Today In The MHSAA: 9/29/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 29, 2021
1. GIRLS GOLF Grand Blanc clinched its third-straight Saginaw Valley League championship – WJRT
2. GIRLS GOLF Durand finished a third-straight Mid-Michigan Activities Conference championship run with a seven-stroke win at the league postseason tournament – Owosso Argus-Press
3. VOLLEYBALL Division 1 honorable mention Lake Orion came back from two sets down to defeat No. 9 Clarkston in five – Oakland Press
4. GIRLS GOLF Plainwell edged Allegan by four strokes to win the Wolverine Conference championship tournament – JoeInsider.com
5. BOYS SOCCER Division 2 No. 14 Ludington shut out Muskegon Western Michigan Christian 2-0 to clinch a share of the Lakes 8 Activities Conference title – Ludington Daily News
6. BOYS SOCCER Stevensville Lakeshore played Division 2 top-ranked St. Joseph to a 1-1 draw – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
7. BOYS SOCCER Traverse City Christian scored the lone goal during the second half of a 1-0 win over Division 3 No. 9 Boyne City – Up North Live
8. CROSS COUNTRY The Ann Arbor Pioneer girls – top-ranked in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – and Saline boys topped standings at the star-studded Southeastern Conference Red jamboree – Monroe News
9. CROSS COUNTRY Battle Creek Lakeview swept girls and boys All-City championships – Battle Creek Enquirer
10. BOYS SOCCER In what could be the first of multiple matchups, Division 3 No. 8 Detroit Country Day and No. 13 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep played to a 1-1 draw – Oakland Press
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.)