Today in the MHSAA: 10/13/17
October 13, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Girls Golf: In arguably the state’s strongest Regional in this sport, top-ranked Saline shot a 324 to finish 15 shots ahead of runner-up and No. 3-ranked Northville and 22 ahead of No. 4 Plymouth in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Saline Post
2. Boys Tennis: Top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood edged No. 2 Detroit Country Day by two points to win an LPD3 Regional title – Oakland Press
3. Girls Golf: No. 5 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer won its first Regional championship in girls golf, claiming an LPD2 title with a 328, four strokes ahead of runner-up and No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – Local Sports Journal
4. Girls Golf: Top-ranked Kalamazoo Hackett won its LPD4 Regional with a 351, followed by No. 3 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian making the Finals for the 10th straight season – Grand Rapids Press
5. Girls Golf: No. 7 St. Johns bested runner-up and No. 10 Fenton by six strokes and No. 9 Okemos by 17 to win their LPD2 Regional – Lansing State Journal
6. Cross Country: Ishpeming and Negaunee battled for the boys and girls championships in the Mid-Peninsula Conference, with the UPD2 No. 1 Hematites boys and UPD1 No. 3 Miners girls earning the victories – Marquette Mining Journal
7. Girls Golf: Reigning LPD3 champion and current No. 8 Spring Lake won its fourth straight Regional title with a 372, eight strokes ahead of runner-up and No. 10 Big Rapids – Grand Haven Tribune
8. Boys Tennis: Sturgis won its first Regional championship in this sport since 2001, claiming an LPD3 title – Sturgis Journal
9. Girls Golf: All three Traverse City programs earned MHSAA Finals berths together for the first time, LPD1 No. 7 Traverse City West winning its Regional, Central finishing as a runner-up in LPD2 and St. Francis winning a tie-breaker for a third-place spot in LPD4 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. Girls Golf: No. 2 Brighton shot an impressive 309 to win its LPD1 Regional by 30 strokes – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Also of note …
Girls Golf: Top-ranked Midland Dow shot a 348 to clear the field by 20 strokes and win an LPD2 Regional title – Midland Daily News
Boys Tennis: Petoskey clinched its ninth straight Regional title, in LPD3, claiming 22 of a possible 24 points – Petoskey News-Review
Cross Country: Continuing their domination this season, Houghton’s boys (UPD1 No. 1) and Chassell’s girls (UPD3 No. 1) finished Western Peninsula Athletic Conference title chases – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Cross Country: Marquette’s teams continued their dominance as well sweeping Great Northern Conference championships; the girls are No. 2 in UPD1 and the boys are ranked No. 2 as well – Marquette Mining Journal
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.)