Today in the MHSAA: 9/12/16
September 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Cross country, volleyball and soccer all saw matchups of some of the state’s elite over the weekend, and the Midland Dow boys tennis coach was quoted as saying Saturday was "the biggest day for Dow tennis in three seasons."
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.
Cross Country
Northville’s girls outran Saline and Hudsonville to win the Class 1 meet at the competitive Bath Invitational – Observer & Eccentric
The Saline boys put five runners among the top 12 to outpace Rockford and Northville in their Class 1 meet at the Bath Invitational – Saline Post
The Ubly girls and Bad Axe boys bested a field of more than 400 runners at the Bad Axe Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune
Boys Soccer
Division 1 No. 9 Novi just got past No. 3 Rochester Adams 1-0, with the lone goal coming just more than six minutes into the second half – Oakland Press
Boys Tennis
Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 2 Midland Dow improved to 10-0 with wins over No. 1 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, No. 4 Birmingham Groves and Holly – Midland Daily News
Volleyball
Class B No. 7 Buchanan took down a trio of impressive teams – Bronson, Temperance Bedford and Battle Creek Harper Creek – to win the Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational – Niles Daily Star
Class B top-ranked North Branch downed Class C No. 5 Brown City in the championship match of the Croswell-Lexington Invitational – Port Huron Times Herald
Good Read
Jackson’s Kallen Park has taken a spot in the soccer net for the Vikings this season first occupied by his father J. Scott Park, the keeper when Jackson started its boys soccer program in 1986 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
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.)