lamunyon Sanford encountered the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, founded in 1978, which would eventually become NMRCRC.

“I was intrigued,” Lamunyon Sanford said. “I was raised with this model of women’s moral authority and the Methodist Church. Here was a place where those two things came together.”

Lamunyon Sanford signed up as a phone banking volunteer while working her job as a physical education teacher. She joined the board of directors and eventually decreased her teaching gig to part time so she could keep her benefits and spend more time with the abortion rights organization.

“It started out as that organization where the executive director does all the things. Twenty hours a week, at least on paper,” Lamunyon Sanford said. “Eventually we had enough fundraising and donors so that I could do that full time.”

Working out of her den, Lamunyon Sanford organized clergy and lay volunteers to escort people to and from Planned Parenthood for abortion care. A retired Presbyterian clergy member called, saying a couple of patients needed to stay overnight. Lamunyon Sanford found places for them to sleep, the beginning of their practical support program.

In 2023, the group spent nearly $400,000 supporting women traveling to and from their abortions in New Mexico.

Most of the organization’s clients in the early and mid-2000s were from New Mexico, although the number of people who sought their services was small because New Mexico’s Medicaid program covers the cost of abortions and related travel. NMRCRC sources its funding through a mix of donations and grants.

In 2009, Dr. George Tiller was fatally shot by an anti-abortion extremist at a church nearly 600 miles away in Wichita, Kansas. The doctor was one of the few who performed late-term abortions.

Joan Lamunyon Sanford, executive director at New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive... — Joan Lamunyon Sanford, executive director at New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, speaks to The Dallas Morning News in their office, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

Albuquerque clinic Southwestern Women’s Options brought on two of Tiller’s former colleagues a year later to provide abortions in all trimesters, making it one of a handful of clinics in the country that offered such a procedure.

“Now, Southwestern Women’s Options had people coming from all over the country,” Lamunyon Sanford said.

“And sometimes out of the country,” Defeo added.

The clinic settled a wrongful death lawsuit for $900,000 in 2021 after a woman died in a multiday outpatient process.

Between the influx of patients and a failed 2013 Albuquerque referendum to institute an abortion ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy, abortion rights groups captured national attention and a swell of funding. New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, of which Lamunyon Sanford was still the only full-time employee, could finally afford to expand.

Cross-state partners

On Sept. 1, 2021, the Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center in Dallas saw its patient count plummet, not from a fall in demand, but from a new Texas law that banned abortion after six weeks and placed the onus of enforcement on civilians.

The Rev. Daniel Kanter, senior minister and CEO of First Unitarian Church of Dallas, stepped foot into the abortion clinic for his shift sitting, talking and praying with patients before their appointments. A waiting room that typically saw 100 people a day now had only 30.

“Where are all the patients?” Kanter asked.

Rev. Daniel Kanter stands outside of Southwestern Women's Surgery Center on May 12, 2022 in... — Rev. Daniel Kanter stands outside of Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center on May 12, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.(Liesbeth Powers / Special Contributor)

“Fifteen of them are under six weeks and 15 weren’t,” a clinic staff member said. “We had to turn them away.”

Texas has three overlapping bans on the books. The “Heartbeat Act” allows private individuals to bring civil suits against anyone who performs or aids an abortion after six weeks of gestation. Texas’ “trigger ban” went into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, making performing an abortion illegal. Then there’s the pre-Roe ban, which is still possibly in effect, that criminalizes performing or providing the means for an abortion.

Abortions in Texas dropped from about 50,000 in 2021 to 40 in the first eight months of 2023, according to Texas Health and Human Services data. Nationwide, abortions have slightly increased.

Kanter’s mind jumped to Southwestern Women’s Options in Albuquerque, the sister site to Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center. It’s nearly a 10-hour drive from downtown Dallas, even farther for patients coming from the city’s eastern suburbs. But it’s two hours by plane.

The First Unitarian Church of Dallas has become one of the strongest abortion rights advocates in the region, with ties to the movement pre-dating the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Its positioning in the movement is in line with the pro-reproductive choice stance of the Unitarian-Universalist denomination.

Brittany Defeo, program manager at New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice,... — Brittany Defeo, program manager at New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, shows the welcome bags for their clients, who come to New Mexico to have abortions, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, at their office in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

The Albuquerque clinic connected patients with the flight program. First Unitarian’s chaplains shepherded them to the airport for the group flight, while Lamunyon Sanford’s team met the Texans when they landed.

Kanter’s church and the group in New Mexico fill the role of information provider previously found in Texas OB-GYN offices. Health care workers don’t always know whether they’re allowed under Texas law to share information about abortion, said Kari White, executive and scientific director at Resound Research for Reproductive Health.

“We have been hearing this kind of thing in Texas for years, happening at publicly funded health centers,” White said. “They feel like being able to provide information about abortion or where to get abortion care is not something that is permissible.”

The Texas-New Mexico partnership made changes in response to threats from anti-abortion activists and the shifting legal landscape.

Groups of 20 travelers every two weeks eventually became weekly flights with groups of 10 — the smallest number of travelers that qualify for the group ticket discount. The smaller group was less conspicuous.

“Safety had a lot to do with our decision,” said Defeo, who joined New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice in 2015.

Anti-abortion activists on both sides of the Texas-New Mexico border are aware of the increased abortion-related travel. New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice advertises its flight program on its website. Protesters camp on the Southwestern Women’s Options’ sidewalks and lean posters with pictures of infants against nearby trees and power lines.

“Texas, we will help you save your baby,” one reads.

Defeo used to fly to Dallas the night before a trip and join the travelers on their way to Albuquerque, but New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice has decided to keep its staff in New Mexico to shield them from legal liability. New Mexico’s governor signed a “shield law” that protects abortion providers from investigations by other states. Those protections may extend to support organizations, according to reproductive rights research firm The Guttmacher Institute.

Now Defeo waits at baggage claim each week for the marathon day to begin.

The marathon

There’s a loose-leaf tea for every feeling at the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice office, labeled with yellow sticky notes.

Lavender for sleep. Chamomile reduces inflammation and cramps. Rose petals soothe the heart.

The kitchen in the hospitality suite is stocked with Fritos, granola bars and movie theater popcorn. On a shelf below there are first aid supplies and barf bags, in case someone feels sick after their procedure, be it surgery or abortion pills.

The organization funded 1,040 abortion seekers last year, ranging from ages 9 to 48. When the 9-year-old traveled from Texas to New Mexico for an abortion after abuse, NMRCRC took extra measures to ensure she was making the decision for herself and that her experience would remain private, DeFeo said.

Storage shelves are seen at the office of New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive... — Storage shelves are seen at the office of New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, in Albuquerque, N.M.(Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer)

Once the staff gets the travelers back to their office, they fade into the background.

“There are a lot of connections in this particular room,” Defeo said. “People just start talking and by the end of it they’re carrying each other’s bags for them and they’re like, ‘Oh, let me help you to the bathroom.’”

Lamunyon Sanford doesn’t share the story of her abortion with travelers. Her experience looked different than most of the people who fill their offices now. Her parents supported her decision, and her dad’s insurance covered the cost. She got up the next day to attend her college classes.

“In a lot of ways, I had the abortion that should be the norm,” Lamunyon Sanford said. “If someone were to directly ask me, ‘Have you had an abortion and can you tell me about it?’ I would. But it’s important, for our callers and travelers, for us to center their needs.”

The travelers go to the clinic in small groups to limit contact with protesters outside Southwestern Women’s Options. New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice rarely lets travelers bring a family member or friend on the journey so they can protect the privacy of other travelers. For the 20% of travelers who don’t speak English, the organization provides translators.

On occasion, travelers change their minds.

“You don’t owe us your abortion, and we will still send you home,” Defeo said. “And if next week you decide that that was the right thing for you, we’ll fly you back out.”

The group rests together, shares a meal, and then as quickly as they arrived in New Mexico, they leave.

Some of the travelers stay in contact with each other, or with New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. One Dallas client referred five abortion seekers to the program after her experience, Defeo said.

Most go back to their lives. Some get picked up at the airport by loved ones to make a multi-hour drive back to their hometown.

Others return home alone and tell no one.

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New Mexico

New Mexico OL Transfer LaJuan Owens Commits to Cal

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

New Mexico OL Transfer LaJuan Owens Commits to Cal

It was predictable that Cal would go after offensive linemen in the transfer portal, the Bears picked up one on Friday when New Mexico transfer offensive tackle LaJuan Owens announced on social media that he has committed to Cal.

Owens played for Cal’s new offensive line coach Famika Anae at New Mexico so the Bears know what they are getting.

Owens spent his first college season at Tulane, but he redshirted that season before transferring to New Mexico, where he played just one season. Therefore, the 6-foot-5, 335-pounder has three seasons of college eligibility remaining.

New Mexico’s offensve line was outstanding this season, giving up just five sacks, the fewest in the country.

Let’s Work Cal🐻 @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/gRoJPkbZHC
— LaJuan Owens (@lajuan_owens) December 21, 2024

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New Mexico

CDT: be gentle with me, New Mexico – The Trek

Published

13 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

CDT: be gentle with me, New Mexico – The Trek

Day 94 – New Mexico’s whisper

In New Mexico, the wind is a gentle whisper, a soothing caress compared to Colorado’s raw, biting force. The final state of my CDT thru hike. I must admit that I am not sad about the end coming closer.

The aspens shine golden, soft, warm light flows between the trees and across meadows. The Continental Divide stretches out like an invitation, its terrain kinder and more forgiving.

“Oh, Colorado was rough on you?” New Mexico seems to say with a wry smile, shaking her head in mock disapproval. “She’s always like that – loves to toy with you hikers. Come on, take my hand. Let’s go home.”

The Continental Divide Trail unfurls through endless expanses of golden grass, weaving into pockets of forest that feel… cozy. It’s hard to describe but anyone who has hiked this trail southbound will know what I mean.

Campsites are everywhere – sheltered, flat, on soft duff, complete with logs perfectly placed to sit on. After weeks of squeezing my tent into awkward gaps between the only five trees around, cowboy camping behind scrubby bushes for a sliver of wind protection, and lying on rocky, uneven ground, New Mexico was a treat.

Cows are my trail companions again, their black, brown, and shaggy fur dotting the landscape. They’re not alone. Around every bend and behind every bush, hunters – men clad in camouflage, rifles or crossbows slung over their shoulders.

3 hunters vs 1 dirty thru hiker

On my second day in New Mexico, I was walking down the trail when I noticed three men ahead of me. They were tall, in full hunting gear, weapons in hand as they moved steadily through the woods. I stopped in my tracks. For a moment, I just watched them like characters in a story I didn’t yet know.

Back in the summer, I would have been nervous – three armed men in the wilderness while I hiked alone was a scenario that once unsettled me. But months on the trail had changed that. I’d met hunters, chatted with them, learned about their craft, and started to understand the pull of the hunt. Now, I felt no fear, just curiosity.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between us. But before I could call out a friendly hello, I noticed their demeanor shift. Their movements became tense, deliberate. Their heads swiveled as they scanned the trees around them.

“Dang,” I thought, “they must have spotted an animal. Better be quiet and not ruin it.” I crept forward, suddenly excited at the idea of maybe witnessing a shot in action.

Then one of them turned and saw me. His posture softened immediately, and he barked a nervous laugh. “You scared the crap out of us,” the younger man said, lowering his weapon.

“Me? Oh, I’m sorry,” I replied, flashing my most innocent smile before striding past them with purpose, doing my best to hold back a grin.

As I continued down the trail, I couldn’t help but think, I don’t know what’s more surprising: that they couldn’t tell the sound of human steps from an animal, or that three fully armed men got spooked by me – just a thru hiker, unarmed and unassuming.

The thought made me laugh quietly to myself as the forest swallowed me up again.

Day 95 – all humans gone

Cows. Lots of cows but I did not see a single person all day. I think that’s the first time since Idaho that this has happened on the CDT. Good water sources become more sparse and I camel up a few times to avoid the delicious, green-brown, cow pond smoothies.

Day 96 – a detour to Santa Fe

I’m on the phone to the hostel in Santa Fe, when an older lady walks towards me. Her face looks like she’s about to tell me off for something and she starts talking to me although I’m obviously making a phone call. I drop the phone slightly annoyed. Ghost Ranch has been a little disappointing but I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe more than just buildings? The lady approaches me.

“Are you a CDT hiker? Do you need a ride somewhere?”

She caught me by surprise. She’s a trail angel.

“Yeah… to Santa Fe?”

“Sure, get in”, she offers a smile.

Ms. J is from Silver City, a small town nestled in southern New Mexico, and became acquainted with thru-hikers last year. Driving around her town when she noticed people with massive backpacks, sunburned faces, and dirt-streaked calves. Curious, she started talking to them and before long, she found herself shuttling them to trailheads and post offices.

Now, her car, a sturdy thing, had been transformed into a makeshift camper. Filled with camping gear, blankets and other supplies.

I sit cross-legged on the floor of the backseat, wedged next to a box of canned goods and snacks. The ride is a little cramped, but something about the coziness made it feel right. As the car rolled down the highway, our initial small talk gave way to deeper topics – migration, politics, mental health.

Whole Foods and head lamps

The Santa Fe International Hostel is one of those places that feels like it’s been part of the landscape for ages. The building is old, full of rustic charm. The real draw, though, is the full kitchen. And when I say “full,” I mean it’s a feast. On weekends, the hostel is practically overflowing with donations from Whole Foods: fresh fruit, veggies, loaves of bread, pastries, cakes, cheeses, eggs, yogurt, and even coconut cold brew. It’s where your hiker hunger goes to die.

Plus the people are incredibly kind. Probably my favourite hostel “on” the CDT.

Besides the hostel, the only place I wanna point out in Santa Fe is the outdoor shop called “tourist”. The owner stocks several cottage brands, all kinds of essentials plus a massive used gear section. I bought a new headlamp and it was the same price as online.

I roll over in my bunk, the morning light spilling through the windows. The kitchen doesn’t open until 8, and without the promise of coffee, there’s no real reason to get up just yet.

An hour later, I’m sitting in the hostel’s quiet patio, cradling a steaming mug of black coffee – the kind that feels like liquid gold. I hadn’t planned to take a zero, but here I am.

“Can I join?” A woman with dark hair appears, followed closely by another with blonde curls. They settle at the table, and before long, we’re talking like old friends.

“We’re attending the Human Design conference,” Nicole explains, her voice warm and casual. Minutes later she’s excitedly reading my chart.

The day slips by in a haze of relaxed conversations, the comforting weight of doing nothing. My zero in Santa Fe turns into a slow, easy day spent lounging at the hostel, eating slices of rich cheesecake, and, eventually, booking a concert ticket for after the trail. It feels good to have something to look forward to – although it is a deadline, but this one brings excitement instead of pressure. Now, there’s a mark on the calendar, reminding me that the end is near. The CDT is almost over.

Day 98 – new weird named friend unlocked: Pringles

I follow the irresistible scent of fresh coffee into the hostel kitchen. I’m not the only one up early.

“I hiked the PCT in 2022,” Pringles says casually while cracking eggs into a pan, like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

My eyes widen. “No way.”

We slip into an easy conversation about the challenges of long-distance hiking, the highs and lows of the Pacific Crest Trail. His home state North Carolina. The connection is instant – there’s a shared understanding between us, a bond that only thru hikers seem to have.

The hostel had been a cozy home, but it is time to get going and soon, I’m on a bus, leaving Santa Fe behind.

Christmas route in October

I don’t make it far into the desert when I see another thru hiker in the distance – Inspector! I smile and wait for him to catch up. I’ve met him back in July in Leadore, Idaho, then ran into him again in Encampment, Wyoming, a few times in Colorado and now we’re on schedule to finish the CDT.

“Woah did you get into that storm in the San Juans?”, we exchange stories and plans for the New Mexico section, before I take a side trail to reconnect from the green to the red line (the official CDT), climbing up to the mesa for sunset views. This is called the Christmas route, you will find it in the FarOut App comments.

Day 99 – on the old CDT

“Hi Pinecone :)” is written in the sand in the middle of the burn area. I tilt my head, I’m not sure who this is from.

Lumberjack and I agreed to meet in Cuba and I am a bit behind.

The days in the desert feel like they’re slipping through my fingers. The light fades faster now. Late afternoon, the sun sinks lower, casting long, golden shadows across the land. But then, the light is gone, swallowed by the horizon. And least it’s not freezing cold as it was in Colorado.

That night, I find myself on the old CDT, the forest closing in around me as the last light disappears. The trail – if you can even call it that – is faint and overgrown, just a suggestion of a path weaving between the trees. My headlamp slices through the dark in a narrow beam, illuminating a few steps ahead, but it’s not enough. Bushwhacking in the dark in the dark maybe wasn’t the smartest of ideas. The comments said this route is still maintained?

My GPS is no help. I decide to trust the comments left by other hikers and bushwhack back to where the trail started to be overgrown, scanning the area carefully this time.

“I think there’s a trail there”

My GPS still tells me I’m off but the trail becomes more visible now and heads the right direction. I cowboy camp in the thick underbrush. Another great thing about fall in New Mexico: surprise storms are pretty unlikely.

Day 100 – Cuba, not the country

It’s almost hot as I walk into Cuba, New Mexico, the heat feeling like a luxurious treat. Eyes follow me from shaded porches and windshields, the way small-town gazes tend to linger a little longer. A whistle sends shivers down my spine, I keep my head down and march on.

Ahead, the dusty parking lot of a supermarket, the kind of place that sold everything from groceries to hunting gear. Outside, a tall, lean figure was crouched near the entrance, methodically organizing packets of food.

“Hobos everywhere”, I exclaim in German, laughing. Lumberjack turns around with a smile, knowing before seeing me that it’s me. We hug like old friends, it truly feels like we have known each other forever after running into each other on the CDT again and again.

I excuse myself into the store, feeling ravenous. Equipped with ice cream, pasta salad and a can of diet Dr. Pepper, I return to continue the conversation. Followed by a trip to the post office and a fried chicken lunch. Hiker hunger.

made up your mind

A somber realisation sets in: I gotta catch the post office before midday in Grants in three days. 104 miles in less than 3 days.

Lumberjack looks at this watch, “you basically have to hike now”

I dismiss him with a wave, “I’ll just night hike”

This might be the last time I see Lumberjack on the CDT and besides the 18 year age gap, we’re on the same page about life. He has this calm, safe aura where I feel like I can be myself and speak openly. Plus, we both plan on fundamentally changing our lives post thru hike. Hence, I am not in a rush to leave. The CDT is also just a trail.

Empty plates and crumbled up napkins between us, I slowly unfurl the little plan I have hatched in the last days. My explanation ending with ‘maybe, I don’t know’ and a shy smile. He looks at me with his bright blue eyes for a moment, his tan skin etched with fine lines, a map of years spent under open skies. Years well spent.

„Sounds like you made up your mind“, he nods approvingly and there’s a little crack in my chest, an old one, that fills up with light in that very moment.

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New Mexico

Transfer running back Mike Washington signs with Arkansas

Published

21 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Transfer running back Mike Washington signs with Arkansas

Junior New Mexico State transfer running back Mike Washington has signed with Arkansas, he announced Saturday morning.

A 6-foot-2, 215-pound native of New York, Washington rushed for 725 yards and eight touchdowns on 157 carries (4.6 YPC) in 2024. He also caught nine passes for 74 yards with a score.

His best performance of the season came against Western Kentucky on Nov. 9, when he ran the ball 19 times for a season-high 152 yards with two touchdowns.

Before joining the Aggies, Washington spent three seasons at Buffalo, where he accumulated 1,119 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Washington committed to Utah through the transfer portal Dec. 15, but a visit to Arkansas seemingly made him rethink his decision.

2023 (Sophomore – Buffalo) Had 4 starts in 11 game appearances… ranked 2nd on the team for rushing (362 yards on 90 carries)… scored 2 rushing touchdowns… 13 receptions for 35 yards… had 12 carries for 52 yards vs. Wisconsin… rushed for 57 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding two receptions vs. Fordham… had a season-best of four receptions vs. Liberty… rushed a season-high 88 yards vs. Louisiana… rushed for 39 yards vs. Bowling Green… rushed for 35 yards and added a reception vs. Eastern Michigan.

2022 (Redshirt Freshman – Buffalo) Had 2 starts in 13 game appearances… led the Bulls in rushing with 625 yards and a team-high seven rushing touchdowns… 23 receptions for 135 yards and a score… rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown vs. Holy Cross… rushed for 71 yards and 2 touchdowns vs. Eastern Michigan… Rushed for 36 yards and a score vs. Miami… A season best of 155 yards rushed and two touchdowns, including a 92-yarder vs. Bowling Green (2nd longest run in program history)… receiving touchdown vs. Ohio… rushed 41 yards and a touchdown vs. Central Michigan… had a season-high of eight receptions vs. Akron.

2021 (Freshman – Buffalo) Appeared in 3 games… rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries… 13 carries for 65 yards vs. Wagner… 9 carries for 53 yards vs. Akron… 14-yard touchdown run vs. Bowling Green.

High School Junior season he earned All-State honors after rushing for 1,423 yards and 15 touchdowns… Played defense and had 31 tackles with three interceptions… named All-CNY and MVP of the Regional Championship Game.

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