Aubrhyana Garcia is the 2025 female Athlete of the Year for Grants High School. Garcia was a rounded athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball for all four years of her Pirate career.
Garcia played the position of setter on the volleyball team as an underclassman, and later, as an upperclassman, she played right side hitter.
“I was pretty good at playing with the older teammates, they taught me a lot–it was faster pace—my hitting got better leading up to my senior year,” Garcia said of her volleyball experience.
Her most memorable moment on the volleyball team was when they played Bloomfield in a tournament in Santa Fe and they defeated them in five sets, it was “wild” and “nerve wracking,' she said.
On the topic of her basketball career, Garcia was a guard who played C-team and JV her freshman and sophomore year.
Her junior, and especially her senior year were her most memorable.
A fond memory she had is while playing summer basketball where they almost beat St. Pius in a tournament and that gave her confidence to play hard in the regular season. Her best memories were in districts as a senior with her teammates.
Her senior year basketball coach was first year head coach Jesi Mandagaran. “She is strong, quick, agile and clever minded,” Mandagaran said of Garcia.
Mandagaran added, “Aubrhy’s specialty is that she isn’t uniquely special at one (sport) more than the other–that in itself is special—-being a high value player in all three sports equally is such a rare and hard thing to do.”
Garcia had much praise for coach Mandagaran and enjoyed her senior year on the basketball team the most—especially the district games.
Garcia said teammates would remember her for keeping them motivated, if she had a movie title about her sports life it would be “hype man” as she was always trying to lift people up. Coach Mandagaran echoed that in her comments by stating, “She was a great leader and a great teammate– she knew when to lift teammates up or when to give them a push.”
On to spring sports and for Garcia that would be softball. Garcia played at the crucial short stop position all 4 years, first on JV then varsity. “I would watch older players and ask questions to get a feel for the game,” said Garcia.
Garcia became the older player her junior and senior year and gave her own advice, motivation and accolades to her teammates.
Her junior and senior year coach, Victor Aldaz, said of Garcia, “Aubrhyanna has truly been a leader both on and off the field—she led her class in all key stats and set season-high records for the lady Pirates.”
Aldaz added, “Garcia had 51 career hits and 56 runs scored–an incredible feat that reflects her dedication and hard work.”
Other accolades earned in softball include, West Las Vegas All-Tournament team 2024, First Team All-District in 2024 and All-Academic Team in 2025.
Aldaz concluded, “We will surely miss her contributions on the field, her fun personality— Aubrhyanna has truly made a lasting impact on our team and community.”
Garcia who was driven by “winning” and being “competitive” will take her skills and talents in the fall to U.N.MGallup this fall and plans on eventually completing a cosmetology program.
Garcia in her parting words encouraged future athletes to not take everything so serious, but to be competitive.