Two iconic figures in Alamogordo’s high school sports scene were recently recognized for their decades of dedication and achievement with induction into the New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA) Hall of Honor.
Alamogordo High School’s longtime golf coach, Tommy Standefer, and the late Marylin Sepulveda, a groundbreaking advocate for girls’ athletics in New Mexico, were both honored during the NMHSCA’s annual convention and coaches clinic on July 18-19 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Tommy Standefer’s Lasting Legacy
For Standefer, who has coached golf at AHS since 1994, the induction is a career milestone. “It means everything,” he said. “To be part of a group with so many great coaches is humbling.”
Before taking the reins at Alamogordo, Standefer played college football and later coached at Eastern New Mexico University, where he helped lead the Greyhounds to a Lone Star Conference title. He also spent years as an assistant and head football coach for the Tigers, including a playoff run as head coach from 2007 to 2012.
“I’ll never forget our second game in 1993—snapping a 16-game losing streak,” he recalled. “The 2006 team’s run to the state final was also a highlight of my football years.”
But golf became his long-term passion. Over 36 years with the program, Standefer has guided the Tigers to 19 podium finishes at state, including four championships. He has coached six individual state champions and earned 25 district titles. His achievements earned him NMHSCA’s Golf Coach of the Year honor in 2024.
“I love the challenge each team brings,” he said. “That variety keeps me going—and I’m looking forward to seeing what this next group of young players can do.”
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Standefer’s coaching foundation was built in Clovis, where he played for Hall of Honor coach Eric Roanhaus and was part of a 1981 state championship team.
Marylin Sepulveda: A Trailblazer for Girls’ Athletics
Marylin Sepulveda’s legacy continues to inspire, particularly in the world of track and field. An elite high school all-star meet held annually in Albuquerque bears her name, a tribute to her lasting influence on New Mexico athletics.
Starting her career in 1965 as a PE teacher at Alamogordo High School, Sepulveda quickly emerged as a pioneer. She was the first woman in the state to coach both boys and girls cross country, and she also led the school’s girls track and field team in its early years. Under her leadership, AHS’s girls track team became state runners-up in 1975 and state champions in 1982.
Her cross country program reached new heights the same year, placing third at state. Beyond coaching, Sepulveda helped shape the future of the sport statewide—she was a founding member and the first president of the New Mexico Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, serving in that role until her passing in 1989.
While Standefer never had the opportunity to work with Marylin directly, he knew her husband, Bob Sepulveda, a respected coach in his own right and a fellow Hall of Honor inductee.
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“I’ve been fortunate to be around some incredible mentors,” Standefer said. “From my playing days with Coach Roanhaus to coaching under Don Carthel, I’ve learned so much from those experiences.”
Both honorees leave behind a powerful legacy of dedication, leadership, and inspiration that has helped shape generations of New Mexico student-athletes.
