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NewsTribune Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Princeton’s Jackson Mason · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: News Tribune Boys Tennis Player of the Year Princeton's Jackson Mason.
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  Written by Kevin Hieronymus. This article is being read by
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  an automated voice brought to you by Everlett. Connie Lynde
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  couldn't have planned her retirement as the Princeton High School
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  boys tennis coach any better if she tried. She waited
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  thirty years to have a player accomplish what senior Jackson
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  Mason did this season. The PHS senior became the first
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  Tiger in Lyn's thirty years as coach to win two
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  matches at State. Then he added icing on his coach's
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  retirement cake by winning a third match in the state meet.
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  Mason placed third at sectional to reach state for the
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  second straight season, having reached last year in doubles. He
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  finished with an eighteen to five record for all of
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  his accomplishments. Mason is the twenty twenty six News Tribune
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  Boys Tennis Player of the Year. He also earned the
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  honor last year with doubles partner Asa Garten. I didn't
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  plan it this way, but it sure is a good
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  way to go out, Lynn said. Mason may have even
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  surprised himself by his accomplishment at State. The goal at
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  the beginning of the season was to get to State
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  in singles. He said, my goal at State was to
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  compete with the kids. I didn't think i'd win three
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  matches there because I don't think anyone else has done
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  that at PHS in thirty years. That was really cool.
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  Mason had some extra motivation at State playing for his dad, Patrick,
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  who passed away suddenly during his junior season of basketball.
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  I know my dad was watching me on Thursday and Friday,
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  and I know he would be extremely proud of me,
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  he said. The Tiger senior had to be at the
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  top of his game, both physically and mentally at State.
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  He said it took a lot of mental focus because
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  we were playing at a site Arlington Heights, with airplanes
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  flying every five minutes. He said, it was pretty hot.
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  And I played a kid Neuman's Jowel Rhoads for my
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  third match that I lost to at the very beginning
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  of the season five seven, five to seven, and I
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  ended up beating him in the tiebreaker ten eight. He
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  lost his first State match six zero, six to zero
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  to Wheaton Saint Francis senior Umar Bajoa, a number five
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  eight seed who finished fourth. He was very consistent, couldn't
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  beat him, Mason said. Mason got on a role in
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  the consolation round, defeating Saint Ignatius College Preps Schiven Dev
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  ninety sixty two sixty four Roads six two four six
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  ten eight and Mount Zion's Ryan Rutherford six to zero, six'.
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  One he met his match in his final, round falling
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  to number three Seed Roman, stukoff a senior From Vernon,
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  hills six, zero six to. Zero serving, Aside mason thought
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  he played his best tennis At. State my serves were
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  real good At, sectionals but they lost steam At, state
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  but it was good enough to win three, matches he.
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  Said lynn Said mason had a lot of natural, ability
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  but worked hard on his. Game he was never. Satisfied
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  he always wanted to do. Better lynn said him And
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  Landon davis hit around every day at. Practice they would
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  work on certain aspects of the. Game mason had an
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  usual path To, state not being able to play a
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  single match at home this season due to the DETERIORATING phs.
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  Courts it was very weird considering we only had four
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  away meets last year and fourteen home, ones he. Said
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  we only played fourteen meets this, year none of them at.
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  Home it was just a weird. Season mason teamed up
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  for a twenty five to five record and state birth
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  in doubles a year ago with twenty twenty five Senior.
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  Osagarten he said he struggled initially adjusting to playing. SOLO
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  i was like smart BECAUSE i knew what SHOTS i
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  had to. Hit at the beginning of the, season some
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  of them weren't, dropping but over TIME i got better at,
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  It mason. Said mason said his height six foot three
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  and wingspan help him on the, court but more so
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  in doubles play than. Singles WHEN i did go up
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  to the, NET i was more of a threat to
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  the other, guy he. Said the best part of playing
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  tennis For mason has done nothing to do what happens
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  on the, court but rather on the way home after the.
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  Meet the best part for me is on the bus
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  riding home with the. Guys it's always. Fun we bring
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  a speaker and just have a good, time he. SAID
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  a year round athlete playing basketball and golf for The,
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  Tigers mason will retire from sports and study meteorology AT
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  ivcc before going on to a four year School when
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  asked asked if we might see him ON tv one
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  day doing the, Weather he, said you. MIGHT i just like.
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  WEATHER i find it very. Fascinating