Vigil held at University of the Southwest to remember golfers, coach killed in last week's two-vehicle crash

HOBBS, N.M. — More than 100 people gathered for a vigil on a putting green behind a University of the Southwest dorm Monday night and remembered the seven members of the men's and women's golf teams who were killed in a two-vehicle crash on a West Texas highway last Tuesday.

Several people emotionally recalled those who died. A cafeteria server remembered one of the victims, Mauricio Sanchez, as a bright light on campus. The school's soccer coach, Edgar Negrete, recalled bonding with golf coach Tyler James over video games. And soccer player Kimberly Nevarez spoke of how dearly she missed her roommate, Jackson Zinn, who was known for his trademark dimples.

Briana Brock, a senior on the women's soccer team, directed those gathered to turn inward to the school community for consolation.

«A lot of us travel that same path,» she said of long road trips from eastern New Mexico through West Texas. «It could have been any one of us. We all need to lean on God.… Let's lean on each other. That's what we need.»

Because of the whipping winds, students and faculty raised cell-phone flashlights rather than candles to light up the New Mexico sky in memory of the seven who died. Baseball player AJ Cordova led the assembled group in a countdown from five. Cell phones were lifted in the air in silence until one person yelled, «We love you, Mustangs!» — a reference to the school's mascot.

Steve Appel, the university's athletic director and head baseball coach, then asked everyone to huddle in the center of the putting green. The group of people, many of whom wrapped themselves tightly in blankets, counted to three and in unison yelled, «Family!»

«When you go home for school breaks, you don't miss the town. You miss the people,» Negrete