Metro Sports Report

Christensen ties Kennedy HR record

Austin Christensen tied the Cedar Rapids Kennedy record for career home runs Saturday and pitched a 1-hitter as the top-ranked Cougars spanked Burlington, 15-0, in four innings at Kennedy Field.

Christensen smacked the 25th homer of his career with a three-shot in the first inning, matching the school mark set by Tony Booth from 1987-90.

Christensen already holds the Kennedy career records for doubles (43) and RBIs (132).

"That's pretty incredible. I'm really happy about it," Christensen said. "There have been so many incredible players come through this school throughout the years, and to just have my name even in the same sentence with them is really nice."

Christensen collected a two-run double in the second inning and finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs.

Christensen, now a senior, has been an all-state player since his freshman year at Kennedy. He owns three career school records and is pursuing several others.

Nate Woods helps Belmont win A-Sun title

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nate Woods went 2-for-5 Saturday and scored two runs as Belmont University edged Mercer, 9-7, in the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament.

Woods is a senior from Cedar Rapids and a 2007 graduate of Xavier High School. He had an RBI single in the first inning Saturday as the Bruins grabbed a quick lead.

Belmont (36-24) won the A-Sun title for the first time in school history. The Bruins earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I regionals, the first berth in school history.

Belmont was the No.6 seed in the six-team tournament, but the Bruins went 4-0 in the tournament.

J-Hawks, Saints ranked in softball poll

Jefferson and Xavier are the only Metro schools present in the first softball poll released Friday by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

The J-Hawks, who were 34-7 last season, are ranked 11th and Xavier, 34-11 a year ago, is ranked 12th in Class 4A.

Des Moines East, runnersup to West Des Moines Valley a year ago, is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A. Valley is No. 5. Mississippi Valley Conference members Iowa City West and Waterloo West are ranked third and eighth, respectively.

Clear Creek Amana is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, Bondurant-Farrar No. 1 in 2A and Akron-Westfield No. 1 in 1A.

Galbraith may have a tough choice

Riley Galbraith made the rounds of friends’ Kennedy High School graduation parties Thursday night, basking in the sweet feel of a big day in tennis on Friday and trying not to puzzle too much over the dilemma he may face Saturday.

With a mild upset victory Friday afternoon, he’s in the semifinals of today’s 2A state tennis tournament. But he’s also a starter and topnotch penalty kicker on the Kennedy soccer team that’s in a 3A substate finals match.

The location of the conflicting events isn’t bad, since the Veterans Memorial Tennis Center is just a parking lot apart from Kingston Stadium.

But the timing is dicey.

The highly-regarded but unseeded Galbraith is set to faceoff with third-seeded fellow junior Naveen Nath of Des Moines Roosevelt on the tennis court at 10 a.m.  They’ve split two previous encounters, so this will be a grudge match.

The winner goes for the state singles title at 2 p.m., while consolation match for third place starts at 1:30.

The soccer game with Cedar Falls kicks off at noon.