Today In The MHSAA: 10/11/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 11, 2021
1. CROSS COUNTRY Hartland’s Riley Hough broke Dathan Ritzenhein’s individual meet record among highlights from the loaded Portage Invitational, which saw in-state team titles from the Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer, LPD2 No. 1 East Grand Rapids, LPD3 No. 1 Hart and LPD4 No. 1 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian girls; and LPD2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian, LPD3 No. 5 Traverse City St. Francis and LPD4 top-ranked Johannesburg-Lewiston boys – Livingston Daily Press & Argus | Athletic.net
2. SWIMMING & DIVING Fenton’s Gracie Olsen, Brighton’s Annika Geyer and Livonia Stevenson’s McKenzie Siroky won multiple events at the MISCA meet – MISCAonline
3. BOYS TENNIS No. 7 Sturgis won six flights on the way to a Lower Peninsula Division 3 Regional team championship – Sturgis Journal
4. VOLLEYBALL Mackinaw City won every set of all three matches in claiming the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament title – Petoskey News-Review
5. BOYS SOCCER Fremont downed Howard City Tri County 4-0 to clinch the Central State Activities Association Tournament championship – Greenville Daily News
6. CROSS COUNTRY Northville’s LPD1 No. 6 girls and No. 8 boys swept Wayne County Championship titles – Athletic.net
7. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 10 Oxford girls and No. 7 Lake Orion boys claimed Oakland County Championship wins – Athletic.net
8. CROSS COUNTRY Battle Creek Lakeview swept at the Calhoun County Championship meet; Lakeview’s boys are No. 15 in LPD1 – Athletic.net
9. VOLLEYBALL Cass City swept its round-robin invitational, with wins over Port Huron, Division 4 No. 8 Ubly, Brown City and Richmond – Huron Daily Tribune
10. VOLLEYBALL Sault Ste. Marie swept Houghton in the finale of the Escanaba Elks Invitational – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Holland West Ottawa Athletics Complex Recognized with National Award
December 12, 2023
Holland West Ottawa Public Schools’ new athletics complex, with architectural firm GMB, has been recognized as the top multi-field facility nationally by the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), the national organization for builders and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities.
West Ottawa’s new stadium consists of two turf playing fields. The west field was designed deliberately without a surrounding track to bring the stands and field closer together with a central tunnel beneath the grandstands for the home team to enter onto the field. The same synthetic turf, light posts, and state-of-the-art audio/video systems are utilized on both fields for an equitable experience for all users.
Multiple ground-level entry points with access to the fields, barrier-free locker rooms and multiple seating options with elevator access also create accessibility for spectators, players, coaches, and support staff.
“This facility allows our students the opportunity to play in one of the premier complexes in the state of Michigan,” said Jeff Malloch, assistant superintendent of business services at West Ottawa Public Schools. “We have seen continued interest in lacrosse, football, and soccer, and this complex will be utilized by our community youth from elementary age to high school student-athletes.”
Adding elevated fan experiences, such as a concourse level between the upper and lower sections of the home stands, bigger bleachers, and updated concession stands and restrooms establish a venue for multiple sports and attract the entire community to utilize the facility.
“This is a one-of-a-kind facility for West Michigan, and it’s been wonderful to see student-athletes from across the state enjoy the complex’s unique amenities,” said Nate Bosch, a landscape architect with GMB. “The collaboration needed to make this project come to life was an inspiring process to be a part of, and we are so pleased to celebrate this accomplishment with West Ottawa.”
This is the first time a GMB project has been awarded a multi-field facility of the year honor by the ASBA. GMB also has received four Project of the Year honors in the outdoor tennis category and 20 distinguished awards from ASBA for other athletic facility projects over the past 12 years.
(Photos by M-Buck Studio.)