Belen doubles duo rides 15-2 surge into state tennis championships

Cole Rodriguez and Dylan Jaramillo are arriving at the NMAA State 4A Tennis Championships with momentum, a fifth seed in boys doubles and a 15-2 record that has turned Belen’s season from promising to dangerous.

The Eagles’ pairing clinched that spot by beating Valencia and Grants, results that helped Belen lock up the district boys team title and secure a berth to state. Jaramillo believes the duo can reach the semifinals, and maybe the finals, a realistic target for a tandem that already reached the quarterfinals last season.

That postseason experience matters. Rodriguez and Jaramillo are not learning the stage for the first time, and their game is built on complementary strengths that make them difficult to prepare for. Rodriguez supplies the serves and volleys, while Jaramillo brings the steadier rallying game. Together, they have given Belen a doubles team that can win different kinds of points, not just the same one over and over.

Coach Chrissy Cordova has pointed to their powerful serves as one of the main reasons the pair has become such a problem for opponents. Belen’s boys also entered the spring unbeaten at 6-0 in dual matches, with Rodriguez and Jaramillo leading the way as defending district champions in doubles. That combination of early consistency and a proven district track record has made the Eagles one of the more established threats in the 4A bracket.

The state tournament will run May 6-9 at multiple sites in Albuquerque. A/4A doubles first-round play begins Wednesday, May 6, at Albuquerque Academy, with quarterfinals later that afternoon. The semifinals are set for Thursday, May 7, at Jerry Cline Tennis Center, followed by the boys and girls team championships Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, at Albuquerque Academy, Sierra Vista and Jerry Cline. Admission is free.

Beyond the results, the Belen duo has thrived on the psychology of doubles. Jaramillo has said the format is more fun than singles because the pressure is shared, and the two players help settle each other when points swing the wrong way. That steadiness has been a quiet edge for a Belen program that has been building for several seasons, with boys and girls teams both qualifying for state last year.

Rodriguez’s path adds another layer to the story. His move from swimming to tennis brought a different kind of conditioning and competitive discipline into the Eagles’ lineup, and Belen has been the beneficiary. With state play about to begin, Rodriguez and Jaramillo are carrying more than a district title into Albuquerque; they are carrying a legitimate chance to push Belen deeper into the bracket.