Today in the MHSAA: 4/16/19
April 16, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winter’s overnight brief return didn’t keep teams from kicking off the third week of April on the diamonds and soccer and lacrosse fields Monday.
1. Softball: Ann Arbor Skyline swept Ann Arbor Huron, with Mayah Alam throwing a five-inning no-hitter in the second game – We Love Ann Arbor
2. Baseball: Livonia Stevenson downed rival Livonia Churchill 6-2 to move into a first-place tie with Churchill in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Black – Observer & Eccentric
3. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 13 Portage Central downed Mattawan 5-1 with Jaclynn Sibley scoring a hat trick – JoeInsider.com
4. Baseball: Boyne City swept Kingsley with a pair of one-hitters – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. Softball: Centreville swept White Pigeon, earning coach Scott Logan his 100th career win – Sturgis Journal
6. Girls Soccer: The North Bay co-op team improved to 5-1 with a 4-2 win over Leland – MI Sports Now
7. Boys Lacrosse: Midland’s co-op team moved to 6-0 with a 17-7 win over Saginaw Heritage – Midland Daily News
8. Baseball: Grosse Pointe South got past Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 3-1 on Nick Raicevich’s one-hitter – Detroit News
9. Softball: Saline rallied in the eighth inning to win the first game of a sweep of Ann Arbor Pioneer – We Love Ann Arbor
10. Baseball: Ann Arbor Huron carried a 10-0 lead into the sixth inning but had to hold on for a 10-9 win over Skyline – We Love Ann Arbor
Also of note …
Bowling: The Division 1 and 2 Finals were covered by Bowling Showcase and appeared on the March 23 show on WADL in Detroit.
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.)