{"id":1888,"date":"2026-06-27T04:09:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1888"},"modified":"2026-06-27T04:09:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T04:09:45","slug":"uh-manoa-student-athletes-eager-to-compete-on-home-turf-in-new-athletic-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1888","title":{"rendered":"UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; 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. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1886\">Kalaupapa National Historical Park to offer guided public tours on Molokai<\/a><\/p>\n<p>UH is targeting summer 2028 for when official competition can begin on site. Until then, games will continue to be played elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>The partial opening marked progress, years after programs were displaced following the closure of Aloha Stadium in 2020. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe came back my freshman year from spring break and our track was actually gone,\u201d said senior thrower Samaria Vital. \u201cThey had built the stands over the track. Our coaches were like, \u2018What are we supposed to do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Vital said the track team spent years adapting to temporary and often inadequate practice spaces. <\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>But the project\u2019s general contractor, Ryan Yamamoto, said removing materials and unforeseen groundwater conditions led to delays. <\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have not had a home meet here since 2019, so all of our contests are on the road,\u201d said Tim Boyce, head cross country coach and director of track and field. <\/p>\n<p>Cross country sophomore Emily Donofrio said the lack of facilities created daily challenges.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019d have to either run to local high schools or get bussed,\u201d Donofrio said. \u201cIt would cause us to be rushed for class or be late, it creates a little sense of extra stress.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Donofrio believes the new track is already making a difference and is bringing the team together.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Despite the instability, Vital said the team continued to succeed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can do anything they want to us, but it\u2019s not going to work,\u201d Vital said. \u201cDespite all of that, we still did great at championships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Boyce said limitations are common for non-revenue sports. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrack and field, swimming and diving, and water polo are not high-ticket items,\u201d said Boyce. \u201cBut their place in an athletic department is still vitally important.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Still, not having a place to host events impacts resources.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of the team\u2019s extra budget does come from being able to host events,\u201d said Keilah Wilkes, a former UH runner. \u201cNot really being able to host any events does take a huge hit.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1884\">Lanes closed on H-1 westbound after excavator hits Aala Street overpass<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Overall, she believes \u201cthings have been getting better for UH sports as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last season, women\u2019s soccer games took place off campus, leading to hours of commutes to the Waipi\u2018o Soccer Complex before kickoff and long days for student-athletes. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Head coach Michele \u2018Bud\u2019 Nagamine said the team has long had to adapt to limited access to its competition venue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t get to practice out in Waipi\u2018o, they don\u2019t let anybody on the field unless it\u2019s a game,\u201d Nagamine said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had to kind of adhere and adjust to policy that the city and county has.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nagamine added that they\u2019ve been training on the new field since September, and they couldn\u2019t be more grateful, even in its incomplete state. <\/p>\n<p>Coaches and athletes say it represents a major move forward for UH sports.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis new field is absolutely gorgeous, being able to train on it was just so exciting,\u201d said former wahine soccer star Caroline Carter. \u201cWe were like \u2018this is all for us\u2019, it was something that we finally felt like women\u2019s soccer taking a step in the right direction in Hawaii.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Nagamine added that eventually returning games to campus could bring more student fans and overall transform the student-athlete and fan experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can hopefully create a fun, festive environment, which ultimately contributes to the overall student-athlete experience,\u201d Nagamine said. \u201cBeing central on campus again is going to be a win-win for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of room to grow,\u201d said Wilkes, the former UH runner. \u201cI think this facility is a good sign.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Still, some athletes say the unfinished facility reflects years of compromises.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe small things add up,\u201d Vital said. \u201cNot having a water source, not having bathrooms nearby, it makes you wonder, did y\u2019all really think this through?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Full completion of the facility remains part of a second phase. <\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>A UH spokesperson sent HNN this update: \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vital believes the program\u2019s perseverance says as much about the athletes as the facility itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe amount of barriers we\u2019ve had to cross just to make it to certain things shows that we are a resilient team,\u201d Vital said. \u201cI would love to see what this team can do whenever we finally have everything we need.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1882\">Demand prompts Journey to add second Blaisdell Arena show<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UH is targeting summer 2028 for when official competition can begin on Cooke Field. Until then, games will continue to be played elsewhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=1888\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UH Manoa student-athletes eager to compete on home turf in new athletic facility - Hawaii Moving Insider\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UH is targeting summer 2028 for when official competition can begin on Cooke Field. 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