Sequim’s Garrett Little capped a spectacular prep career with his third consecutive top-three finish at the state 2A tennis tournament, going 3-1 and — for the second consecutive season — placing second overall at the tourney.
The SHS senior, who signed a letter of intent to play at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., in December, had two straight-set wins and a tough three-set match at the Nordtstrom Tennis Center in Seattle this past weekend before falling to 7-5, 6-1 to Cole Balen of Archbishop Murphy in the finals.
Little finishes his SHS career undefeated in more than 40 singles matches since the abridged 2020-21 season, a 31-5 postseason record, a West Central District crown, and now back-to-back-to-back top-three state placings.
At this year’s tourney, Little had the toughest bracket to navigate for a second place finisher. He opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Owen Villegas of Sedro Woolley; Villegas would go on to place fifth.
Little then won a three-set classic against Lucas Walburn of Columbia River, dropping the first set 6-4, routing Walburn 6-0 in the second and surviving a 10-6 third set. (Walburn went on to place fourth.)
In the semifinals, Little topped Sammamish’s Jack Wang in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-3; Wang topped injured teammate Rafael Polito in the consolation finals for third place.
By the end, Little’s first three foes lost only one match in the tournament (to the Sequim ace).
A left-hander, Little was second at the 2023 state tourney and third in 2022. There was no state tournament for him to advance to as a freshman in 2021.
SHS teammate Calleigh Thompson, a sophomore, fell in her two matches at her first state tourney. She dropped a 6-1, 6-03 decision to Anna Samoukovic of Lynden, who wound up placing third overall. In the consolation bracket, Thompson fell to Diana Gutierez of Pullman.
Thompson finished 13-9 in singles matches in 2024 (including postseason play) and is 27-12 in two prep seasons.
Photo courtesy of Caryn Little Sequim’s Garrett Little, below, preps a serve as he earned three wins in four matches and places second at the class 2A state tennis tournament, held May 24-25 in Seattle.
