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Mark Aranda, Stephanie Bonillas, Bobby Crenshaw, Jennah DeVries, Daniel Mullings and Brooke Salas to join list of Aggie greats.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Michael Navarrette
Image: Courtesy
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Thursday, NM State Athletics announced six Aggie greats would be enshrined as members of the Class of 2025 induction into the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame. Mark Aranda (baseball), Stephanie Bonillas (softball), Bobby Crenshaw (football), Jennah DeVries (volleyball), Daniel Mullings (men’s basketball) and Brooke Salas (women’s basketball) will each be recognized as the newest members of the hall of fame following a voting process completed by the NM State Hall of Fame selection committee.
The group will officially be inducted on Friday, Feb. 14, during a ceremony set to take place inside the Danny Villanueva Victory Club located in the Fulton Athletic Center. This ceremony will be followed by a halftime recognition during the NM State men’s basketball home game against FIU which is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Anyone interested in attending the 2025 US Bank/NM State Hall of Fame ceremony may reach out to NM State Director of Special Events Nohemi Perez via email at nohemip@nmsu.edu.
Mark Aranda | Baseball | 2004-05
Mark Aranda played a total of two seasons for the Aggies and is considered one of the most prolific hitters in the history of the program. After two years at El Paso Community College where he was the Western Junior College Athletic Conference Co-MVP his sophomore year, Aranda joined the Aggie outfield.
In his debut season with the Aggies, Aranda garnered Second Team All-Sun Belt honors after ranking second on the team in batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.697) and was tied for second on the club with 57 RBIs to help lead the Aggies to a 33-25 overall record. In 2004, the Albuquerque native also recorded 16 home runs to rank third on the team while ranking third in the conference and 22nd nationally in home runs per game (0.31).
As a junior, Aranda also hit three home runs against Pace University and still holds a spot in the record book as one of just 17 Aggies to have three homers in a single game. In that game, Aranda went 4-for-6 and drove in eight RBIs. Just 10 days later, Aranda would put forth another eight-RBI performance as he went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, hammering two home runs and a triple while earning one walk. His first season as an Aggie included 19 multi-hit games, including two four-hit outings. He also registered 12 multi-RBI games, including three which he drove in five or more runs. Aranda also turned in a season-high 10-game hit streak in the heart of conference action. Defensively in 2004, he started 44 games in right field and posted a .959 fielding percentage.
Following a standout junior season, Aranda only bolstered his argument as one of the best at the plate in Aggie history. During his senior campaign, he submitted one of the best power-hitting seasons in program history on his way to earning Third Team Louisville Slugger All-American honors after leading the Sun Belt Conference in slugging percentage (.767), home runs (22), RBIs (85), hit by pitch (19) and sacrifice flies (9). Aranda’s home run total in 2005 still ranks tied for seventh-most by an Aggie in a single season while his RBI mark ranks tied for sixth-most by an Aggie in a single season. Additionally, he managed four triples during his final year to pace the Aggies while turning in a .351 average across 202 at-bats.
On the year, Aranda averaged 1.57 RBIs per game to rank first nationally while averaging .41 home runs per game to rank second nationally. His .767 slugging percentage was also good for third-best among all Division I players.
Ultimately, he would finish his career with 38 total home runs which currently ranks tied for fourth all-time by an Aggie hitter despite spending only two seasons in the City of Crosses. Across two seasons with the Crimson and White, Aranda tallied 136 hits and 142 RBIs while maintaining a .349 batting average, a .437 on-base percentage and a .733 slugging percentage.
Following an impressive career with the Aggies, Aranda was signed as free agent by the Florida Marlins in 2005. He would play one season professionally for the Jamestown Jammers and would appear in 51 games while recording 36 hits, nine home runs and 24 RBIs.
Aranda was raised in Albuquerque by his grandfather Mark Aranda and spent his high school playing days at West Mesa High School where he was twice named first team all-district. In high school, he was also named second team all-city in 2000 and 2001.
Today, Aranda resides in Las Cruces with his wife Raquel, son Jacob and daughter Avery and serves as a Lieutenant for the Las Cruces Fire Department.
Stephanie Bonillas | Softball | 1997-98
Stephanie Bonillas spent two years in Las Cruces and displayed some of the best power-hitting in the history of the Aggie softball program. Bonillas remains one of just two all-American selections as she was named an NFCA/Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American following her first season with the squad.
Following two seasons at Glendale Community College, Bonillas transferred to NM State and immediately became a centerpiece of the offensive attack for the then-monikered Roadrunners. At Glendale CC, Bonillas was an all-American and all-region selection before becoming a home-run threat with the ‘Runners.
In her debut season with the program, Bonillas was recognized as a Third Team All-American while collecting First Team All-Big West and First Team All-West Region honors. This came on the heels of a season in which she led the Roadrunners in an astounding eight offensive categories, including finishing the year as the team’s frontrunner in batting average (.356), hits (52), RBIs (42), home runs (12) and walks (27). In her first year in the Crimson and White, she also tied or broke seven school records, including setting the single season home run record with 12 – a mark that also ranked 14th in the nation and was double that of the previous school record.
In 1997, Bonillas started at third base in 54 of the ‘Runners’ 55 games and tallied 13 multi-hit games while twice managing multi-home-run games, doing so against rival New Mexico and against UC Santa Barbara. Bonillas also turned in 10 game-winning RBIs and was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week during the final week of the season. Following her impressive first season with NM State, Bonillas went on to become the first Roadrunner to be chosen in the Women’s Professional FastPitch Draft as she was chosen in the fourth round by the Carolina Diamonds.
Despite being selected in the draft, Bonillas elected to return to NM State for her final season with the program. As a senior, Bonillas once again served as one of the ‘Runners top performers at the plate as she finished as the team’s leader in hits (45), RBIs (27), home runs (3) and walks (34) on her way to earning her second First Team All-Big West selection. During her senior season, she also set a new record for RBIs in a single contest as she drove in seven runs to lead the club to an 11-0 win over rival New Mexico on March 14, 1998.
Across her career, Bonillas tallied 97 total hits while recording a .338 career batting average. She also still ranks fourth all-time in program history in career on-base percentage (.460) and sixth all-time in career slugging percentage (.592). In total, Bonillas contributed 69 RBIs and 15 home runs during her time with the Aggies.
Bonillas originally hails from Phoenix, Ariz., and played four years at Barry Goldwater High School where she was an all-region selection for three seasons while also being named the regional defensive and offensive player of the year in 1993.
Bobby Crenshaw | Football | 1963-66
Bobby Crenshaw completed a four-year career with the Aggies in the mid-sixties and was one of the last Aggies in program history to play on both offense and defense. Crenshaw contributed to two of the best back-to-back seasons in program history as the Aggies compiled 15 wins across his final two years. Following a strong career at NM State, Crenshaw became the 15th Aggie to ever be selected in the NFL Draft as he was selected in the seventh round of the 1967 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
During his time with the Aggies, Crenshaw played under legendary coach, Warren Woodson, and played a key role in revitalizing the program. After NM State won just three games during Crenshaw’s freshman year, the two-way athlete helped the Aggies win 21 games across the next three seasons, including the 1965 season in which the Aggies finished with an 8-2 overall record. To this day, the 1965 team ranks tied for second in school history in win percentage and is one of only eight Aggie teams to lose two or fewer games during the program’s 91-year history.
Crenshaw’s fierce competitiveness would ultimately lead him to a career in the NFL from 1967-69 when he played linebacker for the Eagles. Following his playing days, he taught physical education and science in Arkansas while also coaching football, track and basketball. He later returned to the Land of Enchantment and became the administrator at Fort Stanton Hospital and the mayor of Carrizozo.
Born and raised in New Mexico, Crenshaw had an exceptional high school athletic career as he was honored as a national all-American football player while also setting state records competing in hurdle events for the school’s track team.
In the early 1980’s, Crenshaw would follow his father into the business of ranching and training racehorses on the New Mexico circuit and spent much of his time working in Sunland Park and Ruidoso.
The Aggie legend passed away on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, at the age of 67 after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Darla, and four children – Ken Crenshaw, Lisa Crenshaw, Chuck Goodman and Cash Spanhanks. He also has five grandchildren.
Jennah DeVries | Volleyball | 2008-11
Jennah DeVries joined the Aggie program as a true freshman in 2008 and would go on to have an incredible four-year career which included being one of only two Aggies to be named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American three times. During her career with NM State, DeVries was also named First Team All-WAC three times and is one just five players in the history of the program to achieve this feat.
She remains one of the best setters in program history and currently ranks fourth all-time in career assists – totaling 4,052 during her time with the Crimson and White. Devries also served as a key member of the 2008 team which is still the only Aggie team in program history to win an NCAA Tournament game.
On the tournament-bound team in 2008, the setter from Sedalia, Colo., played in 120 of the Aggies’ 121 sets on her way to earning WAC All-Freshman Team honors. In her first season, DeVries ranked second on the team in both assists (584) and service aces (29). In her collegiate debut, she posted a season-high 25 assists against a nationally-ranked Oregon squad. She would later contribute 17 assists and two aces to help the Aggies knock off Saint Mary’s in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament before posting 19 assists against No. 8 California in the Second Round.
As a sophomore, DeVries would blossom into the Aggies’ top setter as she played in all 103 sets and earned AVCA All-American honors after leading the Aggies with 10.14 assists per set. Her efforts would also earn her AVCA All-West Region Team honors, First Team All-WAC honors, WAC All-Tournament team honors and Academic All-WAC honors. In her second season, she would mark at least 25 assists in 24 matches and turned in 40 assists nine times during the Aggies’ 20-win season.
DeVries returned for her junior season in 2010 and once again earned AVCA All-American honors as she was named to the honorable mention team after averaging 11.06 assists per set to finish second in the WAC and 31st in the nation. With 1,205 total assists in her third season with the Aggies, she collected her second consecutive First Team All-WAC distinction.
In her final season with the program, DeVries tallied 1,219 total assists to move her into fourth all-time in career assists. Averaging 10.79 assists per match, DeVries secured her third straight AVCA All-American honorable mention selection and third straight First Team All-WAC selection. As a senior, she also secured her first WAC Player of the Week honor after guiding the Aggies to an undefeated week at the CenturyLink Premier hosted by Texas State.
Following her career with the Aggies, DeVries moved to Lubbock, Texas, to serve as the director of volleyball operations for Texas Tech volleyball. In 2015, She would earn a promotion to assistant coach for the Red Raiders while also serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
She currently resides in Castle Rock, Colo., with her husband Jay Kearney and two children – Brooklyn and Callum. She is a director at Children’s Ministry and Communications at Castle Oak Church.
Daniel Mullings | Men’s Basketball | 2011-15
Daniel Mullings turned in an astounding four-year career and left Las Cruces as arguably the program’s best scorer of the last 20 years. Mullings’ individual success was highlighted by an AP All-American Honorable Mention selection in 2014 when he became just the sixth Aggie in program history to earn all-America honors.
Mullings’ individual success also directly translated to team success as he remains the only player in the school’s 119-year history to play in four NCAA Tournaments as the Aggies won four-straight WAC Tournament titles during his time with the Crimson and White.
With 1,677 career points, the Scarborough, Canada, native remains fourth all-time in points in program history while ranking first in NM State history in both career free throws made (463) and steals (249). By the end of his career, Mullings also accumulated two NABC All-District honors, four All-WAC honors, three WAC All-Defensive Team honors, two WAC All-Tournament Team honors, one WAC All-Newcomer selection and four WAC Player of the Week honors while serving as the first Aggie ever to be named the WAC Player of the Year.
Mullings arrived in Las Cruces after a four-year career at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ontario. There, Mullings led the Blue Devils to a league championship and a 10-0 record in both the 2009-10 and 2008-09 seasons. Additionally, Mullings appeared in the All-Canada Classic All-Star game.
As a true freshman at NM State, Mullings made an immediate impact – playing in all 36 games while appearing the starting lineup 26 times. In his debut season, he averaged 9.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on his way to being named to the 2012 WAC All-Newcomer Team. He also ranked second on the squad in steals (58), third in assists (69) and fourth in blocked shots (19). As a freshman, Mullings tallied 16 double-figure scoring games including two 20-plus point outings. In the WAC Tournament Semifinal, Mullings contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to help the Aggies advance to their fourth WAC championship game.
During the Aggies’ final stretch of league play, Mullings also became just the third player in Aggie history to record a triple-double, when he had 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115-73 rout of Hawai’i. This would earn Mullings WAC Player of the Week distinction as he became the 13th player in conference history to post a triple-double.
In his second year with the program, Mullings again played a significant role in leading the Aggies to their second consecutive WAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. On the year, he paced the Aggies in points per game at 13.8 while also leading the team in total assists (91), and total steals (79), which still ranks second on NM State’s single season list for steals in a single season. At 2.26 steals per game, Mullings also ranked first in the WAC.
During his sophomore campaign, Mullings started 34 of the Aggies’ 35 games while recording nine 20-point games to earn Second Team All-WAC, WAC All-Defensive team and WAC All-Tournament team honors.
Mullings turned in arguably the best year of his career during his junior season as he was the team’s leader in scoring (16.8 ppg), assists (3.5 apg) and steals (65 total) on his way to earning AP Honorable Mention honors. In his third year, Mullings was also named the 2013-14 WAC Player of the Year while also collecting First Team All-WAC honors and WAC All-Defensive team honors.
Later, Mullings would lead the Aggies to their third consecutive WAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance by averaging a team high 15.7 points and 4.7 assists. On the season, he would score in double figures in 29 of the Aggies’ 35 games, including posting a career-high 32 points against UT Pan American. In 2013-14, Mullings also notched three WAC Player of the Week distinctions.
In his senior year, Mullings averaged 12.4 points per game to move into fourth all-time in scoring in program history despite missing 12 games due to injury. In the final year of his collegiate career, Mullings collected his third First Team All-WAC honor and third WAC All-Defensive team honor before leading the Aggies to a fourth NCAA Tournament appearance.
Following his tenure with the Aggies, he began his professional playing career with Medi Bayreuth of the German Bundesliga in 2015. The following year he played for Kataja Basket in Finland where he would help the squad to a Korisliiga title. Ultimately, Mullings has played nine seasons professionally for eight teams, including a two-year stint with Kataja in Finland where he averaged 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and two steals per game in 48 games played during the 2018-19 season.
Most recently, Mullings spent the 2023 season with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. In his lone season with his hometown team, Mullings helped lead the Shooting Star to a CEBL title.
Currently, Mullings serves as a basketball coach at Royal Crown Prep School. He is also the founder and CEO of Unlocked Soulz which is an organization that aims to empower youth through wellness awareness and mindfulness practices.
He grew up in Scarborough, Canada, with his mother, Judith Waldin, and credits much of his success to the support of her and his mom away from home, Nina Padilla.
Brooke Salas | Women’s Basketball | 2015-19
Brooke Salas is the final member of this year’s class and joins a short list of Aggies to be inducted in their first year on the ballot. During her four-year career with the Aggies, Salas put forth a laundry list of accomplishments that proved time and time again she is more than deserving of joining this exclusive group.
Across her standout career, Salas scored 1,931 points which makes her the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the women’s basketball program. Salas was more than just an offensive threat and is considered one of the best all-around performers in NM State history. She remains the program leader in blocks with 156 while also ranking third all-time in steals (233) and fourth all-time in rebounds (953).
Her contributions helped the Aggies win four consecutive WAC regular season titles and helped propel NM State to three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. During her time, she started in 125 of the 126 games she appeared in. She would also become just the third player in Aggie history to sign a WNBA contract when she signed with the Seattle Storm in 2019.
As an Aggie, Salas finished as one of the most decorated individuals to don the Crimson and White. She is one of only two players in NM State history to garner two WAC Player of the Year awards and is the only player in the history of the WAC to earn player of the year and defensive player of the year honors in the same season – doing so as a senior in 2018-19. That same season, her averages in points, rebounds, blocks and steals remain among the top 10 single-season marks in program history – ranking tied for sixth in points, third in rebounds, fifth in blocks and seventh in steals.
In total, the guard from Placentia, Calif., was named First Team All-WAC three times while also being named to the WAC All-Defensive Team and WAC All-Tournament Team two times each during her career. She was also named WAC Player of the Week a school-record nine times across four seasons. She also led the WAC in scoring twice (2017-18 and 2018-19) and ranks fifth all-time in WAC history in total points.
Salas came to Las Cruces following an exceptional high school career and immediately made an impact as a true freshman. In her first year at the collegiate level, she averaged 9.4 points per game and 4.6 rebounds en route to being named to the WAC All-Newcomer team. She would pick up one WAC Player of the Week honor as a freshman and eventually be named to the WAC All-Tournament team after scoring 20 points and pulling down five boards to guide the Aggies to a victory over UTRGV in the title game.
As a sophomore, she collected First Team All-WAC honors as she finished the year tied for the team lead in scoring (13.5 ppg) and paced the Aggies in rebounding (6.5 rpg) while emerging as one of the premier players in the conference. Her stellar second season would begin with her first career double-double – posting 18 points and 13 rebounds in a season-opening win over San Jose State. This would prove to be just the start as she ultimately turned in six double-doubles during the 2016-17 season to help lead the Aggies to a WAC regular season title and tournament title in her final season playing for Head Coach Mark Trakh.
Under newly appointed leader Brooke Atkinson, Salas would take another huge leap during her junior campaign as she averaged 19.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead the Aggies in both categories on her way to being named WAC Player of the Year. She would also appear on both the All-WAC First Team and All-WAC Defensive Team after finishing first in the league in scoring while ranking third in the conference in rebounding. Her production would help NM State earn their fourth consecutive WAC regular season title.
As a junior, she would impact the game at every level as she also paced the Aggies in steals (68), blocks (56), three-pointers made (54) and shot a conference-best 83.5% from the free-throw line. During her third year with the Aggies, she submitted double figures in scoring in all but three games while recording seven double-doubles. She also logged a career-high 33 points in a home win over Chicago State and would conclude the season with a 21-point, eight-rebound outing in the first round of the WNIT at Wyoming.
Her career would come to a close with the best season of her career as she averaged a double-double (19.1 ppg and 11.1 rpg) while serving as the leader on an Aggie team that won its fourth WAC title and notched its third NCAA Tournament appearance during Salas’ time on the team. She would also earn WAC Player of the Year Honors for the second-straight season in addition to being named the league’s defensive player of the year.
For the second year in a row, Salas would lead the WAC in scoring while also serving as the league leader in rebounding. On the year, she would also lead the Aggies in steals (83) and blocks (54) while finishing second in the conference in both steals per game (2.7) and blocks per game (1.7). As the centerpiece of the Aggie offense, Salas would score in double figures in all but one game while recording 21 double-doubles. She would also secure the program’s first triple-double since 1992 when she turned in one of the most impressive individual performances in program history – finishing with 32 points, 22 rebounds and 11 blocks to lead the Aggies to a win over Alcorn State on Dec. 21, 2018. Her 11 blocks against the Braves remain tied for the most blocks in a single game in school history.
In the WAC Championship game, Salas would post 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Aggies to an appearance in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. In her final game as an Aggie, Salas would put forth her 34th career double-double as she scored 18 points and snared 12 rebounds against third-seeded Iowa State in the First Round.
Prior to her time with the Aggies, Salas led El Dorado High School during one of its best runs in school history as she guided the Hawks to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section semifinals three straight years, including a trip to the championship game as a senior. She was named an All-CIF selection three times and was named all-county three times, including earning first team honors during her junior and senior campaigns.
Following her career with the Aggies, Salas pursued a professional playing career overseas where she competed for two seasons in Spain. In her rookie season with Bembibre, she averaged 11.2 points and 6.7 rebounds across 19 games. She would follow that up with one season with Zamarat for which she averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Today, Salas is a full-time mom to a three-year old daughter, Tiana, and a six-month old, Kayson, and is engaged to former Aggie men’s basketball player, Trevelin Queen. She is the daughter of Greg and Elizabeth Salas and has two older sisters, Lauren and Allyson, two older brothers, Chris and Geoff, and one younger sister, Katie.