Santa Fe High volleyball coach resigns

Ronquillo was arrested in February on drunken driving charges

James Barron | The New Mexican

6/17/2008 - 6/18/08

With the 2008-09 school year just two months away, Santa Fe High School has another fall sports position to fill.

Head volleyball coach Diana Ronquillo, who is facing drunken driving charges, has resigned, Santa Fe High principal Daniel Webb said on Tuesday. Webb said he learned of her decision earlier in the morning, but did not state her reasons for the decision.

Webb did say Ronquillo met with Santa Fe Public Schools superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez and human resources director Tracie Oliver last week.

Ronquillo was arrested in February on a first-time DWI charge and was cited for failure to maintain a traffic lane after being stopped by a Tesuque Tribal Police officer on Feb. 23.

She has elected for a jury trial, which is scheduled for Aug. 18 and has pled not guilty.

"I know her decision was to resign," Webb said. "I'm sorry she's leaving because she did bring a (District 2AAAAA) champion to Santa Fe High School. But people have to decide the circumstances of their life situations and her decision was to move on."

Ronquillo and Gutierrez did not return phone messages left by The New Mexican.

Ronquillo is the second head coach to resign this month. Head football coach Mike Ulibarri left his post on June 6, citing a reassignment from the physical education department to special education as the reason.

Webb said a search committee will conduct football coach interviews on Thursday and he hopes to submit a recommendation to Gutierrez after that. Webb did not say how many candidates will be interviewed or how many applied for the position. An advertisement for the volleyball opening was posted on the New Mexico Activities Association Web site on Tuesday.

Santa Fe High posted a 42-44 record in four years under Ronquillo, with two berths in the Class AAAAA State Tournament and a District 2AAAAA title in 2004. But the Demonettes were just 11-30 in 2006 and 2007, including a 5-16 mark last season.

Ronquillo was arrested when a Tesuque police officer observed Ronquillo driving a 2004 BMW at 35 m.p.h , which was 30 m.p.h. slower than the posted speed limit, according to a criminal complaint. The officer stated that Ronquillo almost hit a guard rail when she was pulled over, slurred her speech while he questioned her and failed a field sobriety test before being arrested.

She was the second Santa Fe High coach to face such charges in as many years.

In May of 2006, Demons head boys basketball coach Lenny Roybal was arrested, but he pled guilty to lesser charges of careless driving.

Contact James Barron at jbarron@sfnewmexican.com or 986-3045.