New Mexico
New Mexico teen to compete on 'American Ninja Warrior'
A local teen is representing New Mexico on a national stage – she is competing on season 16 of “American Ninja Warrior.”
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A local teen is representing New Mexico on a national stage – she is competing on season 16 of “American Ninja Warrior.”
Out of a pool of 75,000 people who applied to be on the show, 19-year-old Ixchel Valentino was one of over 100 selected to actually compete.
Valentino calls herself “the Nerdy Ninja.” When she’s not hanging, flying, or doing flips while training at Ninja Force Gym, she spends time with robots.
“I’ve been competing in robotics since I was five years old,” she said. “Doing anything and everything from programming to building to promoting our teams.”
Valentino says competing in both events are pretty similar.
“Competing in both athletics and academics, I’ve found that the mindset for both aspects of, I guess nerdy and athletic is very, very common. You have to find that middle ground for your mindset to be able to get in the game mode, you have to block out all the distractions and stay super focused,” she said.
For Valentino, the sky is the limit – even when you have a fear of heights.
“I have like this fight or flight kind of reflex. And I’m so scared. I just, I want to, like, crawl back down,” she said.
She uses that fear as fuel.
“I can use that fight or flight as fuel. I can use it as more energy to compete. And it kind of pushes me to do things that I wouldn’t normally be comfortable doing if it wasn’t in a competition setting,” Valentino said.
She’s hoping to beat the odds, no matter how stacked they are.
“Trying to get on from that 75,000 pool, I guess you get a 0.26% chance of getting on. That is like crazy,” Valentino said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A successful University of New Mexico Lobo athletics season and the athletics director’s departure has culminated in players and coaches making moves.
The moves follow a successful 2025 season and the departure of athletics director Fernando Lovo.
Running back coach John Johnson, special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato and wide receiver coach Colin Lockett are all leaving the Lobos after just one season. Johnson is headed to Iowa State while Da Prato is expected to join Minnesota and Lockett is headed to UCLA, all for the same jobs.
Johnson’s Lobo running backs ran for more than 1,400 yards. Da Prato’s special teams finished top-five nationally in kickoff returns.
Running back D.J. McKinney entered the portal, he confirmed on social media the day the portal officially opened. McKinney rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns with the Lobos.
Two players who received all-Mountain West Conference recognition also made moves. All-Mountain West tight-end Dorian Thomas, who caught for touchdowns for the Lobos, entered the portal. Meanwhile, all-Mountain West honorable mention punter Daniel Hughes is set to leave.
Others set to leave include:
- Cole Welliver, backup quarterback who played in one game
- Landon Williams, defensive end who graduated from La Cueva High School
- Randolph Kpai, senior linebacker who is at the end of his college football career without a waiver
After Lance St. Louis served as the starting long snapper for the Texas Longhorns for four seasons, special teams coordinator Jeff Banks landed an experienced replacement when New Mexico Lobos transfer Trey Dubuc pledged while on a visit to the Forty Acres.
The pledge from Dubuc ensures that Texas has experienced replacements for three specialists despite signing high school prospects at each position — with the SEC expanding to 105 scholarships in 2026, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian can afford to develop high school recruits at those positions behind experienced transfers like Dubuc.
The Fort Lauderdale product started his career at USF after playing on two state championship teams at Cardinal Gibbons. A 6’1, 209-pounder, Dubuc redshirted during his freshman season in 2023 before appearing in one game as the backup long snapper the following year.
After transferring to New Mexico, Dubuc served as the starting long snapper while making two tackles for the Lobos.
Power bank feature creep is out of control
After Maduro, Venezuela power vacuum exposes brutal insiders and enforcers
Pelosi heir-apparent calls Trump’s Venezuela move a ‘lawless coup,’ urges impeachment, slams Netanyahu
Common pain relievers may raise heart disease and stroke risk, doctors warn
Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa open to fresh start elsewhere after disappointing season: ‘That would be dope’
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Pelosi heir-apparent calls Trump’s Venezuela move a ‘lawless coup,’ urges impeachment, slams Netanyahu
EU Commission examines childlike sexual images created by Musk’s AI
Lawmakers split over Maduro’s seizure. And, CDC cuts childhood vaccine schedule
Federal officials to halt more than $10B in funding to 5 states over non-citizen benefit concerns: report
US critics and allies condemn Maduro’s abduction at UN Security Council
-
World1 week agoHamas builds new terror regime in Gaza, recruiting teens amid problematic election
-
Indianapolis, IN1 week agoIndianapolis Colts playoffs: Updated elimination scenario, AFC standings, playoff picture for Week 17
-
News1 week agoFor those who help the poor, 2025 goes down as a year of chaos
-
World1 week agoPodcast: The 2025 EU-US relationship explained simply
-
Business1 week agoInstacart ends AI pricing test that charged shoppers different prices for the same items
-
Business1 week agoApple, Google and others tell some foreign employees to avoid traveling out of the country
-
Technology1 week agoChatGPT’s GPT-5.2 is here, and it feels rushed
-
Politics1 week ago‘Unlucky’ Honduran woman arrested after allegedly running red light and crashing into ICE vehicle