Cimarron soccer star inks with UNLV

      Cimarron-Memorial High senior Kevin Lunkwitz made the biggest decision of his life, signing a letter-of-intent Feb. 4 to play soccer for UNLV.
      Lunkwitz, the Sunset Division's Most Valuable Player, turned down a scholarship offer from the University of San Diego to join his brother Paul as a Rebel. Paul Lunkwitz is currently a freshman at UNLV.
      "I'm glad to get it out of the way," said Kevin Lunkwitz, a scholar-athlete. "I've known (UNLV) Coach (Barry) Barto for a lot of years and he has impressed me, and I like the way he runs his program."
      Lunkwitz, who led Cimarron-Memorial in scoring, helped the Spartans to the zone championship as a junior. This past season he led Cimarron-Memorial to the zone semifinals, where it fell to eventual champion Cheyenne, 3-2.
      A first team all-Southern Conference selection, Lunkwitz was also named to the Umbro National Coaches Association Far West all-Regional team.
      "His senior season solidified him as an (NCAA) Division I prospect," said Cimarron-Memorial soccer coach Tommy Porrello. "He has the skill level, size, strength and maturity as a player to excel in the college game."
      Although San Diego appeared to be in Lunkwitz's future after an official trip in October, Porrello said Lunkwitz took a lot of time and put a lot of consideration into his decision.
      "I just feel good knowing it wasn't a rash decision," Porrello said. "It was thought out as to what would be best for him. Both coaches (UNLV and USD) showed a commitment to him, that they wanted him to be a part of their teams."
      Porrello said Lunkwitz's family is very important to him. By choosing UNLV over USD he can maintain that bond, Porrello said.
      "The family factor had a bearing on it," Lunkwitz said. "It's good to play with my brother, but it was more of the fact my whole family would be with me."
      Said Barto: "We're excited to have Kevin on board at UNLV. He is the model student-athlete and best of all he is from right here in town, making it all the more sweeter."
      Porrello's star player put Cimarron-Memorial in a unique situation last season, enabling the Spartans in different aspects on the field.
      Lunkwitz was used as a midfielder and also as a sweeper.
      "I really had high expectations of him and made that clear to him," Porrello said. "And he never let me down. He was just a pleasure to coach."
      Lunkwitz's involvement in the Olympic Development Program, a national identification and development program for high-level players, also helped elevate his game.
      He played on the state development team the past five years, but this year was chosen to play among the elite in the regional pool, which included 35 players from Region IV.
      Lunkwitz was one of three Cimarron athletes who committed to UNLV.
      Toby Smeltzer, who led the Spartans to the state championship football game, and volleyball standout Amber Graham also signed letters-of-intent for the respective sports.