Today in the MHSAA: 2/15/18
February 15, 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.
Today's Top 10
1. Wrestling: No. 2 Gaylord got past No. 8 St. Johns 44-27 to clinch a Division 2 Regional title – Gaylord Herald Times
2. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 8 Alma earned its first Regional title with wins over Chesaning and Leslie – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
3. Wrestling: No. 3 Mendon claimed its first Regional title since 1991, downing Lawton and Three Oaks River Valley in Division 4 – Sturgis Journal
4. Wrestling: No. 5 Eaton Rapids earned its first Regional title since 2015 with a 31-26 championship win over No. 2 DeWitt – Lansing State Journal
5. Wrestling: No. 7 Oxford got past No. 8 Clarkston and Lake Orion to claim a Division 1 regional title – Oakland Press
6. Wrestling: No. 6 Hartland won its 17th straight Division 1 Regional title with a 38-30 championship match victory over Walled Lake Central – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
7. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 2 Richmond clinched its 10th straight Regional title, against Warren Michigan Collegiate – Macomb Daily
8. Wrestling: Dowagiac upset No. 7 Lake Odessa Lakewood to claim a Division 3 Regional title – St. Joseph Herald Palladium
9. Skiing: Rochester Adams swept Division 1 girls and boys Regional titles at Pine Knob – Observer & Eccentric
10. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 9 Hudsonville, Division 2 No. 1 Lowell, Allendale and Comstock Park earned trips to the Quarterfinals representing the Grand Rapids area – Grand Rapids Press
Also of note …
Wrestling: No. 6 Stevensville Lakeshore will return to Finals weekend after downing Coldwater and Mattawan for a Division 2 Regional title – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Wrestling: No. 4 Westland John Glenn got past Temperance Bedford 41-22 to claim a Division 1 Regional title – Observer & Eccentric
Wrestling: Division 3 No. 1 Dundee and Division 2 Tecumseh were among Regional champions as well – Monroe News
Wrestling: No. 3 Macomb Dakota got past rival New Boston Huron to win a Division 1 Regional title – Macomb Daily
Wrestling: No. 2 Brighton downed Grand Ledge and Holt to reach its third Division 1 Quarterfinals in four seasons – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Wrestling: No. 7 Leroy Pine River downed Mancelona and Oscoda to claim a Division 4 Regional title – Cadillac News
Wrestling: Onaway downed St. Ignace and Ishpeming Westwood to also claim a Division 4 Regional title – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Wrestling: Division 3 No. 3 Remus Chippewa Hills downed Caro to claim a seventh straight Regional title – MI Sports Now
Hockey: Division 2 No. 3 Hartland won its ninth straight, 4-3 over Division 1 No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Boys Basketball: Frankfort continued to assume its place among Class D contenders with a 58-54 Northwest Conference win over reigning Class D runner-up Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle
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.)