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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2001 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

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For the week of June 13 - June 19, 2001

  Sports

Quietly, IHSAA classes turn upside down

A-4 becomes 1A


Last Wednesday, the Idaho High School Activities Association’s Board of Directors literally turned the face of Gem State athletics upside down.

During its meeting in Boise, the board voted unanimously to change the way it labels the different classifications of sports in Idaho, for the 2002-2004 classification cycle.

For 37 years, big schools in Idaho have been labeled A-1 and small schools have been A-4. It’s all reversed starting in the fall of 2001—big schools now 5A and small schools 1A.

Hailey’s Wood River High School will be 3A instead of A-2 starting this fall. Carey School and The Community School will be 1A instead of A-4.

None of the 139 high schools in Idaho are changing their level of competition or the opponents they play because of last Wednesday’s action.

Bill Young, IHSAA executive director, said, "It’s a major step, one that should be ratified at our Aug. 1 meeting.

"There were two main reasons for the change. The first was to eliminate the confusion between our A-1 Division 1 and A-1 Division 2 classes. Now it will be simple and clear—5A for the biggest schools and 4A for the next biggest.

"The second reason is the change puts Idaho in line with the systems used in surrounding states like Oregon and Washington."

"Keep in mind that for this fall, only the names are changing. No numbers (enrollment figures) will change."

The decision changes a system that has been in place since 1964, when Idaho’s sports classes first went to A-1 (big schools), A-2, A-3 and A-4 (small schools) for boys’ basketball.

From 1917-1937, Idaho had one class only. From 1938-57, it was Classes A and B, then from 1958-63 it was Classes A, AA and AAA. Since 1984, big schools have been split into A-1 Division 1 and 2 for football.

Young said the IHSAA Board of Control at its Aug. 1 meeting will continue talking about possible changes in enrollment figures for each class.

Such changes would impact Wood River and possibly schools like Shoshone.

Currently, A-1 Division 1 schools (now 5A) are based on ninth- through 12th grade enrollments of 1,250-plus. Others currently: A-1 Division 2 (800-1,249); A-2 (350-799); A-3 (150-349); and A-4 (149 and lower).

These enrollment figures will stay the same for the 2002-2004 classification cycle, even though the nomenclature will change. But there is a proposal to change the figures for the 2004-2006 classification cycle.

For instance, 5A would change from 1,200-plus to 1,200-plus. And 4A would change from 800-1,249 to 600-1,199.

Such a change would move bigger 3A schools like Preston (732 students in 2001-02), Wood River (726), Snake River (726), Lakeland (722), Shelley (670) and Middleton (594) into 4A.

The new 3A figures would be 300-599 instead of 350-799, and the new 2A numbers would be 125-299 instead of 150-349. Accordingly, schools like Shoshoine (129) and Hagerman (129) would have to move up a class.

New numbers also would change the 1A class from 149-and-lower to 124-and-lower. That would put 1A schools like Oakley (115) and Raft River (113) close to the limit, and The Community School (106) right behind. Carey (76) looks safe for the moment to stay 1A.

Young said he expects the "rough draft," of changes to be discussed and negotiated this year and next year—as Gem State schools grapple with growth and get used to the new classification nomenclature.

 

State tennis is changed

For one year only, the IHSAA has voted to change the dates of the state tennis tournament staged in Boise.

Generally, the IHSAA’s state track, tennis and softball tournaments are held the same weekend—usually the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.

In 2002, the state track meet in Boise is set for Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25.

Because Memorial Day weekend is a major one for tennis tournaments in the Boise area, enough conflicts in available playing courts existed to move the state tennis tournament up a week, Young said.

So, the 2002 state tennis tournaments will be May 17-18.

 


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.