Today in the MHSAA: 12/12/17
December 12, 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. Girls Basketball: Harbor Springs downed Alanson 42-25, but Alanson’s Brooke Nguyen did score her 1,000th career point – Petoskey News-Review
2. Girls Basketball: Rivals Ishpeming and Westwood traded leads late before the Hematites came out on top with two free throws at the end, 42-40 – Marquette Mining Journal
3. Boys Basketball: Class C Beaverton moved to 3-0 with a 56-43 win over Class A Midland Dow in the Chargers’ season opener – Midland Daily News
4. Boys Basketball: Boyne City continued to bounce back from its early loss to McBain by handing Cedarville its first defeat, 63-39 – Petoskey News-Review
5. Girls Basketball: Canton held on for its first win and to hand Novi its first loss despite 37 points by Ellie Mackay – Observer & Eccentric
6. Boys Basketball: Jake Witt continued to star as undefeated Ewen-Trout Creek got past Calumet 67-55 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
7. Football: A group of 13 Upper Peninsula schools with 8-player teams announced the formation of a football-only conference to begin play in 2018 – Escanaba Daily Press
8. Coaches: Marine City Cardinal Mooney boys basketball coach Mike McAndrews writes a guest commentary on the ways he’s been blessed by his two decades on the sideline – Port Huron Times Herald
9. Wrestling: Warren Lincoln hosted its first Tom Costello Invitational on Saturday, renaming the annual event in honor of a 1991 MHSAA champion who died in a crash in August – Macomb Daily
10. Hockey: Plymouth turned its two-game trip to Grand Rapids at the start of this month into a “Father-Son Weekend” filled with activities in addition to games against Forest Hills Northern/Eastern and Grandville – Observer & Eccentric
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.)