GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Aquinas College will host the best men's and women's NAIA lacrosse teams in the country starting Wednesday.
The NAIA Lacrosse National Invitational Tournament will decide two national champions this week.
"In the NAIA, we've nearly doubled teams in the last five years, so that shows how much lacrosse is growing, both at the youth and collegiate level," NAIA tournament director Dustin Wilkie said. "It gives students an opportunity to keep playing a sport that they love, and seeing its growth has been really exciting for the NAIA."
This is the first year of a two-year bid where Aquinas will host the invitational.
"It is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and the tournament is bringing in 11 colleges and universities from seven different states," Aquinas athletic director Nick Davidson said. "It's really exciting to see that growth happening, and Michigan has really taken off."
While no local schools made the tournament, several local athletes did:
Women:
Deven Kovell (South Haven) - Indiana Tech
Lexi Nicole (Portage Northern) - Siena Heights
Hannah Argue (Portage Northern) - Siena Heights
Isabelle Vickers (Rockford) - Lawrence Tech
Alexus Barnes (Middleville) - Lawrence Tech
Anna Gagnon (Grand Haven) - Lawrence Tech
Men:
Parker Richards (Hudsonville) - Siena Heights
Conner Heidema (Hudsonville) - Siena Heights
Sam Lehouiller (Battle Creek) - Siena Heights
Games start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, with the championship games scheduled for Saturday.
