Today in the MHSAA: 10/23/20
October 23, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A District championship game with statewide ramifications leads off today’s list of Thursday’s headliners, all of whom celebrated a title at some level.
1. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked (MPR) Holland defeated No. 2 Holland Christian 1-0 in a Division 2 District Final – Holland Sentinel
2. Boys Soccer: Dowagiac clinched its fourth-straight District title with a 1-0 overtime win over No. 6 (MPR) South Haven in Division 3 – Niles Daily Star
3. Boys Soccer: No. 3 (MPR) Richland Gull Lake clinched a Division 2 District title as well with a 1-0 win over No. 13 Plainwell – WWMT
4. Boys Soccer: No. 15 (MPR) Chelsea claimed its first District title in this sport since 2005 with a 1-0 win over Parma Western in Division 2 – Chelsea Sun Times News
5. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked (MPR) Detroit Catholic Central also won a fourth-straight District title, downing North Farmington in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric
6. Boys Soccer: No. 8 (MPR) Frankenmuth avenged a regular-season loss with a 2-1 Division 3 District Final win over Flint Powers Catholic – Saginaw News
7. Boys Soccer: No. 9 (MPR) Saline moved on in Division 1 with a 2-0 win over Ann Arbor Skyline – Saline Post
8. Boys Soccer: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood downed Detroit Country Day 3-1 in a Division 2 District Final – Oakland Press
9. Volleyball: Oscoda repeated as North Star League Big Dipper champion with a sweep of Whittemore-Prescott – WBKB
10. Cross Country: The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – and LPD4 No. 5 Carson City-Crystal boys clinched Mid-State Activities Conference championships – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
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.)