Last weekend, the swimming and diving team won the combined State Championship with a score of 470 points. The girls fell short of their goal and received second place to Sacred Heart Academy. As for the boys team, they received sixth place in the state. Manual swimmer, Elizabeth House (10) stated, “The boys did fairly well this year. Manual lost quite a few senior boys last year, so it was hard to bounce back.”

The Manual girls were leading Sacred Heart until the 100 yard breaststroke. Sacred Heart had four swimmers that finished in the top eight, which contributed points towards their team’s total score. Many of the swimmers were surprised with the end results of the meet. Manual swim team member, Ellie Grimes (10) stated, “I was really surprised with how well we did and how close we came to beating our top rivals, Sacred Heart. We never could have done it without teamwork and the support we received from our peers.”

The swim team was led by seniors Caroline Thomas, Lucy Roth, and Ben Grimes. These seniors also gained a substantial amount of points for Manual. Manual’s hard working team members did not go unnoticed. Quite a few members made the All State team. Caroline Thomas (12) and Sarah Love (10) were recognized in the first All State team while Konnor Rist (11), Emily Holt (11), and Ellie Grimes (10) were recognized in the second All State team.

The swimming and diving team were proud that they represented Manual well and they hope to repeat their combined team win next year.