Today in the MHSAA: 4/19/17
April 19, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We fully support multi-sport athletes, and check out our track & field headlines today for a notable multi-sport performance helping two teams during the same day.
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.
Baseball
Division 4 No. 9 Concord and Division 3 No. 8 Jonesville split a highlight-filled doubleheader; Jonesville won the first game 4-1 with 15 strikeouts by pitcher Chad Sommers, and Concord won the second 5-4 on a walk-off single – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Onekama’s sweep of Suttons Bay included the 400th coaching win for Portagers leader John Neph – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Boys Lacrosse
Rockford – No. 3 in Division 1 – got past Division 2 top-ranked East Grand Rapids 8-7 in a matchup of top teams from the Grand Rapids area and statewide – Grand Rapids Press
Softball
Richland Gull Lake swept Portage Northern 5-1, 18-10, after Northern had started the season 8-0 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Frankenmuth improved to 10-0 with a sweep of North Branch that included a five-run comeback in the second game – Saginaw News
Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Richmond swept Croswell-Lexington, winning the first game 1-0 – Port Huron Times Herald
Track & Field
Hartland downed Pinckney 73-63 in part because of a hurdles win by freshman Ashlyn Shudick, who took time out mid-meet to score a goal for the junior varsity soccer team in its game one field over – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Marquette’s teams swept the boys and girls titles at the Superior Dome Classic over some of the other larger schools in the Upper Peninsula – Marquette Mining Journal
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.)