The Siloam Springs boys and girls soccer teams have had plenty of success traveling on the road for state tournaments in recent years, but that won't be the case this year.
That's because the Panthers and Lady Panthers won't be traveling at all for this year's tournament.
Siloam Springs was awarded the host site for the 2017 Class 6A State Soccer Tournament on Thursday at the Arkansas Activities Association's 2017 Regional and State tournament bid selection meeting in Little Rock.
"We are excited about hosting the state tournament for this year," said second-year Siloam Springs soccer coach Brent Crenshaw, who led both the boys and girls teams to state titles in his first season in 2016. "We have great facilities and a great community. I think this will be beneficial to our student athletes. Without traveling, we should be better rested and on a normal routine."
Though official details of the tournament will be announced later, it's likely that the school district will utilize Panther Stadium and the newly opened Sager Creek Soccer Park adjacent to the stadium for the tournament's competition.
"Our district is excited about the opportunity to host the 2017 6A State Soccer Tournament," Siloam Springs athletic director Kevin Downing said. "We have a great community that supports athletics and will do a tremendous job welcoming all participants.
"We look forward to showing off our facilities during the three day tournament."
Siloam Springs was the only school to put in a bid for this year's soccer tournament. Previous Class 6A state soccer tournaments were held in El Dorado (2016), Searcy (2015, 2013) and Russellville (2014), and Siloam Springs competed in Class 5A state tournaments in Little Rock (2012) and Harrison (2011).
Siloam Springs has built up a successful soccer tradition in recent years with either a boys or girls team represented in the state finals every year since 2011.
The Siloam Springs boys won state titles in Class 5A in 2011, 2012 and 2016 with state runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2015. The Siloam Springs girls finished state runner-up in 2013 before winning back-to-back-to-back state titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
This year's Class 6A State Soccer Tournament is scheduled for May 11-13 and the state finals will be held -- as usual -- at Razorback Field at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville on May 19-20.
Siloam Springs has had automatic bids to the state tournament the last several years, but this year the Panthers and Lady Panthers will have to earn its state berth in the 6A-West Conference Tournament, which will be played at the end of April and early May.
Both Siloam Springs teams will have to win at least one game in the conference tournament to punch its ticket to state.
"Before we start talking about state, our student athletes have to do well in our conference tournament first."
Soccer season for both teams begins Feb. 24 with benefit matches at Springdale Har-Ber and the season opener Feb. 28 at Van Buren.
Soccer wasn't the only site announced at Thursday's meeting. Sites for basketball, baseball, softball, swim and dive, volleyball, cross country and track and field -- including the Meet of Champions, Decathlon and Heptathlon -- were also announced.
The Class 6A basketball tournament will be held Feb. 27-March 4 at Wolf Arena at Lake Hamilton, which was also the site of the Class 6A volleyball tournament. The state basketball finals will be held March 9-11 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs. Lake Hamilton was the only 6A school to bid on basketball.
The Class 6A baseball and softball tournaments were both awarded to Benton, which was the only school to bid. Those tournaments will be held May 11-13 with the state finals to be played May 19-20 at Baum Stadium (baseball) and Bogle Park (softball) on the campus of the University of Arkansas.
The Arkansas State Swim and Dive Meet for all classes will be held Feb. 24-25 in Bentonville, while the Class 6A Track and Field Meet will be held at Lake Hamilton between May 1-6. The Meet of Champions will be in Russellville on May 13, while the decathlon and heptathlon will be in Cabot May 17-18.
The State Cross Country Meet for all classes was awarded to Lake Hamilton for Nov. 12 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.
The Class 6A State Volleyball Tournament will be Oct. 24-27 in Greenwood, with the state finals for all classes Oct. 29 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs.
Sports on 01/15/2017