UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility

News admin June 27, 2026 0 Comments

UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Since fall of 2025, University of Hawaii at Manoa soccer and track athletes have been practicing at a new mixed-use athletic facility at Cooke Field, but the site still lacks key features like stadium seating, a scoreboard and lighting that will allow it to host official meets and matches.

UH is targeting summer 2028 for when official competition can begin on site. Until then, games will continue to be played elsewhere.

The partial opening marked progress, years after programs were displaced following the closure of Aloha Stadium in 2020.

“We came back my freshman year from spring break and our track was actually gone,” said senior thrower Samaria Vital. “They had built the stands over the track. Our coaches were like, ‘What are we supposed to do?’”

Vital said the track team spent years adapting to temporary and often inadequate practice spaces.

Construction on the complex began in 2023 as part of a $30 million athletic expansion plan. Former athletic director Craig Angelos said at the time that he expected to have the facility ready for the start of the fall 2024 soccer season.

But the project’s general contractor, Ryan Yamamoto, said removing materials and unforeseen groundwater conditions led to delays.

Additionally, the installation of tons of rock and the expansion of underground drainage systems extended the period during which the soccer and track and field programs operated without a home.

“We have not had a home meet here since 2019, so all of our contests are on the road,” said Tim Boyce, head cross country coach and director of track and field.

Cross country sophomore Emily Donofrio said the lack of facilities created daily challenges.

“We’d have to either run to local high schools or get bussed,” Donofrio said. “It would cause us to be rushed for class or be late, it creates a little sense of extra stress.”

Donofrio believes the new track is already making a difference and is bringing the team together.

Despite the instability, Vital said the team continued to succeed.

“They can do anything they want to us, but it’s not going to work,” Vital said. “Despite all of that, we still did great at championships.”

Boyce said limitations are common for non-revenue sports.

“Track and field, swimming and diving, and water polo are not high-ticket items,” said Boyce. “But their place in an athletic department is still vitally important.”

Still, not having a place to host events impacts resources.

“A lot of the team’s extra budget does come from being able to host events,” said Keilah Wilkes, a former UH runner. “Not really being able to host any events does take a huge hit.”

Overall, she believes “things have been getting better for UH sports as a whole.”

Last season, women’s soccer games took place off campus, leading to hours of commutes to the Waipi‘o Soccer Complex before kickoff and long days for student-athletes.

Head coach Michele ‘Bud’ Nagamine said the team has long had to adapt to limited access to its competition venue.

“We don’t get to practice out in Waipi‘o, they don’t let anybody on the field unless it’s a game,” Nagamine said. “We’ve had to kind of adhere and adjust to policy that the city and county has.”

Nagamine added that they’ve been training on the new field since September, and they couldn’t be more grateful, even in its incomplete state.

Coaches and athletes say it represents a major move forward for UH sports.

“This new field is absolutely gorgeous, being able to train on it was just so exciting,” said former wahine soccer star Caroline Carter. “We were like ‘this is all for us’, it was something that we finally felt like women’s soccer taking a step in the right direction in Hawaii.”

Nagamine added that eventually returning games to campus could bring more student fans and overall transform the student-athlete and fan experience.

“We can hopefully create a fun, festive environment, which ultimately contributes to the overall student-athlete experience,” Nagamine said. “Being central on campus again is going to be a win-win for everybody.”

While former UH athletes feel a sense of missing out, they believe the new facility is a work in progress and a step in the right direction.

“I think there’s a lot of room to grow,” said Wilkes, the former UH runner. “I think this facility is a good sign.”

Still, some athletes say the unfinished facility reflects years of compromises.

“The small things add up,” Vital said. “Not having a water source, not having bathrooms nearby, it makes you wonder, did y’all really think this through?”

Full completion of the facility remains part of a second phase.

A UH spokesperson sent HNN this update: “The field currently remains operational for UH athletes and teams to use for practice; as you may have seen, it also recently hosted the Special Olympics. However, additional work on the surrounding areas is required before the facility can host major events with spectators. This phase of construction will include the installation of seating, lighting and other amenities, with an anticipated completion date of summer 2028.”

Vital believes the program’s perseverance says as much about the athletes as the facility itself.

“The amount of barriers we’ve had to cross just to make it to certain things shows that we are a resilient team,” Vital said. “I would love to see what this team can do whenever we finally have everything we need.”