Today in the MHSAA: 5/31/19
May 31, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
In addition to boys and girls Upper Peninsula Golf Finals – see “Latest Posts” at right for full coverage – numerous Lower Peninsula boys golf and girls soccer championships were handed out Thursday at the Regional and District levels, respectively.
1. Girls Soccer: No. 5 Plymouth scored twice over the final six minutes of regulation to tie its Division 1 District Final with Canton, then won a shootout to claim the championship – Observer & Eccentric
2. Boys Golf: No. 2 Warren DeLaSalle shot a 303 to edge No. 8 Grosse Pointe South by three strokes and win its Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional title – Macomb Daily
3. Boys Golf: St. Louis finished ahead of Frankenmuth and No. 7 Shepherd to win its LPD3 Regional – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
4. Girls Soccer: No. 9 Saginaw Nouvel won its 10th straight game, this one 5-1 over No. 13 Saginaw Valley Lutheran to earn a Division 4 District title – Saginaw News
5. Girls Soccer: Katherine Schonard scored a hat trick as Jackson Lumen Christi downed No. 6 Manchester 4-2 in a Division 4 District Final – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
6. Girls Soccer: No. 12 Elk Rapids won its fourth straight District title with its third shutout this season of Charlevoix – Traverse City Record-Eagle
7. Girls soccer: Alexis Souder scored all four goals as No. 7 Houghton Lake won its third straight District title with a 4-0 win over McBain Northern Michigan Christian – MI Sports Now
8. Girls Soccer: No. 9 Grosse Ile edged Wixom St. Catherine 1-0 to claim a Division 3 District title – Southgate News-Herald
9. Girls Soccer: Ludington got past Big Rapids 3-1 to celebrate a Division 3 District title – Ludington Daily News
10. Girls Soccer: After nearly 60 minutes of scoreless play, Spring Lake scored four goals to get past Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in a Division 2 District Final – Local Sports Journal
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.)