PHOTO COURTESY OF CJ EILERS/MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING - Grundy Center senior Tanner Laube, center, stands during the award ceremony at the Class 1A boys’ state singles and doubles tournament on Thursday at Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo. Laube placed third in the 1A singles bracket.

WATERLOO — Tanner Laube could be a building block toward restoring a proud tradition of tennis at Grundy Center.

The Spartan senior finished his high school career with a victory in the third-place match of the 1A singles tournament at Byrnes Park Tennis Center in Waterloo on Thursday.

Laube defeated Landon Murch of North Polk 7-6, 6-2.

“He picked up tennis as a freshman, wasn’t even that good as a freshman, and then he goes 45-5 in his last three years,” Grundy Center head coach Sage Klar said. “Just sheer discipline, hard work, kept improving, absorbed the game, went home and watched YouTube videos. When you get that kind of IQ of the game, he’s a smart guy.”

As the third-seed in the 1A singles bracket, Laube started his day in the semifinals against Caden Branum of Decorah, the defending state champion and two-seed in the singles bracket.

Laube did not back away from Branum at the start, trailing 5-2 in the first set before roaring back to tie it at 6-6 and send it to a tiebreaker.

“I started out a little tentatively, but I found my rhythm and got to the tiebreaker,” Laube said. “I wasn’t overly confident in my game but as the match went on, I got more confident. … It’s all fun and games until it’s time to try and win the dang thing.”

Branum came out on top in the tiebreaker, and the effort Laube exerted to try and win that first set left him on empty for set two, with Branum sweeping it 6-0.

“He was a little bit better than me on every point that set,” Laube said. “That first set was some of the most physical tennis I’ve ever played.”

Branum went on to fall in a three-set finale with top-seeded Jack Briggs of Pella.

“If you want that upset, you gotta get that first set,” Klar said. “The belief was there, but after that first set it was an emotional hangover.”

It took a bit for Laube to shake it off for the third-place match.

“I lost my desire a bit after thinking I could win that one with Branum,” Laube said. “My body, especially my lower half, was kicking back on me a little bit. Hard to prepare for the third-place match.”

Laube said the Spartan crowd and Klar helped him get fired up to take on Murch.

“Coach told me this was important for me still, and him and the fans cheering me on, that really flipped the switch,” Laube said.

Once again, the first set was toe-to-toe with Murch. This time, Laube came out on top in the tiebreaker.

“I was just staying calm, composed, trying to crawl back in the match and play my game, no matter what the other side is doing,” Laube said

Laube pressed the advantage and completed a 7-6, 6-2 win for third.

“[Laube’s] legs were starting to go so we had to shorten the points,” Klar said. “Gotta get to the net, and either Murch will get a passing shot or you’ll put it away. And once Tanner took that tiebreaker, it was over.”

Laube hopes to play tennis at the collegiate level, though he’s undecided as of now, something he hadn’t really thought about until going into his senior year.

“It feels great to end on a high note,” Laube said. “And it’s important to get more guys out in the sport at Grundy Center, so you can build a whole roster around your top guys and compete at the highest level.”

First-year head coach Sage Klar, a former Spartan tennis prep, has been integral to Laube finding that next tier.

“He’s worked with me through the ups and downs, always trying to build me up,” Laube added. “He’s just been my ride or die this year.”

Klar is excited to see where tennis takes Laube after high school.

“I feel like he was born to play tennis, and maybe just discovered it too late,” said Klar. “But he’ll blossom anywhere he can play six days a week, working out and just playing tennis.”

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CJ Eilers of Mid-America Publishing contributed to this report.