Today in the MHSAA: 8/24/18
August 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. Boys Tennis: Traverse City St. Francis may have the initial upper hand in its Regional this fall after winning the Pre-Regional Invitational featuring eight teams that will come back to play each other in the postseason – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland West Ottawa defeated rival Holland 108-75; both were top-10 finishers at their respective MHSAA Finals last season – Holland Sentinel
3. Boys Tennis: Ann Arbor Greenhills finished first and St. Joseph second at the Great Eight tournament at Sturgis – Sturgis Journal
4. Boys Tennis: Battle Creek Lakeview swept all eight flight titles to win its third straight All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer
5. Girls Golf: Coldwater edged Sturgis in the finale to win the Sturgis Match Play – Coldwater Daily Reporter
6. Volleyball: Dexter swept Adrian Madison in the title match to win the Tecumseh Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram
7. Girls Golf: Big Rapids shot a school record 339 at the Central State Activities Association jamboree at Holland Lake in Sheridan – Big Rapids News
8. Cross Country – Ypsilanti Lincoln’s boys and Ann Arbor Skyline’s girls won Bert Cebulski Memorial Invitational championships – Adrian Daily Telegram
9. Boys Soccer: Jake McFarren had the shutout as Fruitport Calvary Christian downed Montague 3-0 – Local Sports Journal
10. Volleyball: Alpena swept Cheboygan and Rogers City to improve to 5-0 this fall – Alpena News
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.)