Today In The MHSAA: 2/15/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2021
Competitive cheer and wrestling joined the Winter sports surge with their first competitions during a busy weekend jammed with impressive team and individual achievements across both peninsulas.
1. Competitive Cheer: Onsted finished two points ahead of Michigan Center and three in front of Hudson to pace a strong field at the Hudson jamboree – Adrian Daily Telegram
2. Boys Swimming & Diving: Milan outpaced Dundee to claim the Monroe County Championships title – Monroe News
3. Hockey: Houghton came back from a one-goal deficit at the start of the third period to get past rival Hancock 4-3 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
4. Boys Basketball: Muskegon Orchard View had a 40-point scorer and another player with a triple-double in a big win over Fremont – Muskegon Chronicle
5. Wrestling: Rudyard’s Bradley Hall opened his season with the 100th win of his career – MI Sports Now
6. Competitive Cheer: Allen Park was first and Walled Lake Western second at the Allen Park Invitational – Southgate News-Herald
7. Boys Swimming & Diving: Birmingham Seaholm was first and Grosse Pointe South second at South’s quad – Midland Daily News
8. Girls Basketball: Bloomfield Hills Marian opened Catholic League Central play with a 53-43 win over Farmington Hills Mercy – Oakland Press
9. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher hung on for a 73-68 double overtime win over Ferndale – WJRT
10. Wrestling: Dundee won big over New Boston Huron and Temperance Bedford – Monroe 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.)