![](/sites/default/files/imported/Photos/Daily/MHSAAToday_Fall.jpg)
Today in the MHSAA: 9/28/17
September 28, 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. Boys Soccer: Lincoln Alcona goalkeeper Conner McCoy broke the national record for career saves and did it with a shutout of Oscoda, 2-0 (check back Friday for a feature on Second Half) – Alpena News
2. Girls Tennis: The first MHSAA championships of 2017-18 were awarded Wednesday as Negaunee won its fourth straight Division 1 title and Ishpeming Westwood won its eighth in nine seasons in Division 2 – Second Half Division 1 | Division 2
3. Cross Country: Incredibly, three runners from the Battle Creek area are back on course this season after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition last year and undergoing surgery – Battle Creek Enquirer
4. Girls Golf: Three years after starting the program, Shepherd is celebrating its second straight league championship in the sport – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
5. Cross Country: The top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer boys and No. 10 girls edged Saline’s No. 2-ranked boys and No. 5 girls teams in the second Southeastern Conference jamboree and also matchup of contenders in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Saline Post Boys | Girls
6. Cross Country: The Spring Lake boys, No. 9 in LPD2, and No. 10 Allendale girls won their Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue jamboree, Allendale over Spring Lake’s No. 9-ranked girls team – Grand Haven Tribune
7. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 19 Buckley avenged an earlier loss to No. 3 Leland with a 3-0 shutout in the rematch – Cadillac News
8. Girls Golf: LPD2 No. 10 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer won its second straight Greater Muskegon Athletic Association city championship – Local Sports Journal
9. Boys Tennis: LPD4 No. 8 Ludington downed Whitehall 5-3 to clinch a share of the Coastal Conference championship – Ludington Daily News
10. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 2 Brighton finished its home regular-season schedule with a 23-stroke win over Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
![Holland West Ottawa Public Schools’ new athletics complex has been recognized as the top multi-field facility nationally by the American Sports Builders Association.](/sites/default/files/2023-12/231212_WestOttawa_2H.png)
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.)