Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) released its latest rankings of international leagues Wednesday and the St. Louis representative retained the top spot and, in the process, claimed the preeminent position for the governing body’s post-season finale held next month.
GateKeepers Roller Derby, the defending MRDA kingpins, landed a top of the hierarchy of 42 global teams eligible for rank. As a result, GKRD (9-0 in sanctioned play) received the #1 seed for the MRDA 2016 Championships, “LoneStar Showdown,” a ten-league bracketed tournament held October 15-16 in North Richland Hills, Texas.
St. Louis, winners of 19 straight MRDA sanctioned games since June 2015, meets the winner of a qualifying contest between #8 Magic City (Orlando, FL) and #9 San Diego in a quarterfinal that takes place during the tournament’s opening day.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
“We are super excited to head to Texas for MRDA Champs,” proudly stated GateKeepers co-captain Percy Controll. “Being the number one seed puts us in a great spot to scope out the competition, and possibly play teams that we’ve never played before, but it also adds an element of pressure.”
The aforementioned stress that St. Louis feels is a result of the tournament’s complexion. In an event that has lacks consolation contests, a loss in the quarterfinals forces the GateKeepers’ unblemished season to a sudden stop.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
To keep their collective skills sharp, GKRD has been perpetually preparing at the team’s South St. Louis training facility, honing their play in quest of its second straight MRDA title.
“The guys have been working their butts off, so I can’t wait to see how things shake out,” said Controll.
Alongside the GateKeepers, the “LoneStar Showdown” field of ten contains a pair of prior MRDA champions, numerous post-season returnees and the first-ever entrant from Canada.
For more information on the GateKeepers, go to stlgatekeepers.com.
Click on the image to view the 2016 MRDA Championships bracket
