Today in the MHSAA: 9/26/18
September 26, 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. Volleyball: Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Division 1 No. 6 Hudsonville in five games – FOX 17
2. Cross Country: The New Baltimore Anchor Bay cross country teams clinched Macomb Area Conference White championships; the boys shared with Port Huron Northern, winning their first title since 2008 – Macomb Daily
3. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek swept honorable mention Clarkston in Oakland Activities Association Red play – Oakland Press
4. Girls Swimming & Diving: Unranked Zeeland earned an impressive 104-74 win over Holland Christian, the No. 4 team in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Holland Sentinel
5. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 9 North Muskegon and Muskegon Oakridge tied 1-1 in a key West Michigan Conference matchup – Local Sports Journal
6. Cross Country: Hart’s LPD3 ranked teams (girls No. 1, boys No. 4) dominated in sweeping the West Michigan Conference’s second jamboree – Ludington Daily News
7. Volleyball: Traverse City St. Francis came back after losing the first set to defeat Kalkaska in four – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. Volleyball: Lakes Valley Conference leader South Lyon downed Walled Lake Central in four sets – Oakland Press
9. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 10 Kingsley continued to surge with a sweep of Frankfort – WPBN
10. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 3 Schoolcraft remains atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley after a sweep of Constantine – JoeInsider.com
Also of note:
Volleyball: From Thursday, then-No. 5 Southfield Christian upset Division 4 top-ranked Plymouth Christian Academy – MLive-Detroit
Girls Golf: From Monday, LPD1 top-ranked Northville claimed its eighth tournament championship this fall – Observer & Eccentric
Boys Soccer: From Monday, Division 4 No. 8 Hartford clinched the Southwest 10 Conference title with a 2-1 win over Bloomingdale – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
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.)