Mustangs eye another KCAC title, national run
The Mustangs return two of their top three bowlers from last year’s squad. Emaly Kruse, the reigning KCAC Bowler of the Year, averaged nearly 23 pins higher than her competition per game, won one event, and placed in the top 10 three other times.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Morningside women's bowling program wants to turn one milestone into a new tradition: win another Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament and head back to nationals. The Mustangs are hungry to make it two in a row in 2026. They punched their ticket last season by going unbeaten at the KCAC championship tournament.
"It puts a new kind of target on our back, but that's just a new mindset," head coach Brett Hansen said.
The Mustangs return two of their top three bowlers from last year's squad. Emaly Kruse, the reigning KCAC Bowler of the Year, averaged nearly 23 pins higher than her competition per game, won one event, and placed in the top 10 three other times.
Kruse has also stepped up as the team's emotional leader.
"She's always been one of the powerhouses, and she's not letting any of the new girls or returners take a day off mentally," Hansen said. "She brings the fire into every practice — getting everyone locked in and ready for the level of fierceness she expects."
Alexa Munhofen, who ranked third on the team in scoring average, also returns after finishing in the top 25 three times and earning one event victory. Her average score was more than nine pins higher than the field.
Libbie Keith, Victoria Elwick, and Samantha Sonier round out the experienced returners, with Sonier notching a top-25 finish last season. Keith averaged a 166 per game while Elwick was at 156.
The Mustangs open their season this weekend at the Jayhawk Collegiate Challenge in Lawrence, Kansas. They'll also compete in Lawrence during the NAIA West Region tournament as well as the KCAC Tournament.