Today In The MHSAA: 5/3/21
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 3, 2021
1. Track & Field: Birmingham Seaholm’s Audrey DaDamio and Ann Arbor Skyline’s Hobbs Kessler won Barnyard Invitational championships against fields including many of the state’s top distance runners – Macomb Daily
2. Baseball: Division 1 No. 13 Saline handed the first loss this season to Division 2 top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 2-1 – State Champs Sports Network
3. Softball: Kami Morse hit two home runs in an emotion-fueled performance as Jenison went 3-0 to win its invitational – FOX 17
4. Girls Tennis: North Muskegon – No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – won its third Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship in four seasons, just ahead of Mona Shores and Whitehall – Local Sports Journal
5. Track & Field: Reeths-Puffer won its first GMAA championship since 2006 and Whitehall won the girls title the next day – Muskegon Chronicle Girls | Boys
6. Softball: Muskegon Oakridge moved up a tier in the GMAA tournament and won its fifth-straight championship – Local Sports Journal
7. Girls Soccer: Rochester Adams earned an impressive 1-0 win over Novi – Oakland Press
8. Track & Field: Grand Blanc swept Flint Carman-Ainsworth Invitational championships – WJRT
9. Boys Golf: Norway shot a 323 to edge Houghton by seven strokes and win its invitational – Iron Mountain Daily News
10. Baseball: Muskegon Mona Shores clinched its third-straight GMAA Tier 1 title – Local Sports Journal
Also of note …
Softball: Portage Central celebrated the life of Sophie Varney with its Sophie Strong game and dedication of new batting cages; she died in December after battling an inoperable brain tumor – Kalamazoo Gazette
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.)