Today in the MHSAA: 5/16/16
May 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Teams took advantage of one of the final weekends of the regular season to prep against strong competition despite the cold and in some places snowy weather that crossed Michigan over the last few days.
Baseball
Division 3 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett edged Macomb Dakota 7-6 in the final to win its invitational Friday – Detroit News
Girls Soccer
Division 1 No. 14 Novi earned a solid win over reigning champion and current No. 6 Saline, 3-1 – Detroit Free Press
Softball
Alexa Stephenson starred at bat and in the pitching circle in leading Battle Creek Pennfield to its All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer
White Lake Lakeland won its invitational with a 9-1 victory over Division 3 No. 3 Clinton in the final – Oakland Press
Coloma topped a strong field at the St. Joseph Invitational, edging Stevensville Lakeshore 5-4 in the championship game – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Girls Tennis
Top-ranked Midland Dow and No. 3 Grosse Pointe South tied 4-4 at the St. Clair Shores Invitational – Midland Daily News
Track & Field
The Spring Lake girls won the Lakes 8 Conference championship in their final season before leaving the league, despite falling to Ludington by three points in the league championship meet – Grand Haven Tribune
Bay City Western swept the boys and girls meets at the Bay County Championships – Bay City Times
Good Read
North Muskegon finished off its winter season with a cardiac emergency drill that should serve as an example to all communities prepping for such a possible event. North Muskegon’s drill came as part of its effort to earn MI HEARTSafe School designation – Muskegon Chronicle
Brighton High School this spring opened a sizable strength and conditioning facility that fills an area that once housed the school’s pool – Livingston Post
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.)