Former High School Standouts To Participate In 2nd Annual NB3 Matchplay At Twin Warriors
Monday on the Santa Ana Pueblo, NFHS Hall of Famer Notah Begay III announced the field for the 2025 NB3 Matchplay at Twin Warriors presented by the Pueblo Santa Ana. Included in the list of collegiate golfers who could tee it up this fall at the event will be former New Mexico high school standouts Aiden Krafft (Cibola High School), Clark Sonnenberg (Albuquerque Academy), Vari Mariscal (Deming High School), Anthony Lara (Gadsden High School), and Alexandria Armendariz (Centennial). Krafft is a two-time individual state champion, claiming the Class 5A State Title in 2022 and 2019.
“I saw Aiden have a putt for 59 here (Twin Warriors), which is incredible,” said Begay. “My coach (at Stanford) did it for me, brought me back to play at the Tucker Invitational (in Albuquerque) my senior year, and that’s how I convinced (former college teammate) Casey Martin to bring the Oregon Ducks here. I said, ‘Hey, you gotta pay it forward and bring Aiden back because this is where he’s from.”
“One of my top players is from Albuquerque and this gives him a chance to come home for his final season,” said Oregon golf coach Casey Martin. “And basically, anything Notah does is first class. We can’t wait to be a part of it.”
There will be four collegiate men’s teams and four women’s teams competing at the Twin Warriors Golf Club on October 7th and 8th. The men’s teams included are the University of New Mexico, the University of Oregon, UNLV, and New Mexico State University. The women’s teams competing will be the University of New Mexico, Texas A&M, the University of Arizona, and New Mexico State University.
Krafft will start his senior year with the Ducks this fall, Sonnenberg is a sophomore with the Lobos, Mariscal is a junior with the Aggies, and Lara will be a senior at New Mexico State. Alex Armendariz just completed her sophomore season at New Mexico State. Mariscal won an individual state championship in 2023 and helped his Deming squad claim the Class 4A team title that same year, as well as leading the Wildcats to a Class 5A team title in 2022. Sonnenberg and the Chargers claimed the Class 4A team honors in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
The event will be televised nationally on Golf Channel October 7th and 8th. Admission is free and there will be an autograph area for high school and junior golfers to meet some of the top collegiate golfers in the country.
Nusenda Credit Union is the Official Financial Sponsor of the NB3 Matchplay at Twin Warriors. “This tournament is a gift to the community and signifies Notah’s dedication to our youth and our student programs,” said Nusenda Credit Union President and CEO Michelle Dearholt.
Notah Begay III is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, current golf broadcaster, Albuquerque Academy graduate, and was inducted into the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame in July of 2022.
