Today in the MHSAA: 3/16/16
March 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA girls basketball field was whittled to 16 teams Tuesday night – here are headlines and links from each Quarterfinal game.
Class A
St. Johns continued its best run in more than a decade by securing a Semifinal bid with a win over Port Huron Northern – Lansing State Journal
Warren Cousino will make its first Semifinal appearance after downing Northville – Macomb Daily
Detroit Martin Luther King needed overtime but slipped past Ann Arbor Huron 58-54 – Detroit Free Press
Hudsonville earned its first Semifinal berth with a 40-32 win over East Lansing – Grand Rapids Press
Class B
Marshall improved to 24-1 this season with a 41-30 win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Battle Creek Enquirer
Bay City John Glenn continued its best run ever with a Quarterfinal win over Manistee – Bay City Times
Reigning champion Detroit Country Day will return to Breslin Center after downing Detroit Mumford – Detroit Free Press
Grand Rapids South Christian drew another step closer to a second Class B Final in three seasons with a 67-51 win over Dearborn Heights Robichaud – Grand Rapids Press
Class C
Ithaca also extended its longest run ever with a win over Flint Hamady – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Niles Brandywine will make a return to the Breslin for the first time since 2010 after downing Grand Rapids Covenant Christian – Niles Daily Star
Traverse City St. Francis edged reigning Class D champion St. Ignace 48-44 to earn a trip to the Class C Semifinals – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep dazzled with a 60-22 Class C win over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett – Ann Arbor News
Class D
Reigning runner-up Pittsford will return to Breslin thanks to a Quarterfinal win over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian – Hillsdale Daily News
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart got past Gaylord St. Mary by just a point, 27-26 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Waterford Our Lady will make what has become a near-annual trip to East Lansing thanks to a Quarterfinal win over Kingston – Oakland Press
Stephenson won a battle of Upper Peninsula powers, 60-35 over Newberry – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
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.)