This couldn't happen to Ryan Ness. Not with so much on the line.
The Elk River senior, considered by many to be his school's top male athlete this year -- two-time All-State soccer selection, captain of the soccer, basketball and tennis teams -- was struggling in the Class 2A tennis team championship finals.
Ness, who had not lost at No. 3 singles all season, had dropped the second set to Wayzata's Jason Lee and was trailing 2-0 in the third set.
"He picked up his play, and then I started to cramp up in the third set," Ness said. "I was getting frustrated."
Battling through his difficulty, Ness was admittedly relieved when he heard teammates explode when Josh Gearou and Josh Chuba won their matches, securing the championship for the undefeated Elks.
"That took a lot of the pressure off," said Ness, who rallied to defeat Lee 6-4 in the final set. "It was a great feeling to hear that. The cramps just went away."
North teams fall in finalsTaylor Bratten knelt on the infield dirt at Caswell Park in North Mankato and buried her crimson batting helmet in her palms after making Maple Grove's last out. One field over, at nearly the same time, St. Anthony Village players sat stunned in their dugout.
Both personified being close but so far from a first state championship.
