Today in the MHSAA: 9/23/16
September 23, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A stunning win by the reigning Class A volleyball champion was among notable results in that sport and among others that also saw state-ranked teams surge Thursday.
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
Reigning Downriver League girls champion Wyandotte Roosevelt took the first steps toward a repeat in winning the first league jamboree of this season – Southgate News-Herald
The Lower Peninsula Division 3 top-ranked Traverse City St. Francis girls placed the first two finishers in winning the Kingsley Invitational; Division 4 No. 6 Manton won the boys race – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Boys Soccer
Midland Dow needed a last-minute goal to stay undefeated this season with a 2-2 draw against Saginaw Heritage – Saginaw News
Spring Lake, No. 3 in Division 2, added a tie over Division 3 No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central to a win over the Cougars earlier this season to keep an upper hand in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue – Grand Haven Tribune
Volleyball
Class A No. 2 Novi swept No. 4 Northville in one of its most impressive wins since claiming the 2015 MHSAA title – Oakland Press
Macomb Dakota, an honorable mention in Class A, avenged a loss five days earlier to Romeo with a three-set win – Macomb Daily
Class A No. 6 Grand Haven down Hudsonville 3-1 on “Buc Pride Night” played to benefit cancer research and with freshman assistant coach Kabel Sheehan – currently fighting the disease – among those in mind – Grand Haven Tribune
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.)