Today in the MHSAA: 2/8/18
February 8, 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 – Division 3 No. 2 Richmond got past No. 6 Algonac in the championship match to claim its 20th straight District title – Macomb Daily
2. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 6 Hartland also remains perfect in District competition this century after claiming its 18th straight title with wins over White Lake Lakeland and Highland-Milford – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Boys Basketball: As fans packed full Michigan Tech’s arena to see two of the state’s best in Class D, Dollar Bay pushed to 12-0 by handing Ewen-Trout Creek a 51-42 loss, the Panthers’ first defeat of the season – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
4. Wrestling: No. 6 Stevensville Lakeshore earned its third win in a week over rival and No. 7-ranked Niles, this one 34-30 to claim a Division 2 District title – South Bend Tribune
5. Wrestling: With heavy hearts, Walled Lake Central won its Division 1 District two days after the death of a teammate – Oakland Press
6. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 8 St. Johns won its 10th straight team District title, downing Mount Pleasant and then Owosso – Lansing State Journal
7. Wrestling: Manistee, with its third coach in three seasons, won a Division 3 District title under former longtime Saginaw Swan Valley leader Darrell Burchfield – Manistee News Advocate
8. Wrestling: No. 3 Remus Chippewa Hills claimed its 14th straight District title, in Division 3 – Big Rapids News
9. Wrestling: Temperance Bedford came back late to get past Brownstown Woodhaven and win in Division 1, and Division 3 top-ranked Dundee got past No. 9 Ida – Monroe Evening News
10. Wrestling: Warren DeLaSalle won its first District title in wrestling, getting past Roseville in the Final – C&G Newspapers
Also of note …
Wrestling: Jonesville downed Hillsdale in Division 3 to claim a fourth straight District championship – Hillsdale Daily News
Wrestling: No. 8 Alma downed Ithaca and Portland to win its second District title in three seasons in Division 3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Wrestling: Saline advanced in Division 1 with wins over Ann Arbor Pioneer and Huron – Saline Post
Wrestling: Coldwater repeated as a Division 2 District champ with wins over Marshall and Sturgis – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Wrestling: Midland edged rival Dow 39-34 to advance with a Division 1 District title – Midland Daily News
Wrestling: Grand Haven is a District champion for the fifth straight season, coming back to win in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune
Wrestling: No. 4 Gaylord clinched its Division 2 District title with a win over Bay City Central, setting up a possible Regional matchup with St. Johns – Gaylord Herald Times
Wrestling: Traverse City West downed rival Central to win its fourth straight team District championship, in Division 1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Wrestling: Dowagiac downed Constantine in their Division 3 District Final to advance – South Bend Tribune
Girls Soccer: Retired star Miami Dolphins kicker Pete Stoyanovich is taking over the South Lyon East girls soccer program – 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.)