Daniel Zuniga
Albuquerque, N.M. — The 2026 NMAA state tennis championships opened with Class 4A singles and doubles action Wednesday at the Albuquerque Academy Racquet Center, with Artesia well represented across the brackets.
“I hope we are here through Saturday, Saturday at 4 p.m.,” Artesia head coach Melissa Warren said.
Competing for the Bulldogs on the boys’ side were Damian Lopez, Cutter Summers, Adan Alva, Ediel Miranda, Paul Miller, and Joshua Vazquez. The girls’ lineup included Adrienne Harvey, Kirklyn Miller, Brecklyn Miller, Renee Irvin, and Abigail Jowers.
The highlight of the day came from the doubles team of Kirklyn and Brecklyn Miller, who advanced to the semifinals. Entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Miller sisters dominated their matches, outscoring opponents 24–1 and cruising to a 12–0 win over Highland in the second round.
The Millers will face Albuquerque Academy’s Angela Norrod and Bella Padilla, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Jerry Cline Tennis Complex.
“They’ve been playing with a lot of confidence,” Warren said of the duo.
The Miller sisters were the lone Bulldogs to move on, but Artesia put together several strong performances.
Renee Irvin and Abigail Jowers nearly pulled off an upset against Santa Fe Prep’s fourth-seeded team of Harvey and Harvey-Romero, falling in three sets. Santa Fe Prep took the opener 6–3, Artesia answered with a 7–6 (3) win in the second set, but Prep closed it out 6–4.
“We tried our best and never gave up,” Irvin and Jowers said.
“I’m really proud of them,” Warren added. “They fought, and that’s all I can ask for.”
On the boys’ side, Cutter Summers and Damian Lopez pushed Albuquerque Academy’s No. 5-seeded tandem of McMahon-Wooten and Rogers, coming up just short in a competitive first set while showcasing strong serving.
“They fought really hard and had some really good points,” Warren said. “I’m proud of them.”
Individual play concludes Thursday, with team competition beginning Friday.
“I think we’ve come a long way since my freshman year,” Paul Miller said. “We’ve made state a few times, but this is the first year we’ve really had a chance to compete for a championship.”