Today in the MHSAA: 10/11/19
October 11, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals fields began to take shape with the first Regionals for that sport played Thursday, while the LP Girls Golf Finals fields are set after the last of those Regional tournaments finished up.
1. Boys Tennis: Top-ranked Ann Arbor Greenhills swept every flight to win its Lower Peninsula Division 3 Regional, with No. 3 Detroit Country Day finishing runner-up in seven flights – We Love Ann Arbor
2. Boys Tennis: LPD3 No. 10 Petoskey won every flight on the way to an 11th straight Regional team championship – Petoskey News-Review
3. Girls Golf: Unranked Troy edged runner-up and No. 6 Rochester Adams by two strokes to win their LPD1 Regional – Oakland Press
4. Boys Tennis: Gibraltar Carlson outpaced runner-up Allen Park by a point to win its fifth straight Regional title, in LPD2 – Southgate News-Herald
5. Boys Tennis: St. Joseph claimed its 22nd Regional title over the last 24 seasons, in LPD3 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
6. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 8 Grand Blanc shot a 329 to edge LPD3 No. 1 Flint Powers Catholic by two strokes and win the Saginaw Valley League Tournament – Midland Daily News
7. Boys Soccer: Alpena won its first MHSAA Tournament game in at least nine years, 5-0 over Mount Pleasant in Division 2 – Alpena News
8. Volleyball: No. 6 Clarkston got past honorable mention Lake Orion in a key Oakland Activities Association Red matchup – Oakland Press
9. Cross County: Saugatuck’s girls and boys teams swept the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship meet titles; the girls are ranked No. 14 in LPD3 and the boys are ranked No. 3 – Holland Sentinel
10. Girls Swimming & Diving: No. 7 Ann Arbor Skyline outpaced No. 10 Huron 114-72 in a matchup of two of the three ranked Ann Arbor schools in LPD1 – We Love Ann Arbor
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.)