Kruse, Bruins win tennis tournament

Rock Bridge tennis players shed layers of blankets and sweats to take the court on a cold but sunny afternoon Saturday. By the time the sun set, the Bruins had three more wins and were North Central Missouri Invitational champions.

They beat Lafayette 11-0, Kirkwood 11-0, and Shawnee Mission East (Kan.) 9-2 in picking up the inaugural event’s title.

“I feel real good about it for the team. We got a lot of girls into the event that were a part of the win today, and I think that’s important,” coach Ben Loeb said.

The tournament used a six singles and five doubles format enabling more players to participate.

Loeb presented the trophy to Karla Kruse afterward, saying she deserved it for her consistency. Kruse won 8-0, 8-0, 8-1 in her three matches, playing at No. 4 singles twice, and No.3 in her final match against Shawnee Mission East.

“I’m really proud of that because it means he has confidence in me, and just that I’ve had an awesome season so far,” Kruse said.

Rock Bridge (22-0) now has a 37 match winning streak dating to September 2003.

“That’s a very impressive winning streak,” Loeb said. “I think what would make for an even more impressive winning streak is to win three state titles in a row; now that streak would be something.”

The chilly weather provided a preview of what the Bruins, two-time defending state champions, might face if they make it to this year’s final.

“State is always this cold so it kind of brought back some memories, but hopefully it will get a little warmer,” Kruse said.

Added Loeb: “It is October, and this morning it was cool, and for those teams that are fortunate enough to be playing late in the season… more likely than not its going to be pretty cool.”