Today in the MHSAA: 10/23/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 23, 2023
1. GIRLS GOLF Repeat champions Rochester Adams and Farmington Hills Mercy, first-time winner Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and Lansing Catholic won Lower Peninsula Finals titles, and Macomb Lutheran North’s Lauren Timpf and Ann Arbor Greenhills’ Mia Melendez joined only six others in claiming a third individual championship – MHSAA.com
2. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Marquette ran its Upper Peninsula Finals streak to five, while Painesdale Jeffers and Dollar Bay both won their third-consecutive titles – MHSAA.com
3. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Marquette and Hancock continued championship streaks and Chassell climbed to the top again, while Ishpeming’s Lola Korpi won her third individual title at the UP Cross Country Finals – MHSAA.com
4. BOYS TENNIS Midland Dow capped an undefeated season, Bloomfield Hills and Ann Arbor Greenhills repeated and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood was a champion again at the Lower Peninsula Finals – MHSAA.com
5. CROSS COUNTRY Frankenmuth swept Saginaw County championships, with the Eagles Mary Richmond and Freeland’s TJ Hansen winning their third individual titles; Frankenmuth’s girls are ranked No. 8 in Lower Penisula Division 2, and the boys are No. 12 – Saginaw News
6. VOLLEYBALL Kent City defeated Grant, Reed City and Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood to claim the Central State Activities Association Tournament title – Local Sports Journal
7. VOLLEYBALL Division 1 honorable mention Battle Creek Harper Creek defeated Coldwater and Marshall to claim the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference Tournament championship – Battle Creek Enquirer
8. VOLLEYBALL Division 3 honorable mention Bronson finished 3-0 and downed Quincy in the finale to win the Big 8 Conference Tournament – Coldwater Daily Reporter
9. VOLLEYBALL Cassopolis went 5-0 and closed with a sweep of Centreville to clinch the Southwest 10 Conference Tournament title – Niles Daily Star
10. VOLLEYBALL Buchanan secured the outright Lakeland Conference title with a league tournament win – Niles Daily Star
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.)