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Farmington’s Conner Clark competes in the Boys 5A 2026 NMAA State Tennis Championships game at Jerry Cline Tennis Center in Albuquerque on May 6, 2026. (Jon Austria / For the Tri-City Record)

Jon Austria

ALBUQUERQUE – The opening day of the 2026 NMAA State Tennis Championships at Jerry Cline was a rollercoaster for San Juan County’s top boys’ singles players. While the Farmington and Piedra Vista High contingents showed immense heart, the bracket proved why Class 5A is the most grueling classification in the state.

Here is how the action unfolded for our local Scorpions and Panthers:

Conner Clark (#5 Seed, Farmington)

The standout performance for Farmington came from the fifth-seeded Clark. He dominated his opening match against Roxas Kendall (Las Cruces), moving efficiently around the court to secure a 6-1, 6-0 victory. However, Clark ran into a defensive wall in the quarterfinals against #4 Cristian Olson (ABQ), falling 6-0, 6-0 as Olson continued his tear through the bracket.

Brandt Edwards (Piedra Vista)

Edwards authored the most dramatic comeback of the day. Facing Elijah Perea (Las Cruces), Edwards dropped the first set 4-6 and looked to be on the ropes. He dug in for a marathon second-set tiebreak, winning it 7-3, before clinching the match with a 6-3 third set. His reward for that grit was a quarterfinal date with #2 Mitchell Rocca, where Edwards eventually fell 6-0, 6-1.

Early Round Results

Cyrus LeSueur (PV): LeSueur looked sharp in his tournament debut, taking down Sean Erosido (Carlsbad) with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. Unfortunately, his path led directly to the tournament’s top seed, Ketan Garg (LAC), who ended LeSueur’s run in the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep.

Julian Olson (ABQ) vs. Local Ties: While not from the area, it is worth noting that Julian Olson ended the run of #6 Lucas Bluth in a three-set thriller, setting the stage for an All-Albuquerque semifinal on one side of the bracket.

Girls Tennis

The highlight of the early session was a first-round clash between two Scorpions: #6 Haylie Wagner and teammate Mya Beck.

The Result: Wagner, the tournament’s sixth seed, showed why she was favored, putting together a consistent performance to win 6-1, 6-1.

The Quarterfinal: Moving into the second round, Wagner faced a daunting task against the #3 seed, Lily Walker (Cleveland). Despite a hard-fought second set, Wagner fell 6-2, 6-4, ending her impressive singles run in the quarterfinal round.

The top-seeded Savannah Reiman (Organ Mountain) has been untouchable, dropping only two games across two matches on Wednesday (6-0, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-1). She will face #4 Sabina Byers (Santa Fe) in the semifinals.

Farmington’s Marley Deswood, left, and Hallie Yazzie compete in the Girls 5A doubles competition during the 2026 NMAA State Tennis Championships game at Jerry Cline Tennis Center in Albuquerque on May 6, 2026. (Jon Austria / For the Tri-City Record)

Jon Austria

The Bottom Half: On the other side of the bracket, #2 Aurelia Fulgenzi (Albuquerque High) lived up to her ranking with a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal win. She will face #3 Lily Walker—who knocked out Farmington’s Wagner—in what promises to be a high-caliber semifinal match.

Doubles Tennis

Marley Deswood and Hallie Yazzie put on a clinic as the #2 seeded duo in the state. They entered the tournament with high expectations and exceeded them in their opening match.

Facing the Albuquerque High pair of Ginger Carrell and Asha Martinez, the Scorpions played nearly perfect tennis. They secured a 6-0, 6-0 victory, showcasing a dominant net game and powerful serving.

In the quarterfinals, Yazzie and Deswood kept the momentum rolling against Emily Bjorklund and Ava Evans from Clovis. While the match tightened up, the Farmington pair remained composed to secure a 6-2, 6-3 win.

Deswood and Yazzie have officially punched their ticket to the state semifinals, scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.

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