Unsure whether she’d come out to ball this winter, but convinced otherwise after doing some soul-searching and undoubtedly discussing the matter with teammates, Maliyah Martinez ultimately proved essential to Ignacio Girls’ Basketball as either a point/shooting guard or a small-forward type and, after the 2025-26 season concluded Saturday night, March 14, was announced as receiving Honorable Mention All-Intermountain League distinction.
Though not yet on the roster for IHS’ Dec. 9, 2025, opener at home versus 2A Mancos, and later unavailable for the squad’s Feb. 13, 2026, home game versus 3A/4A IML power Centauri, Martinez still averaged 6.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in each of her 19 appearances as the youth-blessed Lady Bobcats ended up 2-10 in league play and 4-18 overall.
CHS sophomore guard/forward Sydney Haslett and junior guard Kynlei Curtis also received Honorable Mention All-IML after helping the Lady Falcons – directed by Coach-of-the-Year Jeremy Romero – go 11-1 in league and finish 21-5 overall.
Easily qualifying for the CHSAA Class 3A State Tournament as its No. 4 seed, Centauri first bounced Fort Collins-based No. 29 Liberty Common by 41 points in the opening Round-of-32 and Kersey-based No. 20 Platte Valley by 27 in the Sweet 16 before then journeying to the Mile High City and falling 57-47 to fifth-seeded – and eventual State Champion – Salida inside the University of Denver’s Hamilton Gymnasium.
Runner-up in the Intermountain with a 9-3 league mark, Alamosa – powered by First Team All-IML pick and Player-of-the-Year Jaelin Garcia, a senior guard – ended up 18-7 overall after qualifying for the 4A State Tournament as its No. 8 seed, ousting both No. 25 Wellington and No. 9 Berthoud, then losing 45-43 in overtime to Greeley University inside the Denver Coliseum. AHS sophomore Leela Gutierrez was named Honorable Mention All-IML for her work.
Pagosa Springs (14-10 overall, 9-3 IML) also qualified for 4A’s Big Dance and, as the No. 12 seed, promptly dispatched 21-seed Thornton Skyview 37-15 before then losing 37-35 to No. 5 Sterling. Senior G/F Amberlynn Snarr and junior guard Ximena Garcia were named Honorable Mention All-IML after all was said and done.
Helped by Honorable Mention selection Janessa Marquez, a junior guard, Monte Vista (13-11, 6-6) earned inclusion in the 3A State Tournament and, seeded 18th, upset No. 15 Colorado Springs St. Mary’s in the Round-of-32 before losing 50-39 in the Sweet 16 to second-seeded Wiggins.
Junior forward Shoshawna Washburn represented Montezuma-Cortez as an Honorable Mention All-League choice, after helping the Lady Panthers (11-13, 5-7) get into the 4A State Tournament. Seeded 24th in the Round-of-32, M-CHS’ season ended with a 62-48 loss to Berthoud – before the Lady Spartans then succumbed to Alamosa.
Junior guard Kimball Anderson received Honorable Mention All-IML from Bayfield (3-20, 0-12).
MORE FIRST TEAM ALL-INTERMOUNTAIN, GIRLS
Centauri – jr. C/F Rylie McCarroll, soph. G Lyndie Sowards, soph. G Paityn Sowards; Alamosa – jr. G Audrina Knorr, sr. F/C Aubrey Rothermich; Pagosa Springs – jr. G Adelyn Hittle, sr. C Kaila Limebrook; Montezuma-Cortez – soph. G Kyndall Schmitt; Monte Vista – jr. G Reminee Mascarenas.