'Disappointed' runner-up

CEDAR RAPIDS - Riley Galbraith stepped off the court Saturday at Veterans Memorial Tennis Center. Despite the embraces from family and friends, the disappointment was apparent on his face.

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior had just been defeated in the Class 2A state tennis singles championship match by top-seeded Naveen Nath of Des Moines Roosevelt, 6-4, 6-1.

“Disappointed is probably the best word to describe this performance,” said Galbraith, the tournament No. 2 seed. “I didn't play my best, and he did.”

The first person to meet Galbraith after his loss was Kennedy Coach Craig Bova, who put two hands on the senior's shoulders while giving him a reassuring pep talk.

“I just told him there was nothing to hang his head about,” Bova said. “He finished higher than last year, and he improved. That's all he needs to take away.”

Nath defeated Galbraith in the semifinals of last year's tournament. Both improved tremendously to get to the championship match this year, Bova said.

Galbraith defeated another Roosevelt player, Will Hemminger, in a tough semifinal match Saturday to reach the final, leaving the senior exhausted, he said.

“Playing the two matches against the two players I did today was near impossible,” Galbraith said.

Galbraith was the only area player to make a championship match Saturday. Iowa City West had two opportunities to make the state doubles' title match but failed in both attempts.

Kyle Appel and Adam Dellos defeated teammates Adam Boldt and Karl Wenzel for third. An Ames duo of Alex Qin and Tommy Pitcher won the title.

The tournament's top seed, Linn-Mar's Tyler McCann and Brady Anderson, came back to win the consolation bracket for fifth place. Their only loss of the tournament was to the championship team from Ames.

The Linn-Mar duo hopes to take that momentum into this week's team championships in Des Moines.

“The outcome is probably not what we were looking for, but we came out, got three quality wins and ended our season on a good note,” McCann said.

Linn-Mar and Iowa City West will participate in the state team tournament, which begins Tuesday.