Today in the MHSAA: 11/6/20
November 9, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Thursday was District Finals day for volleyball across most of the state, with the Muskegon area leading the way in big-time matchups – and an unexpected result.
1. Volleyball: Unranked Whitehall upset No. 7 Montague in four sets to claim a Division 2 District championship – Local Sports Journal
2. Volleyball: No. 3 Leland avenged a loss to No. 2 Traverse City Christian with a sweep in Division 4 – Up North Live
3. Volleyball: No. 4 North Muskegon won a Division 3 District Final matchup of ranked teams over No. 6 Western Michigan Christian – Muskegon Chronicle
4. Volleyball: Breckenridge claimed its first District title in this sport, celebrating in Division 3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
5. Volleyball: No. 5 Utica Eisenhower won a high-powered Division 1 District Final over honorable mention Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – State Champs Sports Network
6. Volleyball: Honorable mention Clarkston clinched its Division 1 District title with a 3-1 win over Lake Orion – State Champs Sports Network
7. Volleyball: Central Montcalm avenged a 2019 District Final loss to Ionia with a five-set win in Division 2 – Greenville Daily News
8. Volleyball: Honorable mention Unionville-Sebewaing swept Bad Axe in a Division 3 Final that saw the first two sets decided by two points apiece – Huron Daily Tribune
9. Volleyball: Three Oaks River Valley emerged with a five-set win over St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran in a Division 4 District Final – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
10. Volleyball: Honorable mention Bronson swept Reading in Division 3 for its seventh-straight District title – Hillsdale Daily 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.)