The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) has a rich history in field hockey, marked by significant milestones, exceptional athletes, and memorable championship moments. This article explores the evolution of MIAA field hockey, highlighting key developments and achievements over the years.
Field Hockey Pitch
Early Beginnings and Key Milestones
The first Field Day was held among athletes from several Michigan colleges. Delegates from several colleges met on March 17 in Jackson, Michigan, to consider organizing a conference. One week later, Albion, Hillsdale, Michigan Agricultural (MSU), and Olivet became charter members.
Michigan Normal College, also known as Ypsilanti Normal, and now Eastern Michigan University, was admitted to the MIAA. In 1894 Albion was crowned the first official MIAA football champion, posting an overall 7-0-1 record.
A conference committee of faculty members was established to oversee governance of the MIAA. Michigan Agricultural College (MSU) withdrew from the MIAA.
Read also: Choosing the Right Hockey Stick Size
Adrian College was admitted to the MIAA. Men's basketball became an MIAA championship sports in 1910-11. Men's cross country became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1922.
Dr. Clark L. Herron of Hillsdale College was named the first “arbitrator” (commissioner) of the MIAA. Herron was also known as the association referee. Adrian College withdrew from the MIAA.
Michigan Normal College (EMU) withdrew from the MIAA. Baseball was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1928-29 season.
John Hasselman was appointed the MIAA commissioner. Men's cross country was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1932 season.
Golf became an MIAA championship sport in the spring of 1934. Men's indoor track became an MIAA championship sport in 1935-36. Kalamazoo was the first champion.
Read also: East Stroudsburg Field Hockey: A Look Back
Adrian College was re-admitted to the MIAA. Bob Devaney, an All-MIAA end at Alma in 1937, went on to become one of the great coaches in American college football history. Olivet College withdrew from the MIAA.
Olivet College was re-admitted to the MIAA and WMIAA. Hillsdale College withdrew from the MIAA. Win Schuler, Sr., was appointed the fourth MIAA commissioner. Hillsdale College withdrew from the WMIAA.
John Hoekje was appointed MIAA commissioner, becoming the fifth in conference history. Wrestling became an MIAA championship sports in 1968-69. Men’s swimming became an MIAA championship sport in 1970-71.
Golf was a spring sport in the MIAA until 1972. That year, the MIAA sponsored championships in golf in both the spring and fall.
Wrestling was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1983-84 season.
Read also: US Field Hockey in the Olympic Games
Sheila Wallace-Kovalchik was appointed the seventh commissioner of the MIAA effective July 1, 1991.
David Neilson was appointed commissioner after serving on an interim basis in the 2002-03 school year. Joe Cooper is named MIAA Assistant to the Commissioner on Officiating, ending 35 years of active involvement as the supervisor of officials in several sports. The MIAA becomes the first collegiate conference in the nation to provide anti-microbial towels to its member institutions.
Thomas L. Renner is named MIAA historian after having served 42 years as league publicist and statistician.
The MIAA announces a new competitive format for its regular season and tournament competition that will go into effect with the 2011-12 season. The MIAA will institute home-and-home round-robin formats for regular season competition in team sports, with the exception of football and softball.
The MIAA marked its 125th anniversary as a conference. A new scoring system is introduced for the Commissioner’s Cup, awarding the same number of points for the MIAA champion, regardless of gender.
On June 22, 2017, the MIAA imposed sanctions on Kalamazoo College in relation to the college’s actions set forth in the NCAA major infractions decision dated March 22, 2016. The MIAA, acting under the authority of its governing documents, required Kalamazoo College to vacate wins specific to MIAA competition for a designated four seasons, and prohibits Kalamazoo College from MIAA postseason competition during the 2017-18 academic year.
After a 35-year hiatus, MIAA wrestling returns as the conference’s 23rd sponsored sport. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the MIAA shifted both the fall and winter sport seasons to the spring. Competition looked different with mask mandates, spectator policies, COVID testing, and more.
Women's Athletics and the WMIAA
Albion College hosted the first "play day" for women of the MIAA on May 10. Play days featured "recreational" sports and emphasized participation rather than competition. This was the beginning of organized women's athletics in the league.
Female representatives of the MIAA colleges met at Kalamazoo College and founded a separate women's conference. Charter members were Adrian, Albion, Alma, Hillsdale, Hope, Kalamazoo and Olivet. Originally known as the Athletic Federation of Michigan College Women, the name was changed to the Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WMIAA) in 1946. Olivet College withdrew from the WMIAA.
Josephine "Jo" Dunn of Albion can appropriately be called the "Mother of the WMIAA." Her leadership in women's athletics led to the founding of the women's league in 1941.
Archery became a WMIAA championship sport in the spring of 1952. Women's swimming and softball became WMIAA championship sports in 1976-77.
The MIAA and WMIAA were combined to form a unified men’s and women’s league. Women's track became an MIAA championship sport in the spring of 1979. Archery was dropped as an MIAA championship sport after the 1981 season. Women's cross country became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1981.
For the first time, the MIAA All-Sports Award was determined on the basis of both men’s and women’s sports. The first women’s NCAA championship by an MIAA team was captured by Hope College in women’s basketball. Women’s golf became an MIAA championship sport in the fall of 1991.
Championship Teams and Standout Athletes
The MIAA's first NCAA Division III national championship team was the 1976 Kalamazoo men's tennis squad, coached by George Acker. Kalamazoo tennis players Chris Bussert and Jim Hosner become the first MIAA student-athletes to win national titles.
Tracy Garner of Albion was the MIAA's first NCAA Division III national track champion, capturing the high jump in 1983. Hope crowned two NCAA Division III swimming champions in 1987, a first for the MIAA.
Kalamazoo wins its fourth men's tennis title since 1976. Kalamazoo men’s tennis coach George Acker was named the college tennis Coach of the Decade. Kalamazoo won a record seventh NCAA Division III national championship in men’s tennis.
Hope’s Josh Boss became a four-time NCAA Division III National Champion in the 200-yard breaststroke (1999-02). Adrian's Amanda Haines, who earlier in the 2003-04 school year won the gold medal at the national indoor meet, repeated the feat at the outdoor championships. Tri-State wins its first conference championship as an MIAA member, winning the 2007 softball crown.
Calvin diver Erica Deur becomes the first women’s diver in MIAA history to win four consecutive league championships in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Rachel Boerner of Calvin becomes the first individual MIAA track and field athlete to win two national championships on the same day.
Calvin’s Nick Kramer wins the national championship in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division III championships. The MIAA claims its third national championship in volleyball in five years as Hope defeats Emory in five sets in the championship match in Newport News, Va.
Trine’s Jake Gladieux became the MIAA’s 103rd national champion after finishing first in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.57.
Key Athletes and Their Achievements
Several athletes have left an indelible mark on MIAA field hockey. Here are a few notable examples:
- Lee Bartlett of Albion: Set MIAA, AAU, and NCAA records in winning the 1928 national collegiate javelin championship.
- Russ DeVette of Hope: Voted the league's first most valuable player in men's basketball.
- Henry Hughes of Adrian: Was the MIAA men's basketball scoring champion three years in-a-row in the mid-1950s.
- John Persons of Kalamazoo: Is the only baseball player to win All-MIAA honors four years in-a-row.
- Mark Veenstra of Calvin: Is the only player in MIAA men's basketball history to be voted the most valuable player four times, 1974-77.
- Jamie Van Arsdalen of Adrian: Averaged 24 points a game against MIAA basketball opponents from 1978 to 1980.
- Merry Lu Jordan of Kalamazoo: Topped MIAA archers in scoring in 1980 and 1981.
- Rob Appell of Hope: Was the first MIAA athlete to be voted the most valuable trackster three years in-a-row, 1984-86.
- Timon Corwin of Kalamazoo: Was the 1986 NCAA Division III singles tennis champion and recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for combining excellent play, sportsmanship, and scholarship.
Recent Highlights and Championship Moments
In recent years, MIAA field hockey has continued to produce memorable moments and showcase exceptional talent. Here are some highlights:
- Walpole (21-1-1): Ran through most of its competition for a third straight season, using overwhelming tenacity and the leadership of 20 seniors to cap off a three-peat in Div. 1.
- Somerset Berkley (22-1): Sparked more conversation about boys in field hockey, as junior Ryan Crook partnered with star senior Addie Finlaw to help lead an otherwise balanced group to a repeat Div.
- Sandwich (19-2-2): Reached a fourth state final in five years, becoming just the sixth program to do that.
- Franklin (17-3-3): Tied for the Div. 1 lead in shutouts (16) and goals allowed (11) with Andover (17-2-2) en route to its first state final.
- Dover-Sherborn (18-3-1): Went unbeaten in the cut-throat Tri-Valley League en route to a third Div. 3 Final Four trip in four years.
- Dennis-Yarmouth’s (18-5): Two seniors went out with a bang, helping win two chaotic finishes deep in the Div. 4 state tournament to secure the Dolphins’ first state title since 2018.
- Hingham (20-2-1): Was a feel-good story in Div. 2, as the 13 seniors that helped it reach its first two Final Four trips in 2023 and 2024 finally reached the state final as the top seed.
- Wellesley (20-2): Was another with 20 straight wins to return to the Div. 1 Final Four, only falling to Div.
- Nashoba (20-1-1): Rode an unbeaten record in Div. 2 to the state semifinals, where it also lost to the Blue Raiders.
- Uxbridge: Several notable longtime or retired coaches have said the Spartans - with eight D-I college commits - are the best high school team they’ve ever seen.
These achievements reflect the dedication and hard work of the athletes, coaches, and families involved in MIAA field hockey.
The MIAA hockey state finals will feature the crowned state champions
The Alma Scots' 1983 Field Hockey Triumph
The 1983 field hockey team was the first in Scots history to win the MIAA outright. Alma’s ‘83 squad ended the season at 9-2-1, with 19 points in MIAA play. That was just enough to edge rivals Hope College (8-2-2, 18 pts) and then Calvin College (8-3-1, 17 pts). The Scots secured the title with a win over Calvin in the final game of the season.
Alma’s identity as a team was far from one dimensional. The Scots pumped in 30 goals in league play, the most of any team in the conference, and were tied with Hope in allowing the fewest goals with 10. Alma placed four student-athletes on the All-MIAA teams, all of them being named to the first team.
The Scots laid claim to four of the top 12 point scorers in the conference in ‘83. Freshman Kim Neimeyer led the way with 17 points, good for joint second place in the individual race. Neimeyer was the third leading scorer in the conference with seven tallies. Audrain and Douglas each netted six. Margot Kinnear scored five times, and Fedewa four. In total it was Alma’s completeness as a team that propelled them to the title.
| Team | Record | MIAA Points |
|---|---|---|
| Alma Scots | 9-2-1 | 19 |
| Hope College | 8-2-2 | 18 |
| Calvin College | 8-3-1 | 17 |