Today in the MHSAA: 10/19/15
October 19, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first MHSAA Lower Peninsula championships of 2015-16 were awarded in girls golf and boys tennis this weekend. Find links to Second Half coverage of those, plus reports from a handful of other significant events that took place around the state.
Cross Country
The Hudson boys, ranked No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won the Lenawee County championship Saturday as its combined finishes were one hundredth of a second faster than runner-up Adrian’s – Adrian Daily Telegram
The Utica Eisenhower girls improved from second last season to first in winning the Macomb County Invitational – Macomb Daily
Girls Golf
Traverse City West won its first MHSAA title, Birmingham Seaholm won its third straight and Spring Lake and Kalamazoo Hackett were repeat champions at the Lower Peninsula Finals – Second Half
Boys Tennis
Novi and Bloomfield Hills shared the LP Division 1 title, Portage Central and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central shared in Division 2, and powers Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Ann Arbor Greenhills also claimed championships – Second Half
Volleyball
Class B No. 4 Battle Creek Harper Creek downed Class D No. 1 Battle Creek St. Philip in two sets to repeat as Battle Creek All-City champion – Battle Creek Enquirer
Crystal Falls Forest Park, an honorable mention in Class D, won the first Skyline Central Conference tournament in two sets over Munising – Iron Mountain Daily News
Adrian defeated Tecumseh in the final of the 35th Lenawee County Tournament after entering bracket play as the second seed – Adrian Daily Telegram
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.)