Today in the MHSAA: 5/1/19
May 1, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rain continued to be troublesome for teams all over Michigan on Tuesday, but it couldn’t completely wipe out a highlight-filled afternoon especially on the soccer pitch.
1. Girls Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked Royal Oak Shrine got past No. 3 Madison Heights Bishop Foley 3-1 with Chloe Woodbeck scoring all three goals – Oakland Press
2. Girls Soccer: No. 4 Grandville held on for a 3-1 win over No. 7 Grand Haven in a matchup of two of the best in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune
3. Softball: Division 1 No. 4 South Lyon’s Alexis Bonk struck out 19 in a 6-1 win over No. 10 Walled Lake Northern; the teams were tied 5-5 after five innings when the second game was suspended – State Champs Sports Network
4. Track & Field: Adrian Madison’s girls and boys teams swept league tri-meets, the boys are ranked No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 and the girls are ranked No. 4 and doubled up LPD4 No. 3 Sand Creek – Adrian Daily Telegram
5. Girls Soccer: Division 3 No. 10 Boyne City earned its seventh straight win by shutout, this time 4-0 over Division 4 No. 9 Elk Rapids – Petoskey News-Review
6. Baseball: Muskegon Oakridge downed Division 3 No. 19 Montague 4-1 in six innings before weather washed out the seventh inning and second scheduled game – Muskegon Chronicle
7. Softball: Division 3 No. 4 Allen Park Cabrini finished a season sweep of Dearborn Divine Child with a 13-4 win – Southgate News-Herald
8. Track & Field: The Felch North Dickinson girls and Norway boys won championships at North Dickinson’s invitational – Escanaba Daily Press
9. Boys Lacrosse: Lake Orion won a key matchup over Clarkston 11-7 – Oakland Press
10. Girls Soccer: West Bloomfield scored late to earn a 2-1 win over Oxford – Oakland 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.)