It’s a matter of opinion which is the more difficult accomplishment in the private school girls athletic league – winning the regular season title or winning the tournament title.

I can see it both ways. It’s tough to come out ahead in a 14- or 16-game season that includes a lot of teams pretty evenly matched. It’s not easy to win those three games at tournament time either when every team is primed and even one with a losing record can get hot and take out a favorite as Notre Dame Prep’s field hockey team did in beating Bryn Mawr last week.

That makes it all the more remarkable when a team wins both in the same season. And still more remarkable when all three teams in the same sport win both. How about winning both and going undefeated in your conference?

That almost never happens even for one team, but all three Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland field hockey teams did it this season.

After winning the regular season titles, Garrison Forest, McDonogh and Mercy won their respective A, B and C Conference tournament championships yesterday. Not one of them lost a game to a conference opponent and Mercy did not lose a game at all.

I’m not sure that kind of triple triumph will happen ever again.

-- Katherine Dunn