Today in the MHSAA: 5/17/19
May 17, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Girls Tennis and girls and boys track & field joined the postseason march Thursday with the first of this week’s Regional competitions in their respective sports.
1. Girls Tennis: No. 2 Birmingham Seaholm edged No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian to claim a Lower Peninsula Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press
2. Track & Field: Ishpeming’s boys and Hancock’s girls won close races to Upper Peninsula Division 2 Regional titles – Iron Mountain Daily News
3. Softball: Division 2 honorable mention Chelsea improved to 26-4, handing No. 3 Eaton Rapids (26-1) its first loss of this season during a quad – Chelsea Sun Times News
4. Baseball: Division 1 top-ranked Brownstown Woodhaven locked up its fifth straight Downriver League title with a big win over Allen Park – Southgate News-Herald
5. Track & Field: Gladstone’s boys won eight of 12 events to claim a UPD1 Regional title, while Marquette’s girls prevailed as well – Escanaba Daily Press
6. Baseball: Marysville claimed the outright Macomb Area Conference Blue title with a sweep of Fraser – Port Huron Times-Herald
7. Softball: Fowlerville swept Haslett to lock up the Capital Area Activities Conference Red championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
8. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 13 Livonia Stevenson claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title with a 3-0 win over Dearborn – Observer & Eccentric
9. Girls Tennis: No. 9 Jackson Lumen Christi won its LPD4 Regional by seven points over runner-up Kalamazoo Christian – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
10. Baseball: No. 6 Portage Northern won big over No. 10 Richland Gull Lake in a matchup of top teams in Division 1 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Also of note …
Football: The Muskegon area is mourning the death of coach Pete Kutches, who led both Muskegon Catholic Central and Reeths-Puffer to MHSAA championships – Muskegon Chronicle
Baseball: From last week, Division 1 No. 2 Birmingham Seaholm claimed its first league title since 2009 – Observer & Eccentric
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.)