Today In The MHSAA: 10/22/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2021
1. BOYS SOCCER Top-ranked Troy finished a Division 1 District championship run with a 2-1 win over No. 6 Berkley – Oakland Press
2. BOYS SOCCER No. 14 Ann Arbor Pioneer came back with two second-half goals to defeat No. 13 Skyline 2-1 in a Division 1 District Final – Ann Arbor News
3. CROSS COUNTRY Monroe Jefferson’s girls clinched their first league title since 2004, and Riverview’s boys won their side of the championship at the Huron League finale – Monroe News
4. BOYS SOCCER No. 9 Spring Lake won the third and final matchup with No. 7 Fruitport this season 4-0 to clinch a Division 2 District championship – Grand Haven Tribune
5. BOYS SOCCER Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice upset No. 5 Cranbrook Kingswood 3-1 to claim a Division 2 District title, its first District championship since 2009 – Oakland Press
6. BOYS SOCCER Monroe claimed its first District title since 2003 with a 1-0 Division 1 win over Brownstown Woodhaven – Monroe News
7. VOLLEYBALL Elk Rapids clinched the Lake Michigan Conference championship with a sweep of Traverse City St. Francis – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. BOYS SOCCER Clio defeated Flint Kearsley 4-0 in Division 2 to clinch its first District title in a decade – WJRT
9. CROSS COUNTRY Ann Arbor Pioneer swept Southeastern Conference Red championships, while Pinckney’s girls and Chelsea’s boys won in the White at the league finale. Pioneer’s girls are No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, Pioneer’s boys are No. 8, and Chelsea’s boys are No. 3 in LPD2 – Ann Arbor News
10. BOYS SOCCER No. 2 Grosse Ile clinched its 13th straight District title with a 5-1 Division 3 win over Dearborn Henry Ford Academy – Southgate News-Herald
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.)