(Photo: Greg Hall)
4. Rock Bridge
Location: Columbia, MO
Enrollment: 1866
Class: 4
Head Coach: Neal Blackburn
2016 District (Place): 4 (1st)
2016 Sectional (Place): 2 (1st)
2016 State Place: 14th
Key Top 7 Returners: Ellie Dimond (3), Caroline Stevens (4), Jadie Arnett (5), Alexis Walker (6), Piper Osman (7)
Even though they're losing their Top 2 from 2016, Rock Bridge is one of those teams you can always count on to be competitive year in and year out. They've been to the state meet 10 of the last 11 years and should do just fine after a impressive victories in District 4 (going away) and Sectional 2 (over C4 #8 Nerinx Hall). Losing your Top 2 hurts, but with a 39 second 1-5 spread coming back, the Bruins will remain a solid pack-running team and should have no problems getting back to Oak Hills in 2017. Ellie Dimond will lead Rock Bridge for now, but it looks like any of these 5 returners from last year's varsity squad could be #1 on any given day - the mark of a deep team.