Today In The MHSAA: 2/22/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 22, 2021
Massive matchups in wrestling and hockey highlighted a full weekend, as six sports made our top-10 headliners list.
1. Wrestling: Division 1 top-ranked Davison downed Division 2 top-ranked Lowell 51-6, and then defeated Alma and Division 3 No. 1 Dundee – State Champs Sports Network
2. Hockey: Division 2 No. 5 Hartland downed top-ranked Livonia Stevenson 5-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 5 Stevensville Lakeshore remained unbeaten with a win over No. 7 Middleville Thornapple Kellogg – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
4. Bowling: Brady Cornell’s 300 helped Corunna’s boys get past Owosso 25-5 – Owosso Argus-Press
5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Ann Arbor Skyline – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – won against LPD3 No. 7 Pinckney, LPD2 No. 10 Midland Dow and LPD1 No. 7 Brighton at the Bulldogs’ quad – We Love Ann Arbor
6. Hockey: Ty Langlois had three goals and three assists as Muskegon Mona Shores downed Division 2 No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern 6-3 – Local Sports Journal
7. Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids moved to 6-0 with a 53-42 win over Kalamazoo Central – FOX 17
8. Gymnastics: Marquette posted a Regional-qualifying team score in winning its invitational – Marquette Mining Journal
9. Hockey: Division 2 No. 3 Trenton came back from an early deficit to defeat Grosse Pointe South 3-1 – Southgate News-Herald
10. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 3 Whitehall avenged last season’s loss to Muskegon Reeths-Puffer to take back the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship – Local Sports Journal
Also of note …
Media: Metro Detroit is mourning the death of longtime sportswriter Jim Evans, who covered high school sports in Oakland and then Macomb County for most of more than 40 years in newspapers – Macomb Daily
Football: Montague coach Pat Collins resigned coming off leading his team to the Division 6 championship – Local Sports Journal
Boys Basketball: Marcellus’ Gavin Etter and Sturgis’ Thomas Kurowski both went over 1,000 career points – Kalamazoo Gazette
Girls Basketball: Taylor Folkema went over 1,000 career points in Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s win over Manistee – Grand Haven Tribune
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.)