Today in the MHSAA: 11/15/17
November 15, 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: Reigning champion and top-ranked Bronson will return to the Class C Semifinals after downing No. 2 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in four sets in the Quarterfinal – Coldwater Daily Reporter
2. Volleyball: Class B No. 3 Lake Odessa Lakewood went to five sets with No. 4 Niles before emerging with a 15-13 win in the decider and another trip to the Semifinals – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
3. Volleyball: Class A No. 4 DeWitt swept No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian to earn a trip to the Semifinals and matchup with reigning champion Novi – MLive-Lansing
4. Volleyball: Class C No. 10 Wixom St. Catherine earned its first Semifinal berth with a sweep of No. 6 Unionville-Sebewaing – Oakland Press
5. Volleyball: Class D No. 8 Rogers City knocked off yet another ranked opponent, this time No. 10 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart to earn a Quarterfinal win in five sets – Alpena News
6. Volleyball: Honorable mention Munising earned its first Semifinal trip with a four-set win over No. 7 Rudyard in Class D – Marquette Mining Journal
7. Volleyball: Fruitport won the first two sets close and held on to get past Cadillac in four in a matchup of Class B honorable mentions – Grand Haven Tribune
8. Volleyball: After splitting the first two sets, No. 6 Farmington Hills Mercy won the next two to down honorable mention New Baltimore Anchor Bay in four in Class A – Oakland Press
9. Volleyball: Class A No. 2 and reigning champion Novi earned a fourth straight trip to the Semifinals with a sweep of honorable mention Temperance Bedford – Observer & Eccentric
10. Volleyball: No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian swept honorable mention Midland to make it back to the Class A Semifinals for the first time since 2013 – Oakland Press
Also of note …
Volleyball: No. 6 Fowler swept honorable mention Southfield Christian to move on in Class D – Oakland Press
Volleyball: Laingsburg downed Shelby 3-0 in a Quarterfinal matchup of Class C honorable mentions – Lansing State Journal
Volleyball: Class C No. 8 Calumet also is headed back to the Semifinals, thanks to a sweep of unranked Houghton Lake – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Volleyball: Livonia Ladywood won a Quarterfinal matchup of unranked teams, sweeping Livonia Clarenceville in Class B – Observer & Eccentric
Volleyball: Top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep swept Corunna to move to 62-2-2 and into the Semifinals – NorthOaklandSports.com
Volleyball: Top-ranked and reigning champion Plymouth Christian downed annual power Battle Creek St. Philip 3-1 in Class D – WWMT
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.)