Today in the MHSAA: 11/4/20

November 4, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday was quieter on the high school sports scene as playoffs in multiple sports pick up again this afternoon. But we’ve included all of the coverage out there from District volleyball and a county cross country championship event.

1. Cross Country: The Sturgis girls and Three Rivers boys won St. Joseph County championships – Sturgis Journal

2. Volleyball: Escanaba swept Kingsford to move on in a Division 2 District – Escanaba Daily Press

3. Volleyball: Houghton also moved on in Division 2 with a sweep of Gladstone – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

4. Volleyball: Holland West Ottawa swept Holland in a Division 1 District opener – Holland Sentinel

5. Volleyball: No. 3 Cadillac swept Big Rapids to open their Division 2 District – Cadillac News

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Former Eastern Michigan coach Charles Ramsey will return from the college ranks to take over at Ypsilanti Community – Ann Arbor News

Girls Basketball: Former program all-time leading scorer Morgan Giddings has been selected as Muskegon Oakridge’s next varsity coach – Muskegon Chronicle

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.)