I got the mic: Julia Herrington, Ocean City field hockey

Julia Herrington is a junior on the Ocean City field hockey team who recently announced a verbal commitment to attend the University of North Carolina. Glory Days Magazine publisher Dave O’Sullivan recently asked the Ocean City resident about spending Thanksgiving in California, what she always wanted for Christmas, and the case of Bieber Fever she contracted five years ago. Sully: You were out in California, what was that like at the Field Hockey Festival? Julia: This is actually my third year out there. The Festival is a great time and it’s good for the younger girls to be out there in front of (college coaches). Sully: How nervous do you get when you are out there? Julia: It’s a little nerve-wracking, but it’s nice to know I’ve already committed somewhere. In years past it has been really nerve-wracking because all the coaches are out there so you have to be on point with every move that you do. Sully: What’s that like, deciding to go to the University of North Carolina? It must be a big thrill for you. What was the recruiting process like? Julia: It was pretty easy for me. When September came around I got a bunch of calls, but as soon as I went down to North Carolina for my unofficial visit I fell in love with the campus and the coaches. I knew right away that’s where I was going to go, so it was a pretty easy decision for me. Sully: What about this past field hockey season? Obviously Ocean City’s goal every year is to win the state championship and you came up one goal short (in a 1-0 loss to Warren Hills). What was that bus ride home like? Julia: I think we were frustrated because we felt like we had dominated the game. They were only in our circle once and that’s when they scored. When you dominate a whole game and you lose, you think you could have done something differently. The bus ride home, honestly, it wasn’t that sad because we knew we were the better team, and in our eyes we won. It was a weird feeling, but it wasn’t a sad feeling. Sully: What’s it like playing for coach Cory Terry? She demands a lot from you girls. What’s that like playing for a coach who is that demanding? Julia Herrington, a junior, helped lead the Ocean City field hockey team back to the Group 3 state championship game this season. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) Julia: She brings the best out of us every day. If we have some flaws she is very good at picking out certain things for each player and helps us work on that individually. She’s a great coach overall with figuring out ways to getting us to where we need to be. Sully: What do you think your senior year will be like? Obviously you have the college choice in hand, but Ocean City is competing for state championships every year. What are your hopes for senior year? Julia: My goals are to win the state championship and I just want to be a leader. I want to lead the younger girls and give experience to them. I just want to have a really good season and have fun with my teammates. We’re going to be a really strong team again next year. I’m excited to see how our team will play next year. Sully: What’s the day after the final day of the field hockey season like? Are you sad, relieved, tired? Julia: It’s kind of weird. It hits you that you don’t have practice the next day and I don’t know what to do. But I play club and travel, so it kind of starts right up the next week, so that helps not knowing what to do with your life because you get right back into field hockey. Sully: Christmas is coming up. What’s the best Christmas present you ever got? Julia: I got a MacBook Pro about two years ago. I still have it and it’s probably the best thing ever because I use it all the time. Sully: What’s the one present you always wanted but never got? Julia: I always wanted one of those remote control toy cars. Sully: Is your mom one of those moms who puts the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving? Julia: Yeah. We have it up right now. Literally, the day after Thanksgiving. And we have lights all around the house. It’s very festive. Sully: Who was your celebrity crush when you were 12 years old? Julia: I would have to say pretty much every 12-year-old’s crush — Justin Bieber. Sully: If you could go on tour with anybody, who would you go with? Julia: Definitely Beyonce. She is a great leader in the women’s world and her songs are very powerful for young girls. She’s the queen. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]