Today in the MHSAA: 4/17/17
April 17, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full weekend of this spring saw tournament action all over the state, with an especially notable softball tournament at Saginaw Swan Valley.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Baseball
Longtime Comstock coach Rich Bailey earned his 500th win with his team’s 2-0 victory over Hopkins; Comstock is No. 10 in Division 3 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Zeeland East won the Holland West Ottawa Invitational by scoring a combined 50 runs over three games – Holland Sentinel
Division 1 No. 5 Midland and No. 12 Mount Pleasant split a Thursday doubleheader that should impact the Saginaw Valley League race – Midland Daily News
Boys Golf
Hartland won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes preseason tournament, led by a pair of individual runners-up – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Girls Soccer
Cadillac won the Holland Invitational, downing Black River and then the host in the championship match – Cadillac News
Softball
Escanaba improved to 6-1 to continue to make good on its No. 2 ranking in Division 2, going 3-1 at the Saginaw Swan Valley Invitational with wins over Ogemaw Heights, Lake Fenton and Division 1 top-ranked Midland before falling 7-6 to host and D2 No. 3-ranked Swan Valley in a rematch of last season’s Division 2 Quarterfinal – Escanaba Daily Press
Division 1 honorable mention Mount Pleasant also earned a win from top-ranked Midland, splitting a Thursday doubleheader – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Division 4 No. 3 Rogers City opened its season with wins over DeWitt, St. Johns and Mason to win the East Lansing Invitational against much larger competition – Alpena News
The host Dragons, No. 7 in Division 1, downed honorable mention Oxford 1-0 to win their Lake Orion Invitational – Oakland Press
Girls Tennis
Division 2 top-ranked East Grand Rapids and Division 3 No. 1 Detroit Country Day tied for the championship at the prestigious Allegan Invitational – Grand Rapids Press
Track & Field
The Adrian Madison girls followed Megan Rosales’ dominating performance in winning the Grass Lake Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram
The Saugatuck boys and Hudsonville girls were overall champions at the Muskegon Reeths-Puffer Invitational – Muskegon Chronicle
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.)