Today in the MHSAA: 5/1/18
May 1, 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. Boys Golf: White Pigeon, ranked No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, clinched the Southwest 10 Conference championship with a win at its home jamboree – Sturgis Journal
2. Boys Golf: Unranked Warren DeLaSalle claimed its fifth straight Macomb County Invitational championship with a 305, just edging runner-up and LP Division 1 No. 10 Utica Eisenhower – C&G Newspapers
3. Track & Field: Zeeland East swept neighbor Zeeland West, the girls winning by a point 69-68 – Holland Sentinel
4. Softball: Flat Rock edged Riverview 2-1 in a matchup of Division 2 honorable mention teams and Huron League rivals – Southgate News Herald
5. Girls Lacrosse: Division 1 No. 3 Hartland came back from an early 5-1 deficit to down Grosse Pointe South 17-11 and remain undefeated – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. Girls Soccer: Madison Holloway’s goal with 15 seconds to play pushed Division 2 No. 6 Holland Christian past Zeeland East 3-2 – Holland Sentinel
7. Boys Golf: Manistee edged first-place Ludington by four strokes in the latest Lakes 8 Conference jamboree to move within a stroke of the top spot in the overall standings – Manistee News Advocate
8. Volleyball: DeWitt coach Christy Thelen has stepped down after leading the Panthers to the Class A Semifinals in the fall and with a 404-91-8 record over the last decade – Lansing State Journal
9. Football: Plymouth coach Mike Sawchuk has resigned after 12 season with a 73-48 record – Observer & Eccentric
10. Multi-Sport Participation: State Champs! Network began its look at MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts’ legacy with a report on multi-sport participation and its many benefits – State Champs! Network
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.)