Today in the MHSAA: 5/24/18
May 24, 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: Division 1 No. 8 Plymouth continued its impressive run through the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament with a 3-0 win over No. 5 Hartland in the final – Observer & Eccentric
2. Baseball: Unranked Plymouth also clinched the KLAA tournament title in this sport with a 2-1 upset of No. 4 Howell – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Track & Field: Detroit Renaissance swept the Detroit Public School League girls and boys meets, the girls for the second straight year and the boys ending Cass Tech’s seven-year reign– Detroit News
4. Girls Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked North Muskegon gave up its first goal this season, but got five from Sophie Mueller in a 7-1 win over Whitehall in the West Michigan Conference championship game – Local Sports Journal
5. Boys Golf: Battle Creek Harper Creek won its first All-City championship since 2004, by 12 strokes over Lakeview – Battle Creek Enquirer
6. Track & Field: Traverse City Central dominated the Big North Conference meets, sweeping the girls and boys league championships; Central’s boys are ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
7. Girls Soccer: A draw with Division 1 No. 19 Brownstown Woodhaven gave Division 2 No. 9 Trenton its fourth straight Downriver League title – Southgate News Herald
8. Softball: Undefeated and Division 2 No. 3 Spring Lake swept Whitehall to get coach Bill Core his 600th career win – Grand Haven Tribune
9. Softball: Division 2 honorable mention Three Rivers capped a championship season in the Wolverine Conference with a sweep of Paw Paw and 18-0 league record – Sturgis Journal
10. Baseball: Williamston scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to get past Division 4 No. 7 Portland St. Patrick 4-3 in the Capital Diamond Classic – Lansing State Journal
Also of note …
Boys Basketball: Detroit East English coach Juan Rickman has left that post to take the same position at Ferndale – Detroit Free 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.)