Today in the MHSAA: 8/30/17
August 30, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland West Ottawa, ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, got past honorable mention Zeeland 108-78 – Holland Sentinel
2. Cross Country: The Fremont boys and Allendale girls won races at the Don Anderson Trail Run at Grand Haven, with the host finishing runner-up in both meets – Grand Haven Tribune
3. Volleyball: Bay City Western became the first two-time champion of the fifth-year Bay County Volleyball Championship, downing Essexville Garber in the final – Bay City Times
4. Volleyball: Freeland went 5-0-2 overall in winning its invitational, downing Birch Run in the championship match after splitting with the Panthers earlier – Midland Daily News
5. Volleyball: Pellston is up to No. 7 in the Class D poll and continued to impress with a sweep of Harbor Springs to improve to 7-3-4 – Petoskey News-Review
6. Girls Golf: Midland Dow opened its match season with three wins and a score of 171, led by Alexis Carras’ 39 – Midland Daily News
7. Boys Soccer: Plymouth shut out Grand Blanc, a Division 1 Regional finalist last season, 3-0 – Detroit News
8. Boys Soccer: Buckley, a Division 4 District champ last year, improved to 5-0 with a 3-0 win over Kalkaska – Cadillac News
9. Boys Soccer: Lincoln Alcona, another reigning Division 4 District champ, earned a 5-2 win over Saginaw Nouvel as record-setting keeper Conner McCoy had 25 saves – Alpena News
10. Football: Jack Schugars remains the 20th-winningest coach in MHSAA football history after building a 262-78 record at Muskegon Oakridge from 1979-2010, and he’s back on the sidelines assisting his son Eric at Traverse City Central – Muskegon Chronicle
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.)