Today in the MHSAA: 5/18/17
May 18, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The most impressive performance of a busy Wednesday statewide likely came from the Detroit Catholic Central boys golf team, which won a loaded Oakland County tournament with a number few teams approach.
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
Fraser earned a third straight Macomb Area Conference Gold title with a 24-13 win over Warren Woods-Tower – Macomb Daily
Division 1 No. 7 Canton downed No. 11 Brighton 7-5 to claim the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Observer & Eccentric
Golf
Shepherd celebrated the Tri-Valley Conference Central title, its first league championship since 2004 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central shot a 284 to win the Oakland County championship by 18 strokes ahead of No. 2 Clarkston – Oakland Press
McBain Northern Michigan Christian clinched the inaugural Missaukee Cup with a first place ahead of Lake City and McBain in a Wednesday match – Cadillac News
Girls Soccer
Mattawan downed Division 2 No. 5 Richland Gull Lake 1-0 to win its first Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference tournament championship – Kalamazoo Gazette
Division 2 No. 17 Marshall clinched a third straight Interstate Eight Conference regular-season title with a 2-0 win over Battle Creek Harper Creek – Battle Creek Enquirer
Softball
Division 1 No. 6 Howell continued an incredible run with a 15-0 win over honorable mention Canton to earn the Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Freshman Grace Lehto threw a no-hitter as Division 2 honorable mention Eaton Rapids edged Webberville 1-0 in a Lansing-area Softball Classic semifinal – Lansing State Journal
Bay City John Glenn swept Midland Dow, coming back from a 10-1 deficit to win the first game 13-11 – Bay City Times
Division 4 honorable mention Morenci handed Clinton its first Tri-County Conference sweep since joining the league in 2007 – Adrian Daily Telegram
First-place Allen Park, an honorable mention in Division 1, stayed ahead of second-place and Division 2 honorable mention Trenton in the Downriver League with a 3-2 win thanks to a walk-off hit by Kelsi Littleton – Southgate News-Herald
Track & Field
Traverse City Central’s boys downed Traverse City West by 64 points – they are tied for the No. 7 spot in the Lower Peninsula Division 1 rankings – Traverse City Record-Eagle
From Tuesday, the Deckerville girls and Peck and Kingston boys won North Central Thumb League championships – 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.)