2025 NewsTribune Boys Tennis Players of the Year: Princeton’s Asa Gartin and Jackson Mason

Princeton’s Asa Gartin and Jackson Mason had plenty of motivation coming into the tennis season this spring.

Last year as the Tigers’ No. 2 doubles team, the pair lost only one match, which came in a sectional and kept the duo from advancing to state.

“It helped us want it more, considering we lost last year on the match to go to state,” Mason said. “We wanted it and we started practicing a little harder and pushing each other to get better.”

With last year’s season-ending loss on their minds, Gartin and Mason put in work during the offseason, including hitting together indoors through the winter.

That extra work combined with their experience together helped the pair have a different result this season.

At the Class 1A La Salle-Peru Sectional, Gartin and Mason beat Morris’ Connor Ahearn and Chris Ochoa – a team they lost to in the regular season – to punch their tickets to state.

The Tiger tandem went 1-2 at state with both losses coming to seeded teams. Gartin and Mason finished the season 25-5 and won the Princeton, Rochelle and Mendota invitationals.

For all they accomplished, Gartin and Mason are the 2025 NewsTribune Boys Tennis Players of the Year.

“I think we were better than last year,” Gartin said. “Maybe not record-wise, but Jackson and I as a team and our chemistry were better than last year.

“We definitely communicated a lot more and just had that trust you build throughout the years. We had chemistry, we talked and trusted each other to get stuff and just relied on each other.”

Gartin and Mason, who moved up from No. 2 doubles to No. 1 this spring, started the season strong with a win over L-P in a super tiebreaker.

“They played so well together last year and it was like they just didn’t even leave off,” Princeton coach Connie Lind said. “Both of them play aggressively. Both are constantly moving on the court. It’s almost like they anticipate where the ball is going.”

The Princeton pair lost only twice during the regular season – to Peoria Christian and Morris – both losses in tiebreakers.

Gartin and Mason entered the sectional as the No. 5 seed with the top four advancing to state. The Tigers outplayed their seed as they defeated the Morris pair 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the semis and secure a state berth.

“We lost in the regular season, so we had that fire, that hunger after that loss,” Gartin said. “We were like, ‘We’re not going to make the same mistakes again.’ We just proved who we are. The amount of hard work that we had done paid off, and we were able to go to state.”

Gartin and Mason lost to Metamora’s Tommy Sopko and Adam Culp – the eventual champions – 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals, but bounced back with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ottawa’s Noah Gross and Evan Krafft in the third-place match.

“Going into sectionals they had a goal to qualify for state,” Lind said. “Both of them were locked in. They play aggressively. Both cover the net really well. I think they were focused. They had a game plan and they stuck to it.”

At state, the Princeton pair lost 7-6, 7-5 to Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Evan Aleman and Adam Wheeling, a 9-16 seed, in the first round. Aleman and Wheeling went on to advance to the consolation quarterfinals.

“Our first match against Sacred-Heart Griffin, we started off really hot,” Gartin said. “We almost took the first set and the second set. We played just as good as them. We won our second match and lost the third. But those teams we lost to, we were neck and neck.

“Just the hard work and chemistry we have and just relying on each other [helped us compete]. That chemistry and trust is what makes a good duo dangerous.”

Gartin and Mason bounced back with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Nazareth’s Jack Nisivaco and Ethan Danko in the first round of the consolation bracket before losing 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 to IMSA’a Arnav Patel and Luke Yin, a 9-16 seed, in a second-round consolation match. The IMSA pair advanced to the fifth round of the consolation bracket.

“I thought we matched their aggression,” Mason said. “Both of those teams [we lost to] were pretty aggressive at the net, so we matched it by hitting a little harder on their forehands and making sure they’re really cross court and just competing.”

Mason will return to the Tigers next season, but in a different role.

“I’m going to try singles, so hopefully I’ll do good,” Mason said.

Gartin, meanwhile, is done with his competitive tennis career but said he enjoyed his time in the Princeton program.

“I’m happy we finally made it to state,” Gartin said. “I remember my friend my freshman year said, ‘Hey, come try this out with me,’ and I did and just fell in love with it. That’s when I became more dangerous. I got partnered up with Jackson as a junior and our chemistry built up and we just remained side by side until the end.”