Today in the MHSAA: 10/27/17
October 27, 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. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 7 Coldwater handed No. 2 Dexter its only loss this season in claiming a Division 2 Regional title – Coldwater Daily Reporter
2. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 8 Buckley won its first Regional title in boys soccer with a shootout victory over No. 2 Leland – Traverse City Record-Eagle
3. Boys Soccer: No. 8 Holland upset No. 4 Grand Rapids Christian to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Holland Sentinel
4. Wrestling: The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced its 2018 class Thursday, including longtime Michigan official James McCloughan, who will be inducted as the Medal of Courage recipient – Stillwater (Okla.) News Press
5. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Flint Powers Catholic downed No. 9 Lansing Catholic 3-0 to win a Division 3 Regional title – Lansing State Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Farmington Hills Harrison scored the game’s lone goal against No. 17 Gibraltar Carlson in Division 2 to advance to its first Semifinal since 1987 – Oakland Press
7. Boys Soccer: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian took two-time reigning Division 4 champion and current No. 14 Burton Genesee Christian to overtime before the Soldiers took a 2-1 Regional Final win – Oakland Press
8. Boys Soccer: No. 16 Ludington moved on in Division 3 with a 2-0 win over Big Rapids in their Regional Final – Local State Journal
9. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian continued its impressive second half run this fall with a Division 3 Regional title win over Dowagiac – Grand Rapids Press
10. Volleyball: Class B honorable mention Cadillac and Traverse City West will share the Big North Conference championship after Cadillac’s sweep of Traverse City Central – Cadillac News
Also noted:
Boys Soccer: Stevensville Lakeshore downed No. 9 Plainwell 2-1 in overtime in a Division 2 Regional Semifinal – St. Joseph Herald Palladium
Boys Soccer: Petoskey emerged with a 1-0 shootout win to move on to Saturday’s Division 2 Regional Final in East Lansing – Petoskey News-Review
Volleyball: Trenton swept Wyandotte Roosevelt to finish an outright championship run in the Downriver League – Southgate News Herald
Volleyball: Jenison swept Class B honorable mention Fruitport to claim the O-K Black championship – Grand Haven Tribune
Volleyball: From Tuesday, Port Huron Northern came back from two sets down to defeat Sterling Heights Stevenson and win an outright Macomb Area Conference White championship – Port Huron Times Herald
Baseball: From Monday, former longtime Brownstown Woodhaven baseball coach and basketball official Robert Kloss tied after a fight with leukemia – Detroit News
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.)