Today in the MHSAA: 10/24/18
October 24, 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.
Boys Soccer Regionals kicked off Tuesday with a series of upsets, while a few more volleyball teams clinched west side or Upper Peninsula league championships.
1. Boys Soccer: Unranked East Kentwood dealt No. 7 Midland Dow its first and only loss, 1-0 in a Division 1 Regional Semifinal – Midland Daily News
2. Boys Soccer: Unranked Grand Blanc scored in the closing minutes to eliminate No. 8 Brighton in Division 1, 2-1 – WJRT
3. Boys Soccer: Unranked Warren DeLaSalle won the shootout to get past No. 4 Berkley 2-1 in Division 1 – C&G Newspapers
4. Boys Soccer: No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood shut out No. 7 Fenton to advance in Division 2 – Oakland Press
5. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett won a matchup of ranked teams in Division 4, 5-0 over No. 8 Hartford – JoeInsider.com
6. Volleyball: Iron Mountain swept Ishpeming Westwood to add a Western Peninsula Athletic Conference title to its Mid-Peninsula Conference shared championship – Iron Mountain Daily News
7. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 7 Hamilton clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title with a sweep of Hudsonville Unity Christian – Holland Sentinel
8. Volleyball: Saugatuck clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with a sweep of Martin – Holland Sentinel
9. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 10 Ann Arbor Skyline held off Canton 1-0 in Division 1 – We Love Ann Arbor
10. Boys Soccer: Tecumseh’s goal three minutes into overtime was the game winner in its 2-1 Division 2 win over Hamtramck – Adrian Daily Telegram
Also of note …
Volleyball: From Saturday, Division 3 No. 2 Bronson clinched its second straight Big 8 Conference title with a sweep of the league tournament – Coldwater Daily Reporter
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.)