Today in the MHSAA: 5/11/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 11, 2023
1. GIRLS TENNIS Holland West Ottawa ran its dual-match winning streak to 35 and clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title with a win over Hudsonville – Holland Sentinel
2. TRACK & FIELD Frankenmuth swept Tri-Valley Conference Red championships, and Ithaca swept in the TVC Blue at league meets; Frankenmuth’s boys are No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 and its girls are No. 7, and Ithaca’s girls are ranked No. 3 in LPD3 – Saginaw News
3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 top-ranked Rochester finished a repeat Oakland Activities Association Red outright championship with a 1-1 draw against No. 5 Stoney Creek – Oakland Press
4. GIRLS LACROSSE Haslett/Williamston added a Capital Area Activities Conference Cup championship to its regular-season title with a 13-5 win over DeWitt – Lansing State Journal
5. GIRLS TENNIS Muskegon Mona Shores edged LPD4 No. 6 North Muskegon by four points to claim the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship – Local Sports Journal
6. TRACK & FIELD Constantine’s LPD3 No. 4-ranked boys defeated Lawton 86-51 to claim the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley title, while Lawton’s girls were victorious 110-27 – Sturgis Journal
7. GIRLS LACROSSE Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern avenged its earlier loss to Forest Hills Central with a 13-12 win – FOX 17
8. SOFTBALL Division 2 No. 3 Chelsea swept Division 1 No. 9 Saline 5-1 and 4-2 – Ann Arbor News
9. TRACK & FIELD The Brethren girls and LPD4 No. 8 Marion boys won West Michigan D League championship meet titles – Athletic.net
10. TRACK & FIELD Benzie Central and Kingsley swept championships in their respective divisions of Benzie’s Bruce Garland Relays – Traverse City Record-Eagle
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.)