Today in the MHSAA: 10/5/17
October 5, 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 A No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Marian took top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy to five sets before Mercy prevailed by winning the final two – Oakland Press
2. Volleyball: Three of four sets were decided by two points and the fourth was decided by three as Class B honorable mention Freeland edged No. 7 Saginaw Swan Valley to stay in front in the Tri-Valley Conference Central – Saginaw News
3. Volleyball: Class C honorable mention McBain improved to 28-7-7 with a three-set win over No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis and a sweep of Charlevoix – Cadillac News
4. Boys Soccer: Hamtramck broke Dearborn’s 15-game winning and eight-game shutout streaks with a 4-2 victory – Detroit News
5. Cross Country: Bear Lake’s teams swept West Michigan D league titles, the LPD4 honorable mention girls 22 points ahead of the field and the LPD4 No. 8 boys finishing just two better than Walkerville – Manistee News
6. Boys Soccer: Rivals Traverse City West and Central tied for the second time this season, this time preventing West from clinching its eighth straight Big North Conference title – Traverse City Record-Eagle
7. Girls Golf: Sturgis won the league tournament by 34 strokes to claim a third straight Wolverine B Conference championship – Sturgis Journal
8. Golf: Zeeland West claimed the Wooden Shoe Invitational title by two strokes ahead of runner-up and neighbor Zeeland East – Holland Sentinel
9. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 13 Saline outlasted Ann Arbor Pioneer for a 3-2 win to improve to 6-1-1 – Saline Post
10. Cross Country: Litchfield hosted its first cross country meet in 37 years, welcoming the Southern Central Athletic Association for a jamboree – Hillsdale Daily 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.)