Today in the MHSAA: 4/13/18
April 13, 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. Softball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer held on for an 11-inning win and then came back to sweep Division 2 No. 10 Muskegon Oakridge – Local Sports Journal
2. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 6 Bloomfield Hills and No. 14 Rochester Adams tied 1-1 in Oakland Activities Association Red play – Oakland Press
3. Girls Soccer: Also in the OAA Red, Troy Athens upset Division 1 No. 19 Rochester 1-0 – Oakland Press
4. Softball: Division 3 honorable mention Sanford Meridian and Division 4 No. 4 Coleman split a doubleheader, with both winning big – Midland Daily News
5. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 4 Holland Christian’s Hannah Luurtsema made good on a second chance with the go-ahead goal in a 2-1 win over Holland – Holland Sentinel
6. Baseball: Grandville finished a three-game sweep of Grand Haven this week with a 10-1 win Thursday; Grand Haven made the Division 1 Semifinals a year ago – Grand Haven Tribune
7. Boys Lacrosse: Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central improved to 5-0 with a 17-2 win over Forest Hills Northern – FOX17
8. Softball: Division 4 No. 6 Frankfort hit a combined eight home runs in a sweep of Lake City – Traverse City Record-Eagle
9. Boys Lacrosse: The Traverse City United team made up of players from West and Central played their first game and earned their first win, 16-4 over Petoskey – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. Track & Field: Deckerville’s girls and boys teams swept quad meets at Kinde-North Huron, the girls placing an individual or relay first in nearly every event – Huron Daily Tribune
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.)