Today in the MHSAA: 3/2/17
March 2, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Class A girls basketball bracket was shaken up significantly Wednesday and a Class C favorite exited as well as teams played District Semifinals all over the state.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Girls Basketball
Midland Dow downed Saginaw Valley League rival Saginaw Heritage 37-30 in a matchup of Class A championship contenders – Midland Daily News
Ishpeming handed Munising its first and only loss this season, 79-62 in Class C – Marquette Mining Journal
Macomb Dakota upset another expected Class A contender, downing Port Huron Northern 58-53 – Clinton Township Voice
Springport downed Galesburg-Augusta 60-39 in Class C to set a team record with 18 wins this season – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Schoolcraft ended Centreville’s 19-game winning streak with a 45-31 win in Class C – Kalamazoo Gazette
Veronica Kastelic made two free throws with two seconds to play to get Muskegon Mona Shores past Muskegon High 50-49 in Class A – Muskegon Chronicle
Saginaw Swan Valley earned a shot at its first District title in 11 years with a 48-23 win over Tri-Valley Conference East champion Frankenmuth in Class B – Saginaw News
Hockey
Division 3 No. 6 Allen Park got past Wyandotte Roosevelt in a Regional Semifinal – Southgate News Herald
In Division 1, No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood advanced with an 8-2 Regional Semifinal win over No. 10 Troy – Oakland Press
Good Reads
Hartland’s Joey Livingston had to take off last wrestling season to serve as caretaker for his father, who died Jan. 30. He did return to the mat this winter and used those emotions to fuel a run to this weekend’s MHSAA Individual Finals – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
At the 2015 Lower Peninsula Division 2 Swimming & Diving Finals in Holland, a Wyandotte Roosevelt diver had to be revived with CPR and an AED – and then one of the coaches performing CPR had a massive heart attack. This is their updated story, two years later – Detroit Free Press
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.)