Kirtland Central senior Shilynn Morgan (seated center) celebrates her letter of intent signing to play collegiate soccer for Bryant and Stratton College Bobcats at Albany, NY, with the support of her family, coaches, teammates, friends and Bronco staff on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Kirtland Central senior Shilynn Morgan (seated center) celebrates her letter of intent signing to play collegiate soccer for Bryant and Stratton College Bobcats at Albany, NY, with the support of her family, coaches, teammates, friends and Bronco staff on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally

FARMINGTON – A trio of area seniors signed letters of intent recently, extending their athletic and academic careers to the collegiate level.

Bloomfield’s Lyla Snell-Martinez, a four-year veteran of the girls soccer team, signed to continue her career at the University of Dallas.

Despite an injury that cut her senior season short with the Bobcats, Snell-Martinez’s defensive prowess played an integral role in helping Bloomfield maintain a winning record since her freshman year, including two state tournament appearances. She led the Bobcats with 34 steals this past season while playing midfielder.

Snell-Martinez also improved her scoring over time, jumping from two goals as a freshman to eight in both her junior and senior seasons. She finished with 19 goals across 76 appearances and will look to contribute to the Crusaders this fall.

Bloomfield High School senior Lyla Snell-Martinez (seated center) celebrates her letter of intent signing to play collegiate soccer for the University of Dallas Crusaders at Dallas, TX, with the support of her family, coaches, teammates, friends and Bobcat staff on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Bobcat Gym. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Bloomfield High School senior Lyla Snell-Martinez (seated center) celebrates her letter of intent signing to play collegiate soccer for the University of Dallas Crusaders at Dallas, TX, with the support of her family, coaches, teammates, friends and Bobcat staff on Friday, March 27, 2026 at Bobcat Gym. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally

Under head coach Jeremiah Narvaez, who took the helm ahead of the 2025 season, the Crusaders are coming off a 3-12-1 overall finish (2-7-1 in the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference).

Kirtland Central’s Shilynn Morgan also signed her letter of intent to play soccer at Bryant & Stratton College in Albany, New York, where she plans to pursue a nursing degree.

A three-year member of the varsity roster and a multisport athlete, Morgan found early offensive success, scoring seven of her 27 career goals during her freshman season.

She played a key role for the Broncos this past season, helping lead the team to a 9-9-1 overall record and a 2-5-1 finish in District 1-4A. Morgan scored 13 goals, the second-most on the team, and she hopes to be an asset to the Bobcats this fall.

The Bobcats compete in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association under head coach Jennifer Groth, who took over the program in May 2025.

Fellow Kirtland Central senior Kayben Dowdy signed with Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, to continue his football career.

Kirtland Central senior Kayben Dowdy signed his letter of intent to play collegiate football for Cornell College Rams at Mount Vernon, Iowa, with the support of his family on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Kirtland Central senior Kayben Dowdy signed his letter of intent to play collegiate football for Cornell College Rams at Mount Vernon, Iowa, with the support of his family on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally

Over his final two seasons, Dowdy’s combination of speed and versatility made him a contributor on both sides of the ball. Dowdy made headway in his junior year, hauling in seven catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns while contributing in the backfield with seven tackles.

In his senior season, Dowdy rushed for 326 yards and two touchdowns while adding 18 receptions for 153 yards. Defensively, he recorded 29 tackles and three sacks. He joins a Rams program that finished 4-6 overall and 4-5 in the Midwest Conference last year.

Cornell is led by head coach Curt Ritchie, who was named to the position in March 2025.