The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island recently announced the appropriation of a $50,000 matching grant to the Bainbridge Island Youth Soccer Club for the purpose of renovating two fields at Bainbridge Island’s Battle Point Park.
Funds will be awarded to “Fields For Our Future,” an island-based, nonprofit, all-volunteer organization comprised of community leaders and citizens united by the need to fix existing fields on Bainbridge Island.
“Fields For Our Future” is a partnership between the Bainbridge Island Youth Soccer Club and the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District. Its mission is to renovate athletic fields at Battle Point Park for the benefit of the entire community.
The Bainbridge Island boys and girls lacrosse clubs have also assisted in this effort.
This renovation project, supported and endorsed by elected officials, the city of Bainbridge Island, local businesses and sports groups and other key community organizations, will directly benefit over 2,000 children that currently play soccer, lacrosse and other field sports on the island.
The project will also benefit visiting players, families, coaches and referees that compete against Bainbridge Island youth annually. With more players using the renovated fields, all other fields will have more time to recuperate, benefiting an additional 1,500 -plus children who share fieldspace with other players.
In order to renovate the two fields, the Fields For Our Future partnership is completing its fundraising for the $1.46 million to build the project. As of today, more than $1.27 million dollars has been committed to the project.
An additional $125,000 – including the Rotary matching grant – is pending. The goal is to complete fundraising by the end of April and build the fields this summer for play in September.
Tax-deductible donations can be made directly to: Fields For Our Future, P.O. Box 10949, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 or go to www.biysc.com or www.fieldsforourfuture.org.
Rotary will match donations up to $50,000.
For further information or to volunteer, please contact Laura Sachs, BIYSC Vice President of Field Development at fielddev@biysc.com or (206) 842-1335 or visit www.fieldsforourfuture.org.
BHS grad takes sixth in track meet
Matt Wauters is continuing his success at the next level.
A 2004 graduate of Bainbridge, Wauters, now a redshirt junior at Idaho, took sixth in the men’s weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. on the weekend of March 15.
Wauters, a two-time state champ in the shotput and discus, scored a top-10 finish with a mark of 70 feet, nine inches.
The mark breaks the school record of 69 feet, 9 1/2 inches he previously set at last season’s NCAA indoor meet.
He also holds the school record for the outdoor hammer throw set at 204 feet, seven inches in 2006.
“I’m ecstatic – I’m so proud of him,” Idaho throws coach Julie Taylor said of Wauters in the Lewiston Tribune. “We wanted him to make the finals and it was a really tight competition. That was our big concern.
“After he made it, he sort of relaxed and threw really well. You couldn’t ask for a better circumstance to throw your best at.”
Boys LAX take two in tourney
Against some of the top teams on the West Coast, the Bainbridge boys’ lacrosse team held their own at the second annual Jerry Langkammerer Memorial Best of the West Tournament in San Francisco last weekend.
They defeated Danville Mountain Vista 15-2 Thursday, then lost to top ranked St. Ignacius Prep 13-5 Friday.
The Spartans rebounded to defeat San Francisco 11-10 in overtime on Saturday.
Against Danville, Kevin Nguyen and Sam Snow led the way with four points each as Nguyen had three goals and an assist while Snow added a goal and three assists.
Against St. Ignacius, the Wildcats led from start to finish, as four players led St. Ignacius with four points apiece.
Goalie Kyle Bell made 17 saves.
Nguyen was the scoring leader for the Spartans with two points.
“They’re well organized, and they have guys that can finish,” Bainbridge Island assistant coach Dejon Hush said to westsidelax.com. “That was their biggest strength. We took about the same amount of shots as them. They just put them in the back of the cage.”
Against San Francisco, the Spartans had the lead for most of the game before their opponent scored three straight to take a one-point lead in the final minutes.
But Garrett Lund scored the game-tying goal with four seconds left.
Jordan Foster scored the winning goal in overtime off an assist from Evan Wright.
Bainbridge (7-2) hosts Lynnwood next Tuesday, then faces off against arch-rival Mercer Island Friday.
Both games are at 7:30 p.m.
