Popular Rio Rancho coach, athletic director succumbs to cancer after lengthy battle
Sal Gonzales was loved, admired and respected around the halls and the fields of Rio Rancho High School, and within New Mexico’s running community as a whole. Hearts were heavy on both fronts Tuesday upon news of his death. “It has been a hard day,” Rio Rancho district athletic director Todd Resch said.
“We knew he had been battling for quite some time, and we are struggling to come to terms that he is gone. Right now, we’re still a bit numb. ” On Monday afternoon, colorectal cancer finally claimed the life of Gonzales — Rio Rancho High’s campus AD — after a multi-year battle with the disease.
He was just 51. “Despite everything he faced, he fought his battle with cancer with unwavering strength and determination until the very end,” his wife, Hope Alcon Gonzales, said in an email to the Journal. “...
His resilience, courage, and sense of duty were a true reflection of the kind of man he was. ” And his death left many grieving deeply. “He was a premier coach and equally a premier person in the running community,” said Hall of Fame coach Adam Kedge of Albuquerque Academy.
Gonzales’ health had been deteriorating in recent weeks. He had to resign his position at Rio Rancho last month in order to focus on his health. That his resignation occurred with the school year still in progress was an ominous sign.
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