GALLUP, N.M. — Katherine “Killer Kat” Lincoln was a very good softball player at Gallup High School, but the first-year student athlete at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona isn’t one to rest on past laurels.
“I chose this school because of Head Coach Sabeana Romero,” Lincoln said. “She made me feel right at home and welcomed me.” Lincoln studies mechanical engineering. Lincoln continued, “I thought it was also good to know my parents could make the drive to watch me play. I want them there most of the time, because I feel the support from them when I play. I figured to start off small, and then transfer after two years to a bigger university.”
Lincoln isn’t the sole star athlete in her Gallup family. Her mother, Janice, and twin sister, Janet, played basketball for Gallup High School under the legendary and late New Mexico Hall of Fame Coach John Lomasney. They won Gallup High’s first state championship title in 1994.
And, Lincoln has an older brother, Dade, who played football, baseball, wrestling and track and field during his high school years at Gallup High in 2017. And, younger brother, Micah Lincoln, Jr., played baseball and basketball during his elementary and middle school years in Gallup. He is currently a freshman in high school. “She has been involved with sports since a very young age and fell in love with sports since then,” Janice Lincoln said.
When Kat was accepted into Scottsdale Community College, the entire family was more than elated. “They were so happy, and couldn’t wait for signing day,” Kat Lincoln said. “I would be the first athlete in the family that would go to college to play softball on a scholarship.”
Kat said her biggest fans are her grandparents. She said they have supported her throughout the years and when she told them the good news about being accepted to SCC, they were excited at knowing that she’s continuing softball at the collegiate level.
“In college, it is very different,” Kat Lincoln said. “You have to manage your time more wisely and you cannot mess around. It is more of a job and girls are out here to compete. You have to work harder than the girl next to you, because we all want that starting spot.” Kat Lincoln con-tinued, “There is more diversity now on the team, but we get along just fine. Study Hall is man-datory unless told otherwise, and coach is really on you about grades. That’s what I like about her. She cares for you outside of softball as well.”
Kat was a very good athlete at Gallup High as witnessed by the variety of schools that came knocking during the recruiting period. That contingent of schools included Washington Advent-ist University in Maryland, Garden City Community College in Kansas, Feather River Communi-ty College in California and Luna Community College in New Mexico, among other institutions.
“In high school, my primary position was shortstop, but I’ve pitched also and played second base. They put me at third base for a bit of time because they needed someone to fill that posi-tion. Basically, I am a utility player,” Lincoln said of her time so far at SCC.
Kat Lincoln’s parents are eternally happy. “Our favorite memory was watching our daughter win the very first state championship for Gallup High School. Never in the history of Gallup High had a state title been won for softball at Gallup High,” Kat’s father, Micah Lincoln, Sr., com-mented. Micah is from St. Michaels, Arizona.
Micah Lincoln added, “After watching Kat play softball since she was six years old and having to sacrifice weekends and free time, she got what she worked so hard for and that was the state title. Now the banner is hung where everyone can see it and we are proud that our daughter was a part of that.”
Janice Lincoln, who is from Sundance, New Mexico, a checkerboard area east of Gallup, said, “We give a lot of appreciation to former Coach Rayfert Spencer who took Kat in on the New Mexico Titans travel team where she furthered her skills on the field. He had a dream for the core girls, in which Kat was one of, and that dream became a reality for her. We are so proud of her accomplishments.”
Kat Lincoln: “Without the Lord, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Everything in my life right now is because of my faith. Prayer works and faith works. All the hard work pays off in the end. I will never forget where I came from and who was all behind me.”
Sabeana Romero was named the Fighting Artichokes’ Head Softball Coach in 2021. In her first season, the team finished 8-26, with that being one of the better records over the last four sea-sons. With that record, Scottsdale finished 5th in the ACCAC. Romero did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Did you know? Ryneldi Becenti of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was one of the best Navajo athletes of her generation. She was a member of the state championship basketball team at Window Rock High School and was selected Arizona Player of the Year as a senior. She arrived at Scottsdale Community College in the fall of 1989, and over the next two seasons led the Lady Artichokes to 44 wins. Ryneldi was a two-time NJCAA All-American and holds all time SCC records in scoring, assists, free throw percentage and field goal percentage. Her jersey number (21) was re-tired in 1994. Becenti went on to star at Arizona State University where she was selected as a Honorable Mention All American in 1992-93 season. She has been inducted into both the Ameri-can Indian Athletic Hall of Fame and the Arizona State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
GALLUP, N.M. — Katherine “Killer Kat” Lincoln was a very good softball player at Gallup High School, but the first-year student athlete at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona isn’t one to rest on past laurels.
“I chose this school because of Head Coach Sabeana Romero,” Lincoln said. “She made me feel right at home and welcomed me.” Lincoln studies mechanical engineering. Lincoln continued, “I thought it was also good to know my parents could make the drive to watch me play. I want them there most of the time, because I feel the support from them when I play. I figured to start off small, and then transfer after two years to a bigger university.”
Lincoln isn’t the sole star athlete in her Gallup family. Her mother, Janice, and twin sister, Janet, played basketball for Gallup High School under the legendary and late New Mexico Hall of Fame Coach John Lomasney. They won Gallup High’s first state championship title in 1994.
And, Lincoln has an older brother, Dade, who played football, baseball, wrestling and track and field during his high school years at Gallup High in 2017. And, younger brother, Micah Lincoln, Jr., played baseball and basketball during his elementary and middle school years in Gallup. He is currently a freshman in high school. “She has been involved with sports since a very young age and fell in love with sports since then,” Janice Lincoln said.
When Kat was accepted into Scottsdale Community College, the entire family was more than elated. “They were so happy, and couldn’t wait for signing day,” Kat Lincoln said. “I would be the first athlete in the family that would go to college to play softball on a scholarship.”
Kat said her biggest fans are her grandparents. She said they have supported her throughout the years and when she told them the good news about being accepted to SCC, they were excited at knowing that she’s continuing softball at the collegiate level.
“In college, it is very different,” Kat Lincoln said. “You have to manage your time more wisely and you cannot mess around. It is more of a job and girls are out here to compete. You have to work harder than the girl next to you, because we all want that starting spot.” Kat Lincoln con-tinued, “There is more diversity now on the team, but we get along just fine. Study Hall is man-datory unless told otherwise, and coach is really on you about grades. That’s what I like about her. She cares for you outside of softball as well.”
Kat was a very good athlete at Gallup High as witnessed by the variety of schools that came knocking during the recruiting period. That contingent of schools included Washington Advent-ist University in Maryland, Garden City Community College in Kansas, Feather River Communi-ty College in California and Luna Community College in New Mexico, among other institutions.
“In high school, my primary position was shortstop, but I’ve pitched also and played second base. They put me at third base for a bit of time because they needed someone to fill that posi-tion. Basically, I am a utility player,” Lincoln said of her time so far at SCC.
Kat Lincoln’s parents are eternally happy. “Our favorite memory was watching our daughter win the very first state championship for Gallup High School. Never in the history of Gallup High had a state title been won for softball at Gallup High,” Kat’s father, Micah Lincoln, Sr., com-mented. Micah is from St. Michaels, Arizona.
Micah Lincoln added, “After watching Kat play softball since she was six years old and having to sacrifice weekends and free time, she got what she worked so hard for and that was the state title. Now the banner is hung where everyone can see it and we are proud that our daughter was a part of that.”
Janice Lincoln, who is from Sundance, New Mexico, a checkerboard area east of Gallup, said, “We give a lot of appreciation to former Coach Rayfert Spencer who took Kat in on the New Mexico Titans travel team where she furthered her skills on the field. He had a dream for the core girls, in which Kat was one of, and that dream became a reality for her. We are so proud of her accomplishments.”
Kat Lincoln: “Without the Lord, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Everything in my life right now is because of my faith. Prayer works and faith works. All the hard work pays off in the end. I will never forget where I came from and who was all behind me.”
Sabeana Romero was named the Fighting Artichokes’ Head Softball Coach in 2021. In her first season, the team finished 8-26, with that being one of the better records over the last four sea-sons. With that record, Scottsdale finished 5th in the ACCAC. Romero did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Did you know? Ryneldi Becenti of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was one of the best Navajo athletes of her generation. She was a member of the state championship basketball team at Window Rock High School and was selected Arizona Player of the Year as a senior. She arrived at Scottsdale Community College in the fall of 1989, and over the next two seasons led the Lady Artichokes to 44 wins. Ryneldi was a two-time NJCAA All-American and holds all time SCC records in scoring, assists, free throw percentage and field goal percentage. Her jersey number (21) was re-tired in 1994. Becenti went on to star at Arizona State University where she was selected as a Honorable Mention All American in 1992-93 season. She has been inducted into both the Ameri-can Indian Athletic Hall of Fame and the Arizona State University Athletic Hall of Fame.