Today in the MHSAA: 10/25/17
October 25, 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: No. 8 Buckley turned away 25 shots to upset No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in a Division 4 Regional Semifinal – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 4 Portage Central needed overtime to get past Brighton, which last week eliminated top-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Boys Soccer: Longtime rivals Detroit Country Day and Macomb Lutheran North locked up again in Division 3, with No. 5 Country Day emerging with a 3-1 win over the No. 8 Mustangs – Oakland Press
4. Volleyball: Bay City Western added to its best season already since 2007, sweeping rival Bay City Central – Bay City Times
5. Volleyball: Class D No. 7 Rudyard downed rival Pickford 3-1 in its final regular-season match to finish a perfect run through the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
6. Boys Soccer: No. 17 Gibraltar Carlson eliminated reigning Division 2 runner-up Dearborn Divine Child with a 3-2 shootout win – Southgate News Herald
7. Boys Soccer: No. 9 Lansing Catholic moved on in Division 3 with a 4-1 win over No. 19 Freeland – Lansing State Journal
8. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart swept Coleman to finish a perfect run through the Mid-State Activities Conference – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
9. Boys Soccer: No. 12 Plymouth netted the lone goal with just more than 11 minutes to play to down No. 19 Saline in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric
10. Boys Soccer: No. 16 Ludington hung on for a 1-0 win over Boyne City in Division 3 – Petoskey News-Review
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.)