Today in the MHSAA: 5/12/17
May 12, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A trio of exceptional highlights led Thursday’s high school action across Michigan – the 20th straight league title for a tennis team, a perfect hitting night in softball and arguably the two best soccer teams in the state meeting in a league game.
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
Detroit Catholic Central advanced to the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship game with a 4-1 win over Division 1 No. 17 Warren DeLaSalle – Detroit News
Top-10 teams Centreville and Bronson split a Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference doubleheader, Division 4 No. 3 Centreville winning the first game and Division 3 No. 7 Bronson the second – Sturgis Journal
Girls Golf
Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Houghton bested the field by more than 50 strokes in winning a nine-team event at George Young in Iron River – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Boys Golf
Calumet edged Iron River West Iron County by six strokes to win the boys tournament at George Young – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Boys Lacrosse
Division 1 No. 3 Hartland downed Walled Lake Northern 15-3 to clinch its first Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
From Wednesday, Tecumseh hung on through overtime to down Dexter 10-9 and clinch the Southeastern Conference White title – Adrian Daily Telegram
Girls Soccer
Ottawa-Kent Conference White leaders Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (No. 2 in Division 2) and Forest Hills Central (No. 1 in Division 1) are still tied for first in the league after a 1-1 draw – Grand Rapids Press
Unranked Troy Athens downed Division 1 No. 20 Troy 1-0 – Oakland Press
Softball
Bay City All Saints’ Hannah Duculon went an incredible 10 for 10 from the plate in her team’s sweep of Tawas – Bay City Times
Clarkston’s Paige Blevins tied her single-season home run school record as the Division 1 honorable mention Wolves swept Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Oakland Press
Division 1 No. 6 Utica Ford used a late rally to secure a 4-1 win over Division 2 honorable mention St. Clair – Macomb Daily
Girls Tennis
Midland Dow, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, swept every flight to win a 20th straight Saginaw Valley League title – Midland Daily News
Niles Brandywine secured the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference championship by a point ahead of Comstock – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
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.)