Today in the MHSAA: 4/25/19
April 25, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A major soccer matchup tops today’s list of Wednesday’s best headliners, followed by a record-setting upset also on the pitch.
1. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Grand Blanc held off Division 2 No. 7 Flint Powers 3-2 in a matchup of teams that played in MHSAA Finals last season – WJRT
2. Girls Soccer: New Baltimore Anchor Bay shut out Division 1 No. 3 Utica Eisenhower 1-0, giving Ally Gaunt 32 shutouts to tie her school’s record – Macomb Daily
3. Baseball: Division 3 No. 3 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett took Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Country Day to extra innings and won 4-3 – Detroit News
4. Track & Field: Kingsley’s girls, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, edged LPD2 No. 11 Benzie Central’s 91-84, while Benzie’s No. 14 boys won by eight points over the LPD3 No. 7 Stags – Traverse City Record Eagle
5. Track & Field: Jessica Holcomb broke Quincy’s long jump record set in 1982 in helping her team to an 86-51 win over Concord – Coldwater Daily Reporter
6. Boys Lacrosse: Tecumseh edged Dexter 14-11, giving Tecumseh coach Steve Ayre his 100th win – Adrian Daily Telegram
7. Baseball: Pinconning went 10 innings to take a 9-8 win over Division 3 No. 16 Beaverton – Bay City Times
8. Girls Soccer: Division 4 No. 2 Kalamazoo Christian handed Coloma its first loss this season, 6-1 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
9. Girls Soccer: Alpena handed Gaylord its first loss, 2-1, in what also was the Wildcats’ first league win in nine years – WBKB
10. Baseball: Shawn Kaiser threw Midland Bullock Creek’s second no-hitter in two days in a split with Saginaw Valley Lutheran – Midland Daily News
Also of note …
O-K Conference: The state’s largest league announced its reconfiguration for 2020-21, including the elimination of a division – Grand Rapids 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.)