Today in the MHSAA: 9/3/20
September 3, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Some of the best statewide met in local competition Wednesday with cross country and golf headlining a full day of headline-grabbing results.
1. Cross Country: Romeo’s boys defeated reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion Brighton, and Brighton’s girls won on a tie-breaker in a race between two more top-10 finishers from the 2019 Finals – Livingston Daily
2. Girls Golf: Olivia Hemmila fired a school-record round to lead Troy Athens to the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press
3. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 4 Grand Blanc finished first at the Saginaw Valley League 9-hole tournament, topping a field featuring multiple team and individual statewide contenders – WJRT
4. Boys Tennis: Battle Creek Lakeview won its fifth-straight All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer
5. Volleyball: Charlevoix moved to 9-0 this fall with wins over Kingsley, McBain and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – Petoskey News-Review
6. Girls Golf: LPD3 No. 3 Big Rapids shot a 363 to finish first, with LPD4 No. 7 Remus Chippewa Hills second, at the latest Central State Activities Association jamboree – Big Rapids News
7. Boys Tennis: LPD4 No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis was first and No. 10 Ludington second in a quad with Elk Rapids and Harbor Springs – Ludington Daily News
8. Boys Tennis: LPD3 No. 8 Holland Christian edged rival Holland 5-3 – Holland Sentinel
9. Boys Soccer: Ogemaw Heights handed Alpena the latter’s first defeat, 1-0 – Alpena News
10. Cross Country: The Midland Dow girls and Midland High boys won quads that also included Sanford Meridian and Bullock Creek – Midland Daily News
Also of note …
Softball: Longtime coach Tom Kaechele, who led his team to the 2018 Division 1 title and a runner-up finish in 2015, has retired after 19 seasons – Grand Rapids 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.)