Lake Hamilton, Lakeside, Jessieville, Centerpoint and Malvern were among schools throughout the state to submit bids to host regional and state competitions in the 2018 calendar year.
The Arkansas Activities Association is expected to announce the selected sites today.
Lake Hamilton hosted the Class 6A state basketball tournament at Lake Hamilton Wolf Arena in 2017 and was not among bidders for this year's 6A tournament. The district competed with perennial host sites Alma and Russellville in the arena's first two years after it was constructed.
The bidders for the 2018 Class 6A tournament are Greenwood, Jonesboro, Mountain Home and West Memphis.
Lake Hamilton could still potentially host a state tournament from Feb. 26 through March 3 after partnering with Kirby to bid for the Class 1A competition. The shared bid is only contested by a bid from Wonderview to host the 1A tournament in Morrilton.
No other local district bid to host a state basketball tournament. The state finals will again be held in Bank of the Ozarks Arena at the Hot Springs Convention Center March 8-10.
Jessieville bid against Perryville and Two Rivers to host the Region 1 tournament in Class 3A Feb. 21-24. Centerpoint bid against Drew Central and Fordyce to host the Region 4 tournament. Drew Central is one of three districts bidding to host the Class 3A state tournament, along with Harding Academy and Manila.
No local schools submitted bids to host state tournaments in baseball, softball or soccer either. Malvern bid for the Class 4A South regional baseball and softball tournaments to be held May 3-5.
No other bids were submitted for the South regional softball tournament, but Ashdown bid to host baseball. Ashdown bid against Lincoln, Monticello, Nashville and Batesville Southside to host the 4A state tournament.
Jessieville bid against Green Forest and Prescott to host the Class 3A state track meet between April 30 and May 5. No bids were submitted for Class 2A.
The Meet of Champs will again be held at Lake Hamilton Wolf Stadium on May 12. The district spent about $700,000 for Italy-based company Mondo to update the track in 2016. Mondo has provided the official track competition surfaces for the Summer Olympic Games every four years since 1976. Lake Hamilton will again host the state cross country meet on Nov. 2 at Oaklawn Park.
Lakeside submitted a bid to host the Class 5A state volleyball tournament Oct. 24-26. The only other bid for Class 5A was submitted by Jonesboro.
The state finals will return to Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Oct. 27.
Sports on 01/11/2018