Today in the MHSAA: 10/12/18
October 12, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
1. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion and top-ranked Okemos swept all eight flights in winning its Regional – Lansing State Journal
2. Girls Golf: Top-ranked Northville placed all five of its golfers among the top 10 overall in winning its LPD1 Regional, followed by No. 3 Plymouth – Observer & Eccentric
3. Cross Country: The UPD1 top-ranked Marquette teams again swept Great Northern Conference titles, but Gladstone’s Adam Bruce won his second league championship in a week after also finishing first at the Mid-Peninsula Conference finale Monday – Escanaba Daily Press
4. Boys Tennis: Auburn Hills Avondale earned its first Finals berth with an LPD2 Regional championship – Oakland Press
5. Girls Golf: No. 6 Clarkston edged No. 2 Bloomfield Hills by two strokes to win their LPD1 Regional – Oakland Press
6. Girls Golf: After missing making the Finals by a shot in 2017, Adrian Madison earned a trip with an LPD4 Regional title – Adrian Daily Telegram
7. Boys Tennis: Top-ranked and reigning Finals champion Bloomfield Hills won seven flights to claim its LPD1 Regional title – Oakland Press
8. Girls Golf: No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Marian secured an LPD2 Regional title, winning by nine strokes – Oakland Press
9. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 7 North Muskegon outlasted Whitehall through an 11-round shootout to claim the West Michigan Conference tournament finale and title – Local Sports Journal
10. Boys soccer: Division 4 No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian downed Hillsdale Academy 5-0 to lock up the Independent Soccer League championship – Adrian Daily Telegram
Also of note …
Volleyball: Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg clinched a share of the Wolverine Conference championship with a four-set win over Vicksburg – JoeInsider.com
Cross Country: From Wednesday, Byron’s LPD3 No. 15 girls finished their run to the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title – Owosso Argus-Press
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.)