Today in the MHSAA: 10/19/17
October 19, 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: Unranked Brighton eliminated top-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline in a Division 1 District Semifinal, 2-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
2. Cross Country: Clare’s girls claimed their eighth straight Jack Pine Conference championship and the boys won their 10th consecutive; the girls are ranked No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, and the boys are No. 10 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
3. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Leland advanced to a Division 4 District Final with a 3-0 win over No. 15 Harbor Springs – Traverse City Record-Eagle
4. Cross Country: Zeeland West, Zeeland East (honorable mention in LPD2) and Holland’s boys all finished as co-champions in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green, while the LPD2 No. 7 Holland Christian girls won outright after sharing the title in 2016 – Holland Sentinel
5. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 10 Rochester downed No. 16 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 3-0 for the second straight time this season – Oakland Press
6. Boys Soccer: Roscommon edged Division 4 No. 19 Lincoln Alcona 4-3 in a District Semifinal – Alpena News
7. Volleyball: St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran earned its fourth straight league title in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph White with a four-set win over Three Oaks River Valley – St. Joseph Herald Palladium
8. Cross Country: The Bangor boys and Bloomingdale girls clinched the inaugural Southwest 10 Conference championships – Sturgis Journal
Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 6 Hillsdale Academy needed a shootout but got past Jackson Christian in a District Semifinal – Hillsdale Daily News
10. Boys Soccer: Troy scored with fewer than three minutes to play to get past Birmingham Brother Rice 2-1 in Division 1 – Oakland Press
Also of note:
Girls Cross Country: From Tuesday, Quincy won its third straight Big 8 Conference championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Volleyball: From Tuesday, Class C No. 6 Adrian Madison claimed a share of the Tri-County Conference championship by going 1-1 in a doubleheader against Whitmore Lake – Adrian Daily Telegram
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.)