Today in the MHSAA: 6/8/17
June 8, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Our matchups are set for four MHSAA Lacrosse Finals to be played Saturday thanks to eight Semifinals across the Lower Peninsula on Wednesday.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Baseball
Division 2 No. 5 DeWitt rallied early and often to down Division 1 No. 14 Holt 14-0 in the 56th Capital Diamond Classic championship game – Lansing State Journal
Boys Lacrosse
No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central went ahead for good with fewer than three minutes left in overtime to down No. 3 Hartland 12-11 in a Division 1 Semifinal – Oakland Press
No. 4 Rockford played reigning Division 1 champion and top-ranked Birmingham Brother Rice closer than most, but the Warriors earned another championship chance with an 8-6 Semifinal win – Grand Rapids Press
Top-ranked East Grand Rapids scored 13 goals during the second half on the way to a 17-7 Division 2 Semifinal win over No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – Oakland Press
No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central got past No. 4 Detroit Country Day in overtime 11-10 to advance in Division 2 – Fox 17
Girls Lacrosse
Four-time reigning Division 1 champion and top-ranked Rockford will play for another title after downing No. 6 Northville 22-4 in a Semifinal – Grand Rapids Press
No. 5 Birmingham United also needed overtime to down a No. 3 Hartland team, doing so in a Division 1 Semifinal 13-11 – Oakland Press
Top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingwood will return to the Division 2 Final after a 14-8 win over No. 4 Okemos – Detroit News
Reigning champion and No. 3 East Grand Rapids also will return to the Division 2 Final after a 16-3 win over unranked Farmington Hills Mercy.
Girls Soccer
With just under eight minutes to play, Louisa Judge drilled a free kick to give No. 6 Dexter a 2-1 lead in its eventual Division 2 Regional Semifinal win over No. 4 Trenton – MLive-Detroit
Saline fought back from a rare deficit to down Brownstown Woodhaven 2-1 in a Division 1 Regional Semifinal matchup of unranked teams – Saline Post
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.)