Belen girls, boys reach 4A state tennis team competition

Belen put both of its tennis programs on the 4A state stage, a sign that the Eagles have built enough depth to send girls and boys into the team bracket in the same season.

The Belen girls entered as the No. 2 seed, drew a first-round bye into the quarterfinals and opened with a 6-3 win over St. Pius. Their run ended in the semifinals, where Los Alamos shut out Belen 6-0. The boys also qualified for the 4A team competition, giving Belen a strong two-team showing in the New Mexico Activities Association championships.

The team event was part of the 2026 state tennis championships scheduled for May 6-9, with 4A team competition set for May 8-9. Matches were played across Albuquerque at Jerry Cline Tennis Center, Albuquerque Academy and Ventana Ranch Park, with admission free for spectators. For Belen, the setting mattered because the Eagles were not just participating in the bracket, they were carrying the county’s hopes on both the girls and boys sides.

Coach Chrissy Cordova said earlier this spring that the boys were unbeaten at 6-0 in dual matches, noting, "They are just strong. Their serves are so powerful," and pointing to the team’s overall depth as a reason Belen had a real chance to qualify. That depth showed up again in the state field, where the Eagles turned district success into another postseason appearance.

The girls’ bracket run built on a program trend that has kept Belen among the state’s more consistent tennis schools. In 2025, the Eagles captured District 5-4A titles in both boys and girls tennis, and Belen’s girls went all the way to the state final before falling to Albuquerque Academy 5-0. Cordova said that run was the furthest Belen tennis had ever reached, and this year’s return to the team championship kept that standard alive.

Belen’s stay in the semifinals was brief, but it still underscored the strength of the program’s pipeline. With players such as Dylan Jaramillo, Cole Rodriguez, Ava Fragua and Gabby Jaramillo already part of a district-winning season, Belen showed it can keep producing competitive lineups on both sides of the draw. That matters in Valencia County, where Belen, Valencia and Los Lunas all continue to send athletes into state competition and keep local tennis visible beyond the metro area.

For Belen, making the 4A team bracket with both boys and girls was more than a good weekend. It was another sign that the Eagles remain a program with the coaching, depth and player development to stay in the state conversation.