Today in the MHSAA: 5/21/18
May 21, 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. Track & Field: Saline’s boys won their eighth straight Regional title, in Lower Peninsula Division 1, by a mere point over Ann Arbor Pioneer – Saline Post
2. Track & Field: The top-ranked Ada Forest Hills Eastern girls won their fifth straight Regional title, edging East Grand Rapids by fewer than two points in LPD2 – Grand Rapids Press
3. Track & Field: The reigning Upper Peninsula Division 3 champion girls from Lake Linden-Hubbell continued their undefeated run this spring with a Regional title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
4. Girls Soccer: Division 2 top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Marian got past Division 3 No. 6 Warren Regina 2-1 in overtime to claim the Detroit Catholic League Division 1 tournament title – Oakland Press
5. Girls Tennis: No. 2 Northville swept the flight championships in winning its LPD1 Regional with a perfect 24 points – Observer & Eccentric
6. Girls Tennis: Traverse City St. Francis, No. 3 in LPD4, won its Regional as expected, with Charlevoix also qualifying for the MHSAA Finals for the first time – Traverse City Record-Eagle
7. Track & Field: Beal City’s boys, No. 2 in LPD4, had only one individual first place but won their first team Regional title since 1999 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
8. Baseball: Division 1 No. 7 Brownstown Woodhaven extended its school-record winning streak to 21 games with a 5-4 8-inning win over Gibraltar Carlson; the previous day, Woodhaven’s MHSAA record opponents’ scoreless streak came to an end at 60 innings – Southgate News Herald
9. Baseball: Ludington swept Division 4 No. 13 Muskegon Catholic Central to clinch the Lakes 8 Conference title, its first league championship since 2006 – Ludington Daily News
10. Track & Field: Deckerville’s girls, No. 7 in LPD4, added their sixth straight Regional title to a league title won earlier in the week – Huron Daily Tribune
Also of note …
Softball: From Thursday, Muskegon Mona Shores’ Taylor Dew hit her 50th home run as she and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard’s Julia Kennedy continue to re-set the MHSAA career record – Local Sports Journal
Baseball: From Thursday, Division 1 No. 21 Byron Center finished a three-game sweep of Division 2 No. 6 Holland Christian to claim a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title – FOX 17
Volleyball: Novi coach Jennifer Cottrill resigned after leading the Wildcats to the last three Class A championships – Oakland 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.)