Konfrst, Ibanez seventh at state tennis

Glenwood’s Joel Ibanez and Adam Konfrst placed seventh at the Class 1A State Tennis Tournament on Saturday at the Byrnes Tennis Center in Waterloo.

The Rams’ doubles team of Konfrst and Ibanez went 3-2 at the tournament to give the Rams back-to-back state place winners in the doubles. Konfrst placed third a year ago along with teammate Sam Lauritsen. Konfrst is the school’s first ever two-time state place winner.

“I was happy with how the boys finished off their season,” said Glenwood coach Kevin Tucker. “It would have been easy for the boys to just pack it up once they knew they were in the consolation bracket but they didn’t. Anytime you have the chance to do something for only the second time in school history, it’s awesome. It was a fun experience for all of us and one we will never forget.”

Waverly-Shell Rock’s Luke Willis and Ryan Willis would defeat Maharishi-Fairfield’s Kai Vessey and Devan Burke in the Class 1A double finals 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 for their first state title. In Friday’s opening round, Ibanez and Konfrst, who entered seeded No. 3, knocked off Denison’s Jaden Heiden and Sean Moran of Denison 6-4, 6-2. But the Rams hit a roadblock in the second round in a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Spencer’s Austin Crew and Marcus Klemme.

The loss dropped the Ram duo to the consolation bracket where they opened with a win over Camanche’sDev Patel and Mason Holstein 6-2, 6-3 before suffering a setback to Wahlert Dubuque’s Riley Collins and Louis Ungs to drop to the seventh/eighth place match.

Ibanez and Konfrst would go on to beat Denison’s Heiden and Moran once more to place seventh.