Today in the MHSAA: 10/31/17
October 31, 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. Volleyball: Class B honorable mention Cadillac won three sets decided by three points or fewer to get past No. 5 Kingsley 3-1 in a District opener – Cadillac News
2. Volleyball: Class B honorable mention Fruitport swept No. 8 Spring Lake to move on in their District – Grand Haven Tribune
3. Volleyball: West Michigan Conference champion Whitehall needed five sets but downed rival Montague in Class B – Local Sports Journal
4. Volleyball: Muskegon Mona Shores and Grand Rapids Northview alternated wins Monday before the Sailors finished a five-set win in Class A – Local Sports Journal
5. Volleyball: Warren Regina took a 2-0 lead but then needed a fifth to get past Sterling Heights in Class A – Macomb Daily
6. Volleyball: Less than a month after sweeping Wyandotte Roosevelt, Brownstown Woodhaven dropped the first set of their Class A District match before coming back to win in five – Southgate News Herald
7. Volleyball: Boyne City moved into Class B this school year and downed Gladstone 3-1 in its first District match at the new level – Petoskey News-Review
8. Volleyball: Sault Ste. Marie, fresh off a league title win Saturday, came back after losing the first set Monday to Kingsford to win 3-1 in Class B – Iron Mountain Daily News
9. Volleyball: Battle Creek Lakeview opened District play with a sweep of Battle Creek Harper Creek, which moved into Class A this school year – Battle Creek Enquirer
10. Volleyball: Cheboygan also opened its District match with a loss but came back to take the next three over Escanaba in Class B – Escanaba Daily Press
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.)