Today in the MHSAA: 10/5/22
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 5, 2022
1. GIRLS GOLF No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian won a Lower Peninsula Division 4 Regional that saw two-time reigning Finals champion and No. 6-ranked Montague fall just short of advancing – CatchMark SportsNet
2. BOYS SOCCER Division 2 No. 8 Parma Western downed Coldwater 3-0 to secure the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship – Jackson Citizen Patriot
3. VOLLEYBALL Division 4 No. 5 Athens twice came back from a set down to defeat No. 7 Battle Creek St. Philip in five – WWMT
4. GIRLS GOLF No. 14 Williamston shot a 344 to clinch an LPD3 Regional championship – Flint Journal
5. BOYS SOCCER Portage Central advanced in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Gold Tournament with a 2-1 win over Division 2 No. 4 St. Joseph – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
6. VOLLEYBALL Division 3 No. 4 McBain swept honorable mention Lake City in a matchup of Highland Conference co-leaders – Cadillac News
7. VOLLEYBALL Division 3 No. 7 Shelby defeated North Muskegon 3-1 in a matchup of co-leaders in the West Michigan Conference Rivers – MuskegonSports.com
8. BOYS SOCCER East Lansing defeated Division 2 No. 9 DeWitt 3-0 in a Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup rematch of two of three Blue champions – Lansing State Journal
9. BOYS SOCCER Division 1 No. 8 Rochester Adams and No. 5 Troy Athens played to a 2-2 draw – Oakland Press
10. GIRLS GOLF Lowell and No. 15 Coopersville both shot 360, with Lowell winning the LPD2 Regional on a tie-breaker, and with No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern only a stroke back in third – MHSAA.com
Also of note ...
OFFICIALS Former Garden City football coach Scott Murray and his son Max are among those helping to refill the officiating ranks – Social House 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.)