Valencia County teams fill state tennis brackets in Albuquerque

Twelve Valencia County players from Belen, Los Lunas and Valencia filled the state tennis brackets in Albuquerque, a spread that showed the county was sending more than one or two isolated contenders into the postseason. Belen entered the 4A boys team draw as the No. 2 seed, Valencia drew New Mexico Military Institute, and Los Lunas’ boys were lined up for a 5A meeting with Organ Mountain as the championships unfolded at three Albuquerque sites.

The New Mexico Activities Association scheduled the 2026 state tennis championships for May 6-9, with matches split among Jerry Cline Tennis Center, Albuquerque Academy and Ventana Ranch Park. Admission was free, giving families a low-cost way to follow a busy local field that stretched across team play, singles and doubles.

Belen supplied the county’s strongest team presence. Joshua Jaramillo was in 4A boys singles, while Dylan Jaramillo and Cole Rodriguez entered as the sixth-seeded doubles team. In the girls bracket, Belen’s Ella Wilson and Ashtyn Carrillo Lovato were also in the draw. Valencia’s Tyler Anderson joined Joshua Jaramillo in the 4A boys singles field, and Los Lunas added depth on both sides with boys doubles pairs Alex Covarrubia and Leon Donckels, and Nathan Martinez and Rudy Sais, plus the girls doubles team of Hailey Lane and Kendal Russel.

The brackets backed up what the regular season had already suggested. Belen’s boys had gone 6-0 in dual matches in March, and the Jaramillo-Rodriguez pair carried a 15-2 record into state after beating Valencia and Grants late in the season. Los Lunas had won the Espanola Valley quad, while Valencia arrived with Tyler Anderson after losing five seniors from its boys team, a sign that the Jaguars were still rebuilding but remained capable of sending an individual qualifier into the state field.

The team pairings gave Valencia County immediate matchups to watch. Belen was set to face the winner of Chaparral and St. Pius X in 4A boys team play, with all 4A matches at Albuquerque Academy. Belen’s girls also opened against Chaparral, while Los Lunas’ boys had a Friday showdown with Organ Mountain at Jerry Cline Courts. The county’s reach stretched across both classifications and both genders, a broader footprint than a single breakout season usually produces.

That kind of spread matters because it points to a deeper pipeline. Belen’s boys and doubles specialists have been building on last year’s state experience, Los Lunas kept sending multiple entries, and Valencia still placed players in the bracket despite roster turnover. Together, they gave Valencia County one of its most visible showings yet in Albuquerque.