Bulldog freshman takes second in state tennis

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SALT LAKE CITY — Maria Unson-Garrido, a Judge Memorial Catholic High School ninth-grader, recently did what few freshmen have done: She took second in 3A singles play at the state tennis championship.

 After besting several seniors in qualifying rounds, Maria lost in the final against Afton Orgill, a Grantsville High School senior, on Oct. 8 at Liberty Park. Over the course of that four-and-a-half-hour game she delivered a stellar performance, beating Orgill 7-5 in the first set before losing to her 4-6,4-6 in the remaining sets.

“It was the longest match of my life,” Maria said of the final. “I think both of us were just fighting, like a lot, because we both really wanted to win, and we never gave up. And the points were pretty long, and it was pretty intense, and the games were also really long, because we were both fighting so much.”

Maria, who is 14, began playing tennis when she was 3 or 4, “basically, since I could hold a racket,” she said.

Tennis is a family affair. Her mother, Maria Unson, played tennis in college; her father Ignacio has played recreationally throughout his life; and her older brother Diego also plays for Judge.

Over the years, Maria developed her skills playing with Rise Athletic Club in North Salt Lake and, more recently, at the Salt Lake Tennis Club.

Although it’s been almost a lifetime of tennis for Maria she still loves the sport, she said.

“I love how it’s like a moment where you can just, like, pause on all the problems and everything that you have to do, and you can just play and enjoy it,” she said. “And then there’s also a lot of friends, and you can make a lot of new friendships.”

Bulldogs tennis coach Tracey Valentine had heard about Maria from her older brother, but was surprised by the level of skill she has developed at such a young age, she said.

“We knew that she was coming to Judge because her brother plays for our boys team and Diego always talks about how great she is, but we didn’t know how great she was,” Valentine said. “She’s a really strong player, but she’s super strong mentally, and I think that’s what gives her an edge, even over players that might have similar strokes and play a similar level as her, is she stays calm, she doesn’t get too high, she doesn’t get too low, and she just keeps fighting, so she never gives up.”

Maria plans to continue playing for Judge. With three more high school seasons ahead of her, she hopes a state title is in her future. In the meantime, she is working to improve her game and at being an example to her teammates, Valentine said.

“We love having Maria on the team, and she is just really such a nice example, too, for the other players because she does play a lot more tournaments, and she is used to pressure situations a little more than some of the other girls are,” Valentine said. “So, she really just kind of shows them a little bit of how to handle themselves on the court and fight back the pressure of the nerves, because she doesn’t seem to really experience them too much.”