Maryland SoccerPlex, Ludwig Field Earn National Accolades

The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) recently announced the winners of their 2011 “Field of the Year” award, and the state of Maryland has two winners: University of Maryland’s Ludwig Field and the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown!  Both facilities won in the soccer category, Ludwig Field for “College and University” and the SoccerPlex for “Schools and Parks”.

Maryland Events Nominated for SportsTravel Awards

The state of Maryland hosted two events this year that have been nominated for a 2011 SportsTravel Award: the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championships and the 2011 USGA U.S. Open!  The 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championships are nominated for the Best Sports Event Series or Circuit in the Collegiate Sporting Event category, and the 2011 USGA U.S. Open is nominated for Best Single-Sport Event in the Professional Sporting Event category.

Both events are eligible for Sports Event of the Year.  But in order for us to take home the top prize, we need your vote! Go to SportsTravel Magazine’s website to vote! Voting ends on August 15^th, so don’t delay! Help show the sports community that Maryland is here to play!

Autos, Bikes & Boats, Oh My!

Winners at the IHRA Junior Dragster Final

There were many exciting sporting events that took place this past weekend in our great state.  From fishing to cycling, Maryland had something to offer all sports fans.   We’ll be covering auto racing in Southern Maryland, bicycle road racing in the suburbs of DC, tuna fishing down the beach and youth lacrosse in and around Baltimore.

First up were the IHRA Junior Dragster Finals.  Held at the Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, the three-day event featured practice sessions, special races, games, and the final points-based competition on Sunday. The Junior Dragster racers from Northeast Dragway in North Carolina won the IHRA Junior Team Finals against 26 teams from 18 different tracks.

National Lacrosse Champions Crowned

The Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds was host to many events this past weekend: DC United Women, MLS Futbolito and the National Lacrosse Classic.  We already recapped the soccer events that took place, so now we bring you the lacrosse.

The National Lacrosse Classic took place from July 1 to July 8.  This tournament featured boys and girls teams from across the country competing at different age levels for the title of national champion. Teams and players traveled from all regions of the country, including the West Coast and Northwest.

This year the Classic expanded by adding middle school boys and girls divisions, as well as a high school girls division.  Officially the fourth year for the tournament, the national title winners go on to play against Canada in the Brogden Cup.

Capital Region Round-Up

Maryland has hosted some pretty cool events recently, and we’ve talked about some of them already, like Monster Jam and the U.S. Open Championships.   This past weekend the Capital Region hosted a handful of significant sporting events.  One of the busiest venues was the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Montgomery County.

Re-LAX in Maryland this Summer

If you have ever questioned why lacrosse is Maryland’s official team sport, then look no further than the next couple weekends.  Three prominent national tournaments are being played in Maryland over the next two weeks: the National Lacrosse Classic, the Under Armour All-America Classic and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Atlantic Cup.