Saturday, October 17 saw a loaded slate for Manchester Athletics. On the road, Men's and Women's Cross Country traveled to Rock Island, Illinois for the Agustana Interregional Meet while Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving headed south for the DIII Invite in Terre Haute. In North Manchester, homecoming was in full swing as Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, and Volleyball hosted Hanover while Football hosted Franklin.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Manchester placed 17th in the women's 6k team standings with 451 points at Saukie Golf Course. Chesnee Miller led Manchester by finishing 33rd in 21:54.1, while Ayla Cashdollar placed 47th in 22:05.7 and Ava Egolf was 84th in 22:32.7.

Miller Manchester's 6k finishers in 33rd at 21:54.1, followed by Cashdollar in 47th at 22:05.7 and Egolf in 84th at 22:32.7. Chloe Stalhood placed 147th in 23:11.7, Kadence Fox was 192nd in 23:44.8, Annika Retana finished 209th in 23:55.5 and Raiden Norris placed 228th in 24:12.4. Sophia Chen was also listed in a Women (6k) result, placing 271st in 28:05.2.

Miller finished with a score of 32, Cashdollar scored 45 and Egolf had a score of 79.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Manchester finished 32nd in the men's 8k team standings with 845 points at Saukie Golf Course. Austin Johnson led Manchester with a 30th-place finish in 24:48.7, averaging 4:59.4 per mile.

Johnson led Manchester's listed 8k finishers, placing 30th in 24:48.7 with a 4:59.4 average mile and a score of 29. Darius Osborn followed in 127th at 25:50.7, averaging 5:11.9 per mile, while Jonah Miller placed 273rd in 26:58.9 and Rony Hernandez finished 278th in 27:03.1.

Manchester hosts the HCAC Championship in North Manchester, Indiana, at 11 am on Saturday, Oct. 31.
 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Manchester University Swimming and Diving teams competed at the Rose-Hulman D3 Invitational on Saturday, posting several strong individual performances against a talented field at the Vigo Schools Aquatic Center.

The Spartan women finished fourth in the team standings with 173 points, while the men's squad placed fifth with 115.5 points.

On the women's side, Rachel Garcia led Manchester with a fifth-place showing in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 26.17 seconds. She also added a ninth-place effort in the 200-yard freestyle (2:06.15).

Haylie Bristol scored in three individual events for the Spartans, highlighted by a sixth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:07.97. She also placed ninth in the 100-yard IM (1:10.53) and 11th in the 200-yard freestyle (2:10.33).

Megan Pierce contributed points in both breaststroke and individual medley events, placing eighth in the 200-yard IM (2:43.05), 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:20.41), and 13th in the 100-yard freestyle (1:05.50). Gracyn Bailey added an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:57.62) and took 14th in the 200-yard freestyle.

Manchester's top women's relay finish came in the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the quartet of Taelynn Benish, Pierce, Garcia, and Parsons placed fourth in 4:20.44. The Spartans also finished fourth in the 200-yard medley relay with Rachel Garcia, Taelynn Benish, Haylie Bristol, and Gracyn Bailey posting a time of 2:05.02.

For the men, Peter Kotlin paced the Spartans throughout the meet. The sophomore tied for sixth in the 50-yard freestyle (22.33), finished 11th in the 100-yard backstroke (57.16), and helped lead Manchester relays in both the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle events.

Conner Shannon turned in Manchester's best breaststroke performances, placing 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.73) and 13th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:27.66). Alex Garcia scored in both the 200-yard breaststroke (14th) and 200-yard IM (17th), while Damian Polk earned points with a 14th-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly.

Manchester's men's relays collected valuable points, led by the A-team of Kotlin, Shannon, Alex Garcia, and Gabe Bristol, which finished fifth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:43.91. The same group, with Stults anchoring, later placed fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:30.74.

Spartans head to Albion College Friday, October 23 for a 5 pm contest

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester (1-10-1, 1-4-1) lost to Hanover (8-4-2, 4-1-1) 3-0 on Saturday. Manchester finished with four shots, two on goal, while Reagan Claus recorded 15 saves against 34 Hanover shots.

Manchester repeatedly kept Hanover from turning extended stretches into goals. After Hanover held a 1-0 lead, Manchester came through a stretch in which Hanover took eight shots without conceding. With the score at 0-2 in the second half, Manchester got through another sequence that included six Hanover shots and two corner kicks while keeping the score unchanged. A later stretch at 0-3 included three Hanover shots and a corner, and Manchester again held Hanover off the board during that run of play.

Hanover finished with 34 shots and 18 shots on goal, while Manchester recorded four shots and two on frame. Claus played all 90 minutes in goal and made 15 saves, including nine in the first half. Imari Francis led Manchester's attack with three shots and both of the team's shots on goal, while Delaney Kelly added the other Manchester attempt.

Manchester absorbed sustained pressure after Hanover's score at 15:29, a goal that made it 1-0. Claus kept Manchester at that margin through the rest of the half, including a 19:13-29:27 stretch in which Manchester faced eight Hanover attacking actions without conceding. Manchester generated a corner kick and a Kelly shot shortly after the goal, then got two late attempts from Francis, but went to halftime trailing 1-0.

Claus saved Hanover's penalty kick early in the second half, but the Panters scored at 47:25 to put Hanover ahead 2-0. Manchester held Hanover scoreless through a 52:35-62:55 stretch that included multiple shots and two Claus saves before Hanover scored at 63:47 for a 3-0 Hanover lead. Francis put Manchester's shot on goal at 78:40, and the match finished 3-0.

Claus recorded 15 saves in 90 minutes, making nine in the first half and six in the second. Francis led Manchester with three shots, including two on goal.

Manchester moves to 1-10-1 overall and 1-4-1 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester travels to Franklin to face the Grizzlies on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m.

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester (6-7-1, 2-3-1) lost to Hanover (7-4-4, 5-0-1) 2-0 on Saturday. Manchester was held to three shots, including one on goal, while Hanover finished with 11 shots and four on goal.

Manchester got through an early Hanover push without conceding, as Hanover generated three shots and three corner kicks during a six-action stretch while the match was still scoreless. The second half became more stop-start, with one seven-minute stretch featuring four fouls and a later nine-minute span including seven fouls and one card. Manchester was part of that late stretch with three fouls and two cards over an extended sequence, limiting the flow as the match moved deeper into the half.

Hanover finished with an 11-3 advantage in shots and put four attempts on goal to Manchester's one. Will Martin made three saves for Manchester while facing steady work in goal. Manchester's chances came from Quentin Taylor, who took two shots, and Aiden Bryant, who put Manchester's shot on frame. The teams combined for 22 fouls, with Manchester called for 12 and Hanover for 10, while Manchester received both yellow cards recorded in the match.

Manchester went into halftime down 1-0 after Hanover was credited with a team goal at 19:12. Earlier, Manchester absorbed a run of Hanover pressure from 7:33 to 13:38, with Martin making a save at 10:42 as the visitors came away scoreless from three shots and three corners in that stretch. Taylor registered Manchester's first shot at 17:58, and Manchester earned a corner 10 seconds later before Hanover broke through. Manchester added another corner in the 37th minute, but Hanover kept pressing with late corners and Martin made another save at 43:26 to keep the halftime margin at one.

Manchester's second-half deficit grew in the 59th minute, when Hanover scored to make it 2-0. Earlier, Manchester played through a physical stretch that included fouls on Alan Galvez and Taylor while the score remained 0-1. After the goal, Manchester pushed for a response with Quentin Taylor's shot and ensuing corner in the 72nd minute, then Bryant put a shot on goal in the 77th minute. Martin made a late save in the 88th minute, but Manchester could not break through before the match ended at 2-0.

Martin played all 90 minutes in goal and finished with three saves. Taylor recorded a team-high two shots, while Bryant put his lone attempt on goal.

Manchester moves to 6-7-1 overall and 2-3-1 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester hosts Franklin College on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium.

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester lost to Franklin 19-7 on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Manchester's defense produced four sacks, six tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery. The offense finished with 206 passing yards and 106 rushing yards, with its lone touchdown coming on the ground.

Franklin controlled possession in the first quarter, holding the ball for 10:16 and totaling eight first downs while completing 9 of 11 passes for 76 yards. Manchester kept the quarter scoreless with two sacks and two fourth-down stops, including Kameron Landrum's sack on fourth-and-11 at the Manchester 16.

Manchester's defense turned Franklin away on fourth down at the MAN5 and MAN18 and finished the second quarter with one sack, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. Franklin still produced 169 passing yards and eight first downs in the quarter, while Manchester had 71 passing yards and three first downs. Franklin scored the quarter's only points on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds left, and Manchester was outscored 6-0 in the quarter.

Franklin scored the only points of the third quarter on a 36-yard touchdown pass and led Manchester 13-0 entering the fourth. Manchester held the ball for 9:49 and produced four first downs, but went 1-for-4 on third down and came up empty on its lone red-zone trip before William Blue's interception ended the quarter.

Manchester produced 124 passing yards, seven first downs and 9:04 of possession in the fourth quarter, with Cameron Puryear's 18-yard touchdown run and Angel Estrada's PAT accounting for its points. Franklin still answered with 96 passing yards on 5-of-6 completions, including a 6-yard touchdown pass, and closed out a 19-7 final despite Manchester forcing a fumble and recording one sack in the quarter.

Manchester's defense kept the game scoreless through a series of short-field stops, denying Franklin on fourth down at the Manchester 16-yard line, the 5-yard line and the 18-yard line. The stop at the 5 was a goal-line stand, and Franklin finished 2-for-5 in the red zone with three possessions ending on downs. Those stops came even as Franklin generated yardage, particularly through the passing game.

Manchester finished with 206 passing yards and 106 rushing yards, while Franklin threw for 400 yards and totaled 456 yards. Manchester also had four sacks, six tackles for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery, with Kameron Landrum recording two sacks and William Blue finishing with the interception. On offense, Frankie Cherry completed 16 of 30 passes for 199 yards, and Ethan Skinner caught 10 passes for 153 yards. Third down was a contrast, with Manchester converting 3 of 15 and Franklin converting 9 of 16.

Skinner caught 10 passes for 153 yards and added one rushing yard. Cherry completed 16 of 30 passes for 199 yards without an interception. Talen Garner recorded 12 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Landrum added seven tackles and two sacks.

Manchester moves to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play. 

Up next, Manchester travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face Mount St. Joseph University on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1:30 p.m.

NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester (7-7, 2-1 HCAC) defeated Hanover (15-6, 2-1 HCAC) 3-1 on Saturday. Manchester finished with 61 kills and a .272 hitting percentage, compared with 46 kills and a .207 mark for Hanover.

Manchester repeatedly turned deficits into leads across the match, beginning with a first-set swing after Hanover moved in front 16-15. Manchester piled up four straight service points during that stretch and moved ahead 20-17. In the second set, Manchester was down 27-26 before closing on a four-point burst, converting set point at 30-28. Manchester also erased an early 7-4 gap in the third set to take a 9-8 lead, then later cut a six-point deficit in that set to 23-21. The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with Manchester turning an 11-12 deficit into a 16-13 lead and using a run that included four straight service points to reach 18-13.

Manchester finished with 61 kills and a .272 hitting percentage, while Hanover totaled 46 kills and hit .207. Both teams had six total blocks, and Manchester held a narrow 59-57 edge in digs despite Hanover finishing with more service aces, 8-5. Lily Lichtenbarger led Manchester's attack with 15 kills on a .519 hitting percentage, Morgan Howard had 48 assists, and Alicia Simmons added 20 digs.

Manchester took control of the first set by turning a 16-15 deficit into a 20-17 lead, with Kyana Martinez and Izzy Renz supplying kills and Simmons adding a service ace during the surge. Earlier, Manchester answered a 7-3 Hanover lead with Tiffany Watterson's service ace and two Hanover attack errors to pull even at 8-8. Haddi Hile later added a service ace before Simmons finished a Howard set for a 13-11 Manchester edge. After Hanover moved back in front, Manchester's late push carried the set, and kills from Lichtenbarger, Renz and Howard helped close out a 25-20 first-set win.

Manchester outlasted Hanover 30-28 in the second set, answering deficits of 25-24, 26-25 and 27-26 before Martinez and Lichtenbarger delivered the final two kills. Earlier, Manchester fell behind 3-0, then worked back through kills from Delaeni Hixson, Martinez, Simmons, Renz and Lichtenbarger to take its first lead at 7-6 and later move ahead 16-13. Hanover responded with five straight points to go in front 18-16, but Manchester tied the set at 18-18 on a service error and a Martinez kill and later went ahead 20-19 on Alena Naddaf's ace. Manchester pushed to 24-21 on kills by Renz, Simmons and Lichtenbarger plus a block by Lichtenbarger and Howard, only for Hanover to score the next four points and move ahead 25-24. Lichtenbarger, Simmons and Renz supplied late answers, and after Hanover tied it at 28-28, Martinez put Manchester at set point before Lichtenbarger finished the set off a Howard assist.

Manchester turned an early 7-4 deficit into a 9-8 lead, winning five of six points behind kills from Martinez, Renz and Lichtenbarger before a Hanover attack error moved Manchester in front. Hanover answered through the middle of the set and pushed Manchester into an 18-12 hole, with Manchester getting points in that stretch from Simmons kills and a Martinez block. Manchester kept working back, and after trailing 23-18, Simmons finished from Keira Meierant, Howard forced an attack error with a block and Howard followed with a kill to make it 23-21. Hanover took the final two points to close the third set, 25-21.

Manchester took control in the middle of the fourth set, turning a 13-13 score into a 20-14 lead. Earlier, the set stayed tight as Manchester answered Hanover with kills from Lichtenbarger, Simmons, Hixson and Martinez before Hanover moved in front 12-11. Martinez tied the set at 12-12, Lichtenbarger added kills around a Hanover point, and Manchester's seven-of-eight stretch included four straight points on Alena Naddaf's serve plus kills by Howard and Renz. Manchester kept the finish in its hands with late kills from Lichtenbarger, Howard, Martinez and Hixson, and after Hanover scored twice at set point, Martinez ended the 25-18 set win off Howard's assist.

Lichtenbarger led Manchester with 17 points and 15 kills while hitting .519 and adding three blocks. Howard finished with 48 assists, six kills and three blocks. Simmons recorded 20 digs and added 13 kills. Martinez tallied 13 kills, 15 points and two solo blocks.

Manchester moves to 7-7 overall and 2-1 in HCAC play. 

Up next, Manchester travels to Bluffton, Ohio, to face Bluffton University on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m.