Rachael Manuel is one of only two Senior players at Youngstown State University.  Times are tough and the win column is bare, but Manuel is making the most of her minutes on and off the court.  The Texas-born Lady Penguin gets it.  She knows that she and her fellow hoopsters are putting forth all they have and she credits her coaches for maintaining a positive outlook.  I recently caught up with Manuel and gained alot of respect for her because of her pleasant demeanor and academic approach.

Paneech:  Tell me about Grayslake, Illinois.

Manuel:  Grayslake is on the Northside of Chicago, actually closer to the Wisconsin border.  I was actually born and raised in Texas and moved to Illinois when I was in seventh grade, which is when I actually started playing basketball.  I go back twice a year, Christmas and Summer.  

Paneech:  Out of high school, you went to Southern Miss. and then transferred to YSU, what went wrong at Southern Miss?

Manuel:  I was happy at Southern Miss, it was a bigger university.  As far as basketball went I was the small fish in a big pond there.  I really wanted to look toward the Horizon League because all of the schools are pretty close to my house and it allowed my parents, who never missed my games, to have a chance to see me play more often.  By coming to a Horizon League school, my parents had the chance to see me almost every single game.

Paneech:  Tell me about the transition from Tisha Hill to Cindy Martin.

Manuel:  I only played under Coach Hill my redshirt year which meant I could only practice.  There was definitely a difference the next year when Coach Martin took over.  Coach Hill’s last year was very relaxed and laid back, while Coach Martin does things much more uptempo.

Paneech:  How important are your grades to you and why have you chosen Business / Accounting for a major?

Manuel:  I only have three classes left this semester and then I will graduate.  I’m still deciding what to do with it, but ultimately my goal is to work for the IRS, maybe in auditing.  My grades are really important to me, I always strive to get A’s.  Last semester, I had a 3.70 and overall I carry a 3.26, so my grades are important.  Coach Baugher is our academic coach and she has stressed the importance of good grades.  I don’t know where I will end up, it’s still all up in the air on whether I will try to go to grad school or try to get a job right away.

Paneech:  By the record, it has been a tough season.  Obviously a win would be great for this team, but what would it mean to you personally?

Manuel:  Personally, it would mean alot.  We need a win right now.  Everyone keeps trying and keeps pushing but you need the win to build on so that the whole team realizes ‘Yes! We Can!’ and build off of that.  I don’t think anyone on this team is giving up.  I feel a burden on my shoulders as a Senior and because I am playing so many minutes that when it happens, I will feel like I have fulfilled, at least, part of my role with this team.

Paneech:  Do you watch other sports?

Manuel:  I love watching college basketball.  I also love tennis, the Australian Open is going on right now.  I really like [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal.  I watch alot of sports on television, especially basketball.

Paneech:  What is like to have a birthday (October 30) so close to Halloween ?

Manuel:  It’s great!  Halloween is my favorite holiday.  You get to dress up and eat candy, birthday cake in there too.

Paneech:  What do you think about Jay Leno and what NBC is putting Conan O’Brien through?

Manuel:  I’m so upset because I love Conan O’Brien!  Just the other day, I went out and bought Conan’s 10th Anniversary Special.  I will be so upset if he doesn’t get picked up.

One Word Answers

Best Class Taken At YSU:  Business Calculus.

Biggest Phobia: Heights.

Favorite NFL Team:  Dallas Cowboys.

Worst Habit:  Biting My Nails.

Nicest Thing Anyone Has Ever Done For You:  Some young boy held up a sign at a game and asked me to marry him, it was so cute (laughs).

Favorite Fast Food:   McDonald’s.  Quarter Pounder with Mac Sauce.

Favorite Soft Drink:   Diet Coke.

Favorite TV Show (non-sports):  No Reservations (Anthony Bourdain).

Best Friend On Team:  Kaitlyn March, but I am best friends with all of them.

One Word To Describe Winter:  Dreary.

Favorite Breakfast Cereal:  Lucky Charms.

Best Cartoon Ever Made:  Family Guy.

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