Today in the MHSAA: 12/19/18
December 19, 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.
High-scoring individual hoops performances, buzzer-beating wins on the court and some big-time matchups in the pool fill today’s list of Tuesday’s high achievers.
1. Boys Basketball: Wayne Memorial’s Isaiah Lewis went over 1,000 points for his career with 50 in his team’s big win over Dearborn – Observer & Eccentric
2. Boys Basketball: J.D. Rawls set a Mount Morris record with 42 points in a 74-57 win over Otisville-LakeVille – Flint Journal
3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Holland Christian, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, continued its run through the state’s best teams with wins over No. 3 Spring Lake and Caledonia – Holland Sentinel
4. Girls Basketball: East Jordan improved to 6-0 with a buzzer-beating win over Grayling, 37-36 – Petoskey News-Review
5. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 5 Ann Arbor Pioneer won every race in a big win over LPD3 honorable mention Chelsea – We Love Ann Arbor
6. Boys Basketball: Howell’s Kip French knocked down a 3-pointer with 15 seconds to play to push the Highlanders past Plymouth 44-43 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
7. Boys Basketball: Marquette got past Escanaba 61-51 in a matchup of last season’s top two teams in the Great Northern Upper Peninsula Conference – The Upbeat
8. Girls Basketball: Maple City Glen Lake handed Benzie Central its first defeat, 62-59 – MI Sports Now
9. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Union gave Grand Rapids Northview its first defeat, 73-60 – FOX 17
10. Girls Basketball: Coldwater held off a Kalamazoo Central comeback to improve to 5-0 with a 54-48 win – Coldwater Daily Reporter
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.)