Today in the MHSAA: 10/8/19

October 8, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’ve officially entered tournament time for our first few Lower Peninsula sports, with Girls Golf Regionals teeing off Monday while boys soccer and tennis teams finished their regular seasons with playoffs up next.

1. Girls Golf: No. 4 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian won its Lower Peninsula Division 4 Regional and No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep was second, with No. 5 Montague third to make the Finals for the first time – Muskegon Chronicle

2. Girls Golf: No. 3 Okemos won its LPD1 Regional against a field including No. 8 Grand Blanc and formerly-ranked Brighton – Lansing State Journal

3. Girls Golf: No. 9 St. Joseph edged Mattawan by a stroke and No. 4 Middleville Thornapple Kellogg by three to win an LPD2 Regional – Sturgis Journal

4. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower downed Utica 1-0 to earn a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title and the 200th victory for coach Josh VanHouten – Macomb Daily

5. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 3 Novi got past No. 14 Livonia Stevenson 4-0 to claim the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Observer & Eccentric

6. Boys Soccer: A Saline win over Monroe combined with a tie between Division 1 No. 4 Ann Arbor Skyline and Pioneer gave the Southeastern Conference Red title to the No. 13 Hornets – Saline Post

7. Boys Soccer: Roscommon locked up the Northern Michigan Soccer League title with a 5-1 victory over Gladwin, which had won the last five league championships – MI Sports Now

8. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 8 Adrian Lenawee Christian repeated as overall Independent Soccer League champion with a 1-0 win over No. 9 Hillsdale Academy – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. Girls Golf: No. 3 Marshall won its LPD3 Regional by 20 strokes – Niles Daily Star

10. Boys Tennis: Brownstown Woodhaven won four flights on the way to clinching the Downriver League Meet team title – Southgate News-Herald

Also of note …

Boys Soccer: Chippewa Valley shut out Utica Ford 4-0 to also share the MAC Red title – Macomb Daily

Girls Golf: Grosse Pointe South shot a 335 to outpace its LPD1 Regional field by 35 strokes – MHSAA.com

Boys Tennis: From Saturday, LPD1 No. 3 Northville edged No. 9 Novi to win the overall KLAA Tournament title – Observer & Eccentric

Boys Tennis: From Saturday, Muskegon Mona Shores scored two more points than Jenison to win the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black Tournament title – Local Sports Journal

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.

The band performs at Holland West Ottawa's athletics complex.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.)