Today In The MHSAA: 5/14/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 14, 2021
1. Track & Field: Oak Park won girls and boys Oakland Activities Association Blue/Gold championships, the girls outright and the boys sharing with Farmington – Oakland Press
2. Boys Lacrosse: Division 2 No. 7 Okemos downed Division 1 No. 8 Haslett 8-6 to clinch the Capital Area Activities Conference championship – Lansing State Journal
3. Girls Tennis: Traverse City Central won the Big North Conference Tournament, earning a shared league title with dual-season champ West – Traverse City Record-Eagle
4. Track & Field: Zeeland East’s girls – No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – wrapped up the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship – Holland Sentinel
5. Baseball: Division 1 No. 13 Livonia Stevenson split with No. 20 Franklin, clinching the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title with a win in the first game – Observer & Eccentric
6. Track & Field: The Corunna and Fenton boys and Corunna and Flushing girls won Flint Metro League championships – WJRT
7. Softball: Undefeated and Division 3 top-ranked Millington swept Division 2 honorable mention Frankenmuth 1-0 and 3-2 – Mid-Michigan Now
8. Girls Soccer: Traverse City Central ended a 13-game losing streak to Division 1 No. 10 West with a 2-1 win – Traverse City Record-Eagle
9. Softball: Division 1 honorable mentions South Lyon and Walled Lake Northern split to hold onto their shared lead in the Lakes Valley Conference – Oakland Press
10. Softball: Fowlerville freshman Tori Briggs hit two homers in each game of a doubleheader sweep of Lansing Catholic – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
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.)