Four young athletes from schools serving McKinley County communities were recognized this week as prep honorees, drawing attention to both their on‑field accomplishments and the role of school sports in local health and youth development. The Crownpoint junior volleyball player Miley McMillan, Ramah junior volleyball player Geneva Nabours, Thoreau freshman cross‑country runner Naythan Cleveland and Tse’ Yi’ Gai junior volleyball libero Malia Yazzie were listed among the week’s honorees by Gallup Sun Weekly.

The most measurable result among the group came from cross‑country, where Thoreau freshman Naythan Cleveland ran a sub‑19‑minute race at the Albuquerque Academy Extravaganza — a milestone that marks notable early development for a high school freshman competing at regional meets. Volleyball standouts from Crownpoint, Ramah and Tse’ Yi’ Gai rounded out the list, representing the continued presence of competitive girls’ volleyball programs across the county and adjacent communities.

For McKinley County residents, the recognition is more than individual acclaim. High school sports function as important community hubs in rural and tribal areas, offering structured physical activity, after‑school engagement, and social connection — all factors linked to improved adolescent physical and mental health outcomes. Regular participation in athletics helps lower risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes and depression, and provides a vehicle for life skills development such as teamwork and resilience.

At the same time, the honorees’ visibility highlights systemic challenges that affect McKinley County athletes. Rural and tribal schools often contend with limited budgets for coaching, athletic training, transportation and safe facilities. Access to certified athletic trainers, concussion protocols, strength and conditioning programs, and equitable opportunities for girls’ sports can vary widely from district to district. These disparities have public health implications: without consistent investment, young athletes face higher risks of injury, less support for recovery, and reduced opportunities for the long‑term benefits of sport participation.

Local policymakers and school leaders can use moments like this to consider targeted supports that sustain and expand youth sports access. Investments in basic infrastructure, partnerships with county public health and regional hospitals for sports medicine outreach, reliable transportation to meets and matches, and support for coaches’ professional development would strengthen the pipeline of healthy youth participation. Ensuring that Title IX compliance and culturally responsive programming reach schools across McKinley County is also important for equity.

The weekly honors provide reasons for parents, neighbors and civic leaders to celebrate young people who work hard on the field and the course. They also serve as a reminder that community health extends beyond clinics and into school gyms and cross‑country trails. Supporting those spaces through funding, policy and local engagement can help translate individual achievements into broad, lasting benefits for McKinley County’s youth.