Today in the MHSAA: 5/4/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 4, 2023
1. BASEBALL Division 2 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett ended Division 1 No. 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s state-record 84-game winning streak with a walk-off 4-3 win – Grosse Pointe News
2. GIRLS SOCCER Division 3 top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian handed No. 2 Grand Rapids West Catholic its first defeat, 2-0 – FOX 17
3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 6 Mason downed reigning champion and Division 3 No. 4 Williamston 1-0 to clinch the Capital Area Activities Conference Red title – Lansing State Journal
4. GIRLS SOCCER Unranked Muskegon Mona Shores locked up the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title with a 4-0 win over Division 2 No. 13 Zeeland West – Muskegon Chronicle
5. BOYS GOLF Nicholas Taylor followed his dad to give his family a second medalist at the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship tournament, leading Mona Shores – No. 13 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – to its fourth-straight team title – Local Sports Journal
6. SOFTBALL Division 2 No. 2 Essexville Garber swept No. 5 Frankenmuth in a doubleheader with league and statewide implications – Bay City Times
7. SOFTBALL Kamden Binney’s walk-off grand slam gave Division 1 No. 10 (tied) Rockford a 7-3 win over No. 5 Jenison; Jenison won the second game 7-0 – FOX 17
8. BASEBALL Division 3 No. 6 Watervliet swept No. 18 Bridgman with a pair of shutouts – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
9. BASEBALL Unranked Walled Lake Northern and Division 1 No. 13 White Lake Lakeland split a doubleheader that kept Lakeland first in the Lakes Valley Conference – Oakland Press
10. TRACK & FIELD Quincy swept Reading, 85-51 on the girls side but only 70-67 on the boys; Reading’s boys are No. 4 in LPD4 – Coldwater Daily Reporter
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.)