NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – The Nebraska School Activities Association listened to proposals from communities in Nebraska on Wednesday, Jan. 25, and decided in an 8-0 vote to award the community of North Platte the Class C Girls High School State Golf Championship for the years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, according to a press release from Visit North Platte.
Will Peers, Director of Golf for Lake Maloney Golf Club, along with support from the North Platte Area Sports Commission, a division of Visit North Platte, submitted a proposal online in December 2022 to the NSAA Board of Directors, recommending Lake Maloney Golf Course for the Championship Host site for this October event.
“North Platte has hosted numerous District and State Championship events in North Platte, many at Lake Maloney, for the past 15 years or so,” says Samantha Geisler, Sports and Events Specialist with the North Platte Area Sports Commission, a division of Visit North Platte. “I believe that North Platte was awarded the event back, after losing the competition in the last bid cycle, due to the experience of hosting this event, our quality course and community support, and the enthusiasm and professionalism of our volunteers.”
An average of 95-100 competitors will compete in the Class C Girls High School State Championship Tournament. Class C, which is comprised of the smallest schools within the girls’ golf programs, many located in out-state Nebraska, traditionally travels very well. Many fans, friends, and family make the trip to North Platte to watch the two-day competition. The North Platte Area Sports Commission estimates that this two-day event will bring an economic impact of $45,731.90 each year into the community through lodging, retail, food, and beverage purchases. The Sports Commission developed this estimate by using the Event Impact Spending Calculator developed by the Huddle Up Group, a sports tourism consulting agency.
Lisa Burke, Executive Director of Visit North Platte said, “This tournament happens at the perfect time of year when the peak summer travel season is over, but there is still plenty of things to do in North Platte. Attracting hundreds of visitors to our community, for two or three days in October, benefits our retail shops, service stations, restaurants, and lodging. The money the visitors spend is re-spent a number of times throughout North Platte, benefiting the entire community.”
In addition to the award of the Class C championship to North Platte, the NSAA awarded Class A to Grand Island and Class B to Scottsbluff/Gering. North Platte will host the 2023 Class D Boys State Championship Tournament on May 23rd and 24th at Lake Maloney Golf Club.
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