On October 18, the Manual varsity field hockey team won the district championship by defeating Presentation Academy 4-1. In addition to winning the district championship they also guaranteed themselves a #1 seed in the state tournament, meaning they won’t play long time rivals Assumption or Sacred Heart in the first round.

The team’s first game in the tournament was against Collegiate at Bellarmine, and they came out with a victory 3-0. They will face Mercy tonight in a semi-final game at 5:30. The girls hope and expect a big crowd. “It pumps me up when I see my friends in the stands, and it makes me push harder when I can hear them cheering because I’m not just winning for my team, but for my school as well,” said Grace Cockrum (11).
 
 “Everyone thought Presentation was the stronger team going into the game. They had beaten us twice and we tied once, but we knew that if we went in and played hard we could beat them,” said Anna Dryden (12).

The girls believe the hardest team to beat in the state is Sacred Heart because of their reputation as a field hockey powerhouse. The girls however, are not intimidated by this reputation. “We have more talent than them this year, and I truly believe this is our year to finally best them,” Cockrum said. 

While the girls may have their eye on Sacred Heart, the team must still win tonight against Mercy to advance. The girls believe student support is key to their success and performance in the tournament.