Decorated Field Players Over the Years
Female Players
Numerous players have had great success at the University of Southern California who the Vela’s helped coach/mentor through their 5 years at USC, culminating with the first ever Pac10 Championship in 1999. (1995-1999) They then got recruited to create a successful program at the University of New Mexico. After taking a program no one had ever heard of, in 2000, ranked 240th out of 286 programs, they left the program in 2014 ranked in the top 50 and annually in the top 3 spots for the Mountain West Conference, which was a top 10 conference during their years at the helm. With that being said, in 2010 UNM was ranked as high at 17 in the country and in 2011 in the top 20. Many players made all conference, all-region, and all academic (at all levels), but the fact remains that all of the players developed their whole self, on and off the field.
Such players (UNM players have already been mentioned in Meet the Velas)
Three significant accolades: 2010 AND 2011, Jennifer Williams POY (offensive) and Kelli Cornell POY (defensive) 2001, 2010 & 2014 Kit Vela, Coach of the Year
Oceana Garcia (Long Island University, 2020, DI) – Pateadores CA DA 01- while daily training with Pateadores NM
Anna Swanson (Wake Forest University, 2021, DI, top 10 NCAA) Pateadores, CA 02/01 DA - while daily training with Pateadores NM
Lorelei Logan (University of Memphis, 2021, DI, top 25 NCAA) Pateadores CA 02/01 DA- while daily training with Pateadores NM
Layla Logan (2007) RSL-Phx ECNL
Ava Ghoraishi (2007) RSL-Phx ECNL
11 players (2001/02/03 team) to various DII programs nationally
Gabriella Martin (Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK, i2i W. Academy) Pats CA 03 DA
Zaneta Wyne (UNM, ’12, various international teams, 2021/22 West Ham United) Currently (2022) contracted with Louisville Racing (NWSL)
Amanda Collins, Brianna Webster, Jessica Quador, all UNM Alumni under the Vela’s played in various International programs, post-graduation. Several others recruited by the Vela’s made trips to various countries as well.
Male Players
Paolo Vela (NMUnited u19's Captained to 3rd in nation in the USL, u23's - 1st ever team, Wofford College, DI, SCON)
Cristiano Vela (Austin FC u13, currently u14 Academy team)
Kobi Henry, (Pats 03), 2016-2017; since moving; Orlando City, Inter Miami, Orange County SC (17 year old signed pro contract) US National teams u17 through Full team (camp, 2020) Signed professional contract with French Club, Stade de Reims 2
USYFutsal National and Regional Teams – 7-9 players have come through Vela Soccer Academy and our unique training with Futsal as a foundation to make various girls and boys national and regional Futsal teams.
Decorated Goal Keepers over the years
Lorelei Logan (2022 University of Memphis), Evan Kowalski (NM United u19 Academy, 2021-2022), Andres Vela Saenz (NM United u19 Academy, 2021-2022), Miguel Quinones (NM United u19 Academy team 2022), Shaelyn Fernandez (USC), Lauren Arase (National Champion at the University of Portland), Marco Palmieri (UC Berkeley), Elliot Farmer (UCI), amongst many others, both in the men’s and women’s game. (these years are 1995-2022)
Jorge Vela spent 14 years at the University of New Mexico as one of the finest assistants and goalkeeper coaches in the country. Vela was appointed as the top assistant upon arriving at UNM in December of 2000. After 8 seasons coaching with his wife, Kit Vela, at the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount, the duo made an incredible mark on the history of the UNM soccer program. With Jorge coaching the keepers, the Lobos established a solid reputation as a veritable goalkeeper factory, and UNM regularly had goalkeepers honored by the Mountain West.
The most decorated goalkeeper protégé at UNM was Kelli Cornell, who was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. The Lobos racked up 34 shutouts in the 3 years (with Cornell recording 33 of them), and UNM recorded a goals-against-average under 1.00 in each of her last 3 seasons. Cornell is also the winningest keeper in school history.
Jorge made an immediate impact in his first season by molding Shelly Hammock into the league's premier goalkeeper. Hammock earned first team all-conference honors for the first time in her career and also became the first goalkeeper in league history to be named MWC Player of the Week, following her 10-save performance in the Lobos' 1-0 shutout win at No. 12 Kentucky on September 30, 2001.
Vela coached 4-time MWC honoree Kristen Winters to notable success over her 4-year career. In 2002, Winters was named MWC Goalkeeper of the Year and went on to break several records at UNM. She finished her career as the all-time leader for wins with 28 and carries the record for most career shutouts with 25. Under the guidance of Vela, Winters developed into one of the top goalies in the conference and solidified herself as one of the best to come through the Lobos' program. Vela's influence was brought to the forefront in 2006 with the emergence of goalkeeper Shannon Adragna. Adragna earned second team All-MWC honors after recording a 0.80 goals-against-average, winning 8 games and posting 6 shutouts.
In all, UNM's top 3 winningest keepers, top 3 keepers in terms of shutouts, and the top 3 in goals against average, all played their entire careers under Jorge Vela.
Jorge and Kit Vela had separate playing and coaching careers, before they met in 1994 and married in 1997. (Thank you Coach Jim Millinder - USF - for hiring us both at LMU!) One united, they have coached and developed hundreds of athletes for their own programs or those who have gone onto other successful programs!