Today in the MHSAA: 11/1/18
November 1, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
The Boys Soccer Finals field is set after a night that saw nearly half of the Semifinals go to overtime and the winner of our No. 1 game below advance to the season’s final game for the first time.
1. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Leland will play in its first MHSAA championship game in this sport after defeating No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett 3-2 in a Division 4 Semifinal – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Boys Soccer: Detroit Country Day downed No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 2-1 in overtime to advance in Division 2 – Oakland Press
3. Boys Soccer: Reigning champion (but unranked) Ann Arbor Greenhills will play for the Division 4 title again after a 1-0 win over No. 4 Burton Genesee Christian – WJRT
4. Boys Soccer: No. 10 Ann Arbor Skyline got past Warren DeLaSalle 2-1 in overtime of a Division 1 Semifinal – We Love Ann Arbor
5. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian is headed back to the Division 3 Final after a 4-0 win over No. 9 Ludington – Grand Rapids Press
6. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern also won a Division 2 Semifinal in overtime, downing Richland Gull Lake – WZZM
7. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked Grosse Ile will play for the Division 3 title after beating Macomb Lutheran North 2-0 – Southgate News-Herald
8. Boys Soccer: East Kentwood scored the game’s lone goal in the second half of a 1-0 Division 1 Semifinal win over Grand Blanc – Grand Rapids Press
9. Volleyball: No. 7 North Muskegon came back from losing the first set to defeat honorable mention Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 3-1 in a Division 3 District Semifinal – Local Sports Journal
10. Volleyball: Honorable mention Vandercook Lake swept East Jackson in Division 3 to set up a chance to win its first District title since 1983 – Jackson Citizen Patriot
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.)