Peter Dindinger — NMMI Sports Press
ALBUQUERQUE — It was an eye-opening experience for the New Mexico Military Institute Colt tennis squads as they ventured out onto the grand stage of the Albuquerque Academy courts to compete with the best in the state.
On the opening day of the Class A-4A state tournament Wednesday afternoon, the Colts gave it their all each set.
The Colt boys are seeded second overall in the team competition and will begin the team portion of the state tourney at 2 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals against either No. 7 St. Michael’s or No. 10 Chaparral at the Sierra Vista West Tennis Complex.
Jose Nadal was the lone NMMI competitor to move on to the next round in singles play after his opponent Emiliano Ortiz of Santa Teresa had to withdraw after feeling ill.
Nadal automatically advances to the quarterfinal round at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Jerry Cline Tennis Center, where he’ll have a possible match against the second-best player in the state, Hope Christian’s Luciano Silveria, who had a first-round bye.
“I don’t know how these kids play, but they don’t know how I play either,” Nadal said. “So, I think if I play my game I have good chances. I’m pretty confident. I think we have a good team and we’ve come far.”
In other boys’ singles action, Mason Hicks took on St. Pius X’s Gavin Richards. The match went in favor of Richards, 6-2, 6-3.
The duo of Isaiah Muniz and Jose Perez had a first-round doubles match against Belen’s Taylor Wright and Vicente Silva.
Belen came out on top in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
Over in girls singles play, Olive Amechi battled Highland’s Shaelyce Hann. The match went to Hann in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.
Minnie DeGroot left it all out on the court during her singles match against Silver’s Kinley Harper. DeGroot took the opening set 6-1.
Harper battled back to split the match with a 6-4 win in Set 2.
The third set went back and forth, but Harper came out on top with the 6-3 victory to take the match 2-1.
“That was my goal in the end, so whether I won or not wasn’t the point, it was just getting here. I left everything out on the court today,” DeGroot said after her match. “I’m truly blessed and thank God that I’m able to do this.
“This is what I love doing, my passion. Being able to play here in the first place is just absolutely amazing.”
It’s been four years since the NMMI boys captured a coveted blue trophy at the state tennis tourney. The Colts reeled off four straight titles from 2011-2014.
NMMI hasn’t had an individual champion in boy’s singles since Gavin Lynch in 2014.
The Colts are hoping to make some noise on Day 2 of the state tourney.
“We’re very proud of them all for qualifying for the state tournament,” said NMMI head coach John Barbour. “This year we don’t have anyone that has experience at the state tournament, and I think that’s going to hurt us a little bit.
“Their chances are as good as anybody else’s. We’re just going to come out and play our hardest tennis.”