Bruins fourth in Great 8 Tennis Tournament

Rock Bridge junior Lauren Kane returns the ball during doubles competition Friday. She and freshman Kelsey Kinderknecht played together for the first time.   ¦  MARY ELLEN POFF/Missourian

COLUMBIA — Facing a field of state and regional champions, the Columbia high school girls tennis teams found out how “great” the Great 8 Tournament actually is.

Hickman lost first, dropping all nine matches to the defending Kansas state champions Blue Valley North in the first round of the tournament on Friday. Rock Bridge, after beating Cape Girardeau Central 7-2, lost to Barstow 6-3 on Friday. The Bruins also lost 5-4 to John Burroughs on Saturday to finish fourth.

The Kewpies also lost in the second and third rounds of the tournament to finish eighth. Hickman lost 7-2 to Pembroke Hill in the second round and fell to Cape Girardeau Central 7-2 in the seventh-place match Saturday.