Today in the MHSAA: 5/17/18
May 17, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
1. Softball: Bear Lake clinched its first softball league championship since 1987 in splitting a doubleheader with Custer Mason County Eastern – Manistee News Advocate
2. Girls Soccer: Reagan Wisser scored all three goals as Division 2 No. 2 Richland Gull Lake downed Division 1 No. 5 Portage Central 3-2 in overtime to clinch its fourth Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title in five seasons – Kalamazoo Gazette
3. Track & Field: Adrian Madison’s teams finished perfect dual seasons in the Tri-County Conference, the LPD3 No. 3 girls running their league winning streak to 87 and the boys to 35 – Adrian Daily Telegram
4. Boys Golf: Clarkston, No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, shot a 297 to win the Oakland County Division 1 championship ahead of runner-up and No. 2-ranked Birmingham Seaholm (303) and third-place and No. 3 Lake Orion (305) – C&G Newspapers
5. Boys Lacrosse: Division 1 No. 2 Hartland defeated No. 5 Brighton 15-4 to clinch the Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. Girls Soccer: Muskegon Western Michigan Christian created a tie with Division 4 No. 11 Muskegon Catholic Central at the top of the Lakes 8 Conference with a 2-1 win over the Crusaders – Local Sports Journal
7. Baseball: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek finished a three-game sweep of Rochester to earn a shared Oakland Activities Association Red title with Lake Orion – Oakland Press
8. Baseball: Rivals Portage Northern (No. 7 in Division 1) and Portage Central split a doubleheader, both winning in substantial shutouts – Kalamazoo Gazette
9. Softball: Parma Western’s Taylor Nichols went over 1,000 career strikeouts in a 15-9 win over Jackson Lumen Christi – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
10. Baseball: Detroit Osborn will play for a Detroit Public School League title for the second straight year thanks to a 10-0 win over Detroit Central – Detroit News
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.)