Neighbors Cup: Coombs Collects Second Gatorade Player of the Year in His Senior Season; Knights Ride into Second Place in the 2024-25 Copa de Vecinos

[Note: “La Copa de Vecinos (Neighbors Cup)” is not endorsed, affiliated or sanctioned by the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) nor any school(s) or district(s) represented in the competition.]

La Copa de Vecinos ( or “Neigbors Cup“) is a competition among our local scholastic sports teams. For the purposes of this competition, and the editorial scope of Las Cruces Digest, “local” means within Doña Ana County–the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Each local high school team is a member of (and competes in leagues organized and administered by) the New Mexico Activities Association. The schools included in the competition comprise high schools in Las Cruces Public Schools, Gadsden Independent Schools, Hatch Valley High School and Mesilla Valley Christian School.

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Organ Mountain High School Knights

61½ Points points

The Organ Mountain High School Knights experienced a generational talent this past scholastic sports year. Corbin Coombs won State in Boys Cross Country in the fall, and took home three medals at the 2025 NMAA Boys State Track & Field Championships–setting two state records in the process. By the numbers, Coombs accounted for more than one-third of the Knights Cup Points. His senior year at Organ Mountain was bookended with a pair of Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year accolades: Boys Cross Country (fall) and Boys Track & Field (spring).

Related: Organ Mountain Student Tops State In Boys Cross Country; Team Takes Two Spot

Coombs wasn’t the lone Knight to step into the spotlight, however. Savannah Reiman took State in Class 5A Girls Tennis (Singles), and Ryan Harrington brought home the medal for the 200 M Dash in the same State meet where Coombs missed the Boys Overall medal by one point. Boys Basketball took District 3/5A, and Eleanor Warden was runner-up at the 2025 NMAA Class 5A Girls Golf Championships.

Related: Preps Tennis: Savannah Reiman Takes Girls 5A Singles State Title; Centennial Boys Advance to Team Semifinals

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Organ Mountain’s Corbin Coombs Named Gatorade New Mexico Boys Track & Field Player of the Year

By JP Murrieta, New Mexico Activities Association

Gatorade recently announced Corbin Coombs of Organ Mountain High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade New Mexico Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

The award distinguishes Coombs as New Mexico’s best high school track & field athlete, and he joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Alan Webb (2000-01, South Lakes High School, Va.), Kerron Clement (2002-03, Laporte High School, Texas) and Christian Miller (2023-24, Creekside High School, Fl.).

The 6-foot-2, 155-pound senior middle-distance and distance talent set state records in the 800-meter run and the 3200 at the Class 5A meet this past season, leading the Knights to second place as a team. His 3200 clocking of 8:52.22 ranked No. 23 nationally among prep boys competitors this spring and his 1:50.33 in the 800 ranked tied for No. 37. Coombs was even better as the postseason went on, winning the 3000 at Nike Outdoor Nationals in a personal-best 8:03.58, which ranked No. 2 nationally. His runner-up finish in the mile at the RunningLane Track Championships ranked No. 4. The returning Gatorade State Track & Field Player of the Year, he also owns the state record in the 1600, set in 2024, and his season-best clocking in that event (4:06.84) ranked No. 26 nationally. He was a Foot Locker Cross Country and Nike Outdoor Nationals All-American as a senior.

Coombs has performed extensive humanitarian efforts as part of multiple service expeditions to Uganda and Guatemala, helping to build schools in both countries and a medical clinic in the latter. He has also fundraised to support clean water reforms in those nations. Coombs has volunteered locally assisting with Senior Olympics road races and track events, and has donated his time as a student coach at a youth track and field camp in addition to participating in a Las Cruces city beautification project. He has also attended the LDS Seminary during the academic year. “Coombs peaked at the right time, setting a pair of all-class records at the state meet and ripping off Top 5 national performances in the mile and the 3000 at the RunningLane Track Championships and Nike Outdoor Nationals, respectively,” said Rich Gonzalez, editor for PrepCalTrack.com. He graduated with three state records overall. Coombs has maintained an A average in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete at Wake Forest, but will complete a two-year Latter Day Saints mission beforehand.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field; and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport. As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.