Today In The MHSAA: 10/5/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 5, 2021
1. GIRLS GOLF No. 3 Okemos edged No. 4 Brighton by three strokes for the team championship, with Grand Blanc’s Kate Brody first and Okemos’ Allison Cui second individually in a matchup of the past two Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals medalists, this time in Regional play – Lansing State Journal
2. BOYS SOCCER Division 3 No. 5 Elk Rapids clinched a fifth-straight Lake Michigan Conference championship with a 1-0 win over No. 13 Boyne City – Traverse City Record-Eagle
3. GIRLS GOLF Rockford was first and Traverse City Central second in the LPD1 Regional at Crystal Mountain – Traverse City Record-Eagle
4. GIRLS GOLF No. 6 Adrian Lenawee Christian was first and Michigan Center second at the LPD4 Regional at Lenawee Golf Club – JTV
5. GIRLS GOLF Parma Western shot a 380 to edge Plainwell by six strokes and win an LPD3 Regional – Niles Daily Star
6. GIRLS GOLF Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart won its LPD4 Regional, with Shepherd second – MI Sports Now
7. BOYS SOCCER Buckley clinched a share of the Northwest Conference championship with a 1-0 win over Maple City Glen Lake – Cadillac News
8. BOYS SOCCER Big Rapids opened Central State Activities Association Tournament play with a 3-0 win over Grant – Big Rapids Pioneer
9. CROSS COUNTRY The Upper Peninsula Division 3 No. 2 Brimley boys and St. Ignace girls won the second Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference meet – Cheboygan Daily Tribune
10. BOYS SOCCER Melvindale won a key Western Wayne Athletic Conference matchup with Dearborn Heights Crestwood, 3-1 – Southgate News-Herald
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.)