STATE TENNIS
La Cueva's Garg, Organ Mountain's Reiman repeat as 5A state singles winners
Academy players dominates 4A, team title portion begins Friday
About the only unofficial thing left undone Thursday was to have Ketan Garg and Adrian Hanna grab their rackets, find an empty court, and have at it. The friends 鈥� and sometimes practice partners who play in separate classes 鈥� will have to settle for undefeated seasons instead.
Thursday afternoon was about celebrating their season-ending triumphs, as Garg, a La Cueva junior, and Hanna, a junior at Albuquerque Academy, won state singles tennis championships at the Jerry Cline Tennis Center.
Organ Mountain sophomore Savannah Reiman (5A) and Academy鈥檚 Sadye Bruce (1A-4A) also won singles titles on an ideal weather day in the Northeast Heights.
Reiman and Garg successfully defended their 2025 wins at state.
鈥淗e played at an incredible level, and I had to keep my game at the very top,鈥� Garg said of his opponent Thursday, Mitchell Rocca of Albuquerque High, in a repeat pairing of last May鈥檚 5A title match, a three-hour thriller that Garg won in three grueling sets. 鈥�... I just (had to) stay focused and keep fighting for every ball, every point.鈥�
Ketan Garg of La Cueva won his second straight Class 5A boys state singles championship on Thursday at Jerry Cline. Here is Ketan 鈥�
鈥� James Yodice (@JamesDYodice)
This year鈥檚 rematch lacked the drama of 12 months ago. Garg, the No. 1 seed, won Thursday鈥檚 final 6-0, 6-3, over the No. 2 seeded Rocca, the third time Garg solved Rocca this season. Garg only dropped eight games at state, and he won five sets by a 6-0 count.
Hanna, the top seed, completed his perfect spring campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over another Charger, second-seeded Rumi Figueroa. Hanna had a brief medical timeout during the second set to deal with apparent cramps, but it didn鈥檛 interfere with his dispatching his teammate in Thursday鈥檚 final.
鈥淛ust really excited,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淚 was looking forward to this tournament the whole year. I鈥檓 glad I was able to win it.鈥�
Hanna said he had to overcome an early mental glitch this season.
鈥淚 dealt a lot in the beginning with being nervous in matches and worrying about the outcome,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut now I鈥檓 trying to focus more on the process, moving my feet, watching the ball.鈥�
Junior Adrian Hanna of Albuquerque Academy was the boys 1A-4A state tennis champ Thursday as he downed teammate Rumi Figueroa in the final.
鈥� James Yodice (@JamesDYodice)
Reiman only dropped seven games in her four postseason matches Wednesday and Thursday.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 face many challenges along the way. It was pretty smooth sailing,鈥� Reiman said after her impressive 鈥� and swift 鈥� 6-0, 6-1 blitz of second-seeded Aurelia Fulgenzi of Albuquerque High.
Reiman completed a perfect season, with no losses in singles or doubles. And she didn鈥檛 give Fulgenzi any room to breathe.
鈥淚 knew I needed to stay aggressive, and not give her the chance to be aggressive,鈥� Reiman said. 鈥淚 just needed to play my tennis. I was loose out there.鈥�
The girls鈥� 1A-4A final was a testament to youth, with Academy鈥檚 Bruce, an eighth-grader, knocking off a Chargers鈥� freshman, Nishta Koli, 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
ABQ Academy鈥檚 Sadye Bruce didn鈥檛 perform this season like an eighth-grader. She captured the girls 1A-4A singles title on Thursday. I caught up with her after her match.
鈥� James Yodice (@JamesDYodice)
鈥淚 knew I had the potential in me,鈥� Bruce said, 鈥渂ut executing it feels really good and I鈥檓 really proud of myself.鈥�
Of note in the doubles, Jayce Hooten, the son of New Mexico State University men鈥檚 basketball coach Jason Hooten, was part of a state-winning doubles team Thursday for Centennial, he and partner Carter Follin. They were the No. 1 seed.
Only one of the eight championship matches in singles/doubles on Thursday went the distance. That was the 5A girls doubles match, where Marley Desmond and Hannah Yazzie of Farmington rallied for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Ella and Calli Jones of Rio Rancho.
Besides Aurelia of AHS, two other members of the extensive Fulgenzi tennis clan, Gabriela and Sofia, were beaten in the 1A-4A doubles final Thursday in straight sets by Artesia鈥檚 Kirklyn and Breckyn Miller.
The team portion of the postseason begins Friday at Jerry Cline, Academy and the Ventana Ranch courts on the West Side.
Team championships will be held Saturday afternoon at Jerry Cline. The 1A-4A finals are 3 p.m., the 5A championship matches are scheduled for 4:30.
Academy鈥檚 boys are looking to win a staggering 23rd consecutive blue trophy.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e ready,鈥� Hanna said. 鈥淓veryone on the team is excited. We鈥檙e ready to go.鈥�
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .
