Now that it’s early June, Durango High School is a few weeks removed from high school spring sports. Therefore, it’s a great time to look at all-league awards.
The Demons had a phenomenal spring season, with every team making it to state playoffs; a feat that will be tough to repeat in the coming years.
Because of this, plenty of Durango spring sports student-athletes were placed on all-league teams.
The highlights include senior girls golfer Ellie White winning the Southwestern League Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Girls soccer head coach Zac Keeler and baseball head coach Masen Hibbeler won Southwestern League Coach of the Year in their first seasons leading their programs. Valeria Skarbek also won Mountain League All Conference Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year in her first season coaching boys lacrosse.
Here’s the full list of Durango student-athletes who made all-league teams:
Girls golf:
First team all-league: Ellie White, Jayden Craig, Dylan Livingston
Ellie White won player of the year in the league for the second consecutive season after a great senior season before she heads to Fort Lewis College to join its women’s golf team.
Durango had a lot of balance and depth and White was a big reason. She was almost always shooting in the high 70s, low 80s and had plenty of top 10 finishes.
White had a fantastic varsity career for the Demons and head coach Kirk Rawles will have a tough time replacing her consistent, strong play.
Jayden Craig was another strong player for the Demons and improved her game as a junior. The highlight of her season was winning the 4A Regional 4 Regional. Like White, she was very consistent and was a big part of the Demons’ success in the regular season and Durango’s second-place finish at state.
She’s a huge returning piece for the Demons, along with Dylan Livingston.
As a sophomore, Livingston showed her talent by winning tournaments and being a key part of Durango’s top four. At over 6 feet tall, Livingston is a powerful hitter but also has soft hands around and on the green.
Livingston has the talent to be one of the top golfers in the state as a junior. The experience she has from her freshman and sophomore years will help with that quest.
Second team all-league: Raimee Brant, Riley Harms
Raimee Brant will be another key player for Rawles to replace. As a senior, Brant had her moments when she was the best player at a tournament and was a key part of Durango’s top four these past two years.
Riley Harms was outside the top four but made big strides in her junior season. Rawles had nothing but positive things to say about her progress. Expect her to jump into the top four next season and help replace White and Brant’s production.
Girls soccer:
Southwestern League Coach of the Year: Zac Keeler
Keeler won the coach of the year in the league in his first try. The program was running at a high level under former head coach Melissa Halonen and it didn’t drop under Keeler.
An assistant under Durango boys soccer head coach Sean Ackerman, Keeler inherited a talented roster, but the Demons struggled early, losing their first three games.
Then Durango got really hot at the right time. The Demons won 14 consecutive games, including a 10-0 record in the league, before the state playoffs and won two state playoff games before falling to Lutheran in the 4A quarterfinals.
Keeler showed his coaching abilities and was rewarded. He’ll have a lot of talent returning, but will still have to replace some important seniors.
First team all-league: Peyton Cioppa, Emma Hyder, Lauren McClellan
What made the Demons’ squad great was its depth and balance. Durango could score from all over and could capitalize on an opponent’s weakness.
Peyton Cioppa was one of Keeler’s best weapons. The senior midfielder was one of the few players who had the speed and touch to consistently beat her opponent one-on-one. She was a key connector who finished with three goals and four assists.
Fellow senior Emma Hyder was a fantastic option on offense with her height on set pieces and touch around the goal. She led the team with 26 points and finished with nine goals and a team-high eight assists.
Before the 3-0 loss to Lutheran to end Durango’s offense, the Demons’ defense was phenomenal. A big reason for that was Lauren McClellan. The senior defender showed strength with her tackles, touch with her passes up the field and composure on the back line.
All three first team all-league players will be tough losses for Keeler and the program.
Second team all-league: Ellis Campbell, Ryne Neiman
One of Durango’s highest upside players is Ellis Campbell. The sophomore played on the right wing and could usually find space to deliver some great crosses into the 18-yard box. When she wasn’t crossing the ball, Campbell had the skill to finish; she finished third on the team in points with nine goals and three assists.
Despite only being a junior, Ryne Neiman was one of the more experienced players on the team since she’s been on varsity since she was a freshman, playing goalie.
Durango’s defense was so great that Neiman didn’t have to make a ton of saves. When she did, she was a steady hand and didn’t make many mistakes.
The Demons’ backline, combined with Neiman’s experience, was a big reason the Demons didn’t allow a single goal in the six games before Lutheran.
Girls lacrosse:
First Team All-Conference Mountain League: Silvie Bosmans, Fiona Chandler, Jordan Meininger, Kyana Newcomer-Ball
The Durango girls lacrosse team had a very successful season at 11-4 overall, a league championship and a home playoff victory. So, it’s no surprise to see plenty of Demons on the first team all-conference. It’s also not a surprise because Durango was very well balanced on offense and defense.
Senior Silvie Bosmans was a huge piece of the Demons’ offense. She led the team with 41 points on 35 goals and six assists. Bosmans was also the Demons’ main option on draws and did a great job getting the Demons possession.
Fellow senior Fiona Chandler had another great season in goal to cap off her fantastic career. She bailed out the Demons’ defense with great saves throughout the season and did a good job distributing the ball from inside and outside the crease. Chandler will be one of the toughest players to replace for head coach Eric Elliot.
Jordan Meininger was a great contributor in her senior season, finishing with 24 points and was one of those pieces that kept Durango’s offense so balanced.
Fellow senior Kyana Newcomer-Ball was a great defender for the Demons, with great positioning and a knack for ground balls.
Elliot will have to replace a lot next year but luckily he has some very talented players still in the program.
Second team all-conference: Taylor Babcock, Sofia Naffziger
Junior Taylor Babcock will be a key returner for the Demons after finishing her junior campaign with 30 goals and four assists for 34 points, good for second-best on the team. She had nine games with multiple goals.
Senior Sofia Naffziger was a talented scorer around the goal with 27 goals and 10 assists. She was tall, strong and able to get good position around the goal to score.
Boys lacrosse:
Mountain League All Conference Boys Lacrosse Coach of the Year: Valeria Skarbek
The Durango boys lacrosse head coach had an incredible first season, turning around the program. Skarbek instilled discipline and accountability to a team that had won four games over the previous three seasons.
Skarbek guided Durango to a 6-9 record overall and a 4-6 record in the 4A Mountain League. She got the most out of the talent she had and gave all her players their first taste of state playoff lacrosse.
Read more about Skarbek’s incredible story here.
First team all-conference: JT Munger, Owen Muraro
Seniors JT Munger and Owen Muraro were the two best creators for the Demons this season. Munger was the best passer and shooter from the outside, while Muraro was finishing around the crease with good stick skills.
Munger led the team with 86 points from 32 goals and 54 assists. Muraro wasn’t far behind with 68 points from 50 goals and 18 assists.
Second team all-conference: Zane Geygan, Alex Gnehm
The two Durango players on the second team all-conference were two of the biggest pieces to Durango’s defense. Seniors Zane Geygan and Alex Gnehm faced a lot of strong players but kept Durango in the game.
Gnehm made some incredible stops in goals as he was constantly peppered with shots, as the Demons struggled with possession at times. Geygan was a senior leader on close defense who was second on the team in ground balls.
Baseball:
Southwestern League All-Conference Co-Coach of the Year: Masen Hibbeler
Durango baseball was another example of a program turned around by a first-year coach. Masen Hibbeler came in after a tough year in 2024. He transformed the team with his aggressive play style, expertise as a former Division I player and as a trainer.
The Demons finished the season 15-10 overall and made it to the state playoffs for the first time since 2014 after winning their regional.
First team all-conference: Dawson McInnes
Junior Dawson McInnes was a threat on the mound and at the plate for the Demons. He led the team with a 0.427 batting average and with 32 hits. On the mound, McInnes had the second-lowest ERA on the team with a 3.88.
It’s no surprise that with McInnes’ frame and athleticism shown on the football field, he made a big impact on the diamond.
Second team all-conference: Austin Romero, Duncan Walsh
Junior Austin Romero and sophomore Duncan Walsh were key to the Demons’ success this season. Walsh was a good catcher for the Demons and was solid as a hitter. Romero was second on the team in batting average at 0.403 and third on the team in ERA at 4.08.
The Durango baseball team should be very good in Hibbeler’s second year, with a large group of juniors and sophomores returning hungry to go deeper in the state playoffs.
bkelly@durangoherald.com