Longtime friends crush competition at Junior Iowa Tennis Open

By Ryan Pleggenkuhle

CEDAR RAPIDS - Riley Galbraith and Katie Hammond stole the show at this week's Junior Iowa Tennis Open at Veteran's Memorial Tennis Center.

The longtime friends dominated the 18-and-under field with singles titles and teaming for a mixed doubles title.

“I've known him since we were nine. He's like my brother,” said Hammond, a Cedar Rapids Washington senior. “We give each other crap all the time, but we always have each other's back. It makes playing mixed (doubles) so much more relaxed.”

“We've known each other our entire lives, and we're really close friends,” said Galbraith, a senior at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. “I always have competitions with her at tournaments to see who can win more. I didn't play doubles this year, so she got me.”

Hammond nearly completed the Triple Crown this week but finished second with Rina Moore of Cedar Rapids in doubles.

Hammond and Rina Moore won the first set, 6-2, but were down a point in the second set against Laura Birky and Jackie Pedersen, both of Cedar Rapids, when Hammond injured an ankle going after a ball in the back corner. “It was just the most frustrating thing,” she said.

About an hour before the doubles match, Hammond had beaten Birky for the singles title.

“We were both exhausted I think,” Hammond said. “It's a completely different game playing singles than doubles. I knew she (Birky) was a really strong net player. So in singles I try to keep her back. But in doubles it's harder.”

Birky and Pedersen won, 6-2, 2-6, 11-9.

Hammond said this is her favorite tournament.

“I get to watch other people that I know play here. And it's just fun because of the atmosphere … so it means a lot to win.”

“It's the hometown tournament,” Galbraith added. “There's always top competition here.

The two are in the adult mixed doubles division. The championship round of the adult tournament is Sunday.

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