Today in the MHSAA: 10/5/18
October 5, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
1. Girls Golf: Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Northville shot a 302 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament for the first time since 2009 – Observer & Eccentric
2. Boys Tennis: Traverse City Central clinched its 13th straight Big North Conference championship, just ahead of LPD3 No. 7 Petoskey – Traverse City Record-Eagle
3. Girls Golf: LPD4 No. 3 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian shot a 368 to edge reigning champ Spring Lake by four strokes and clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue title – Grand Haven Tribune
4. Girls Golf: Sturgis locked up its fourth straight Wolverine Conference title – Sturgis Journal
5. Boys Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian clinched the Lakes 8 Conference title with a 3-0 win over Muskegon Orchard View – Local Sports Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 10 Royal Oak Shrine clinched the Detroit Catholic League Intersectional 2 championship with a big win over Clarkston Everest Collegiate – Oakland Press
7. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West downed Alpena and then claimed the Big North Conference title outright thanks to Traverse City Central’s tie with Cadillac – WPBN
8. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 4 East Lansing defeated Division 1 No. 7 Okemos 2-1 with a shootout to advance to the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup championship game – Lansing State Journal
9. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Portage Central edged Portage Northern 1-0 to advance to the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship game – JoeInsider.com
10. Boys Soccer: Justin Raymond set a Gladwin single-season record with his 49th goal in the Division 3 No. 10 Flying Gs’ win over Clare – Midland Daily News
Also of note …
Volleyball: From Wednesday, Niles Brandywine swept Buchanan to repeat as Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red champion – Niles Daily Star
Boys soccer: From Wednesday, Division 2 No. 5 Fenton clinched the Flint Metro League title with a win over Swartz Creek – WJRT
Boys Tennis: Jarrett Kelley set the Chesaning career wins record with his 90th in a team victory over Ortonville Brandon – Owosso Argus-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.)