WHSAA Spring 2019 Board Of Directors Meeting Results
Talks about 9-man football, regional wrestling, 4A State Golf and softball were some of the topics at the Spring 2019 Wyoming High School Activities Association Board of Directors meeting.
9-man Football: With an increase in the number of forfeits at the current football structure, the proposal is starting in 2020, have 3 classes of 11-man football, 1 class of 9-man football, and 1 class of 6-man football. 4A and 3A would be unchanged from the current format. 2A (11-man) would have 17 teams divided into east and west (East = Buffalo, Burns, Upton-Sundance, Pine Bluffs, Glenrock, Newcastle, Big Horn, Thermopolis and Wheatland. West = Lyman, Big Piney, Mountain View, Pinedale, Greybull, Lovell, Kemmerer and Cokeville (opting up from 9-man)). 9-man would have 13 teams (East = Lusk, Southeast, Wright, Lingle-Ft. Laramie, Tongue River and Moorcroft (opting down from 2A...ineligible for playoffs). West = Riverside, Shoshoni, Wyoming Indian, Rocky Mountain, Wind River, Saratoga (questionable) and St. Stephens (opting up from 6-man). 6-Man would have 13 teams (East = Hulett, H.E.M., Kaycee, Normative Services, Midwest, Guernsey-Sunrise. West = Little Snake River, Burlington, Dubois, Farson-Eden, Ten Sleep, Meeteetse, Encampment). Encampment is playing a JV schedule in 2019. Teams are allowed to opt up or opt down if they wish. Teams will play on an 11-man field, and not a 6-man field as recommended, in case any team wishes to go back to 11-man. Motion passes on second reading, making it official.
Regional Wrestling seeding: The proposal is to eliminate step 3 in the seeding criteria that would give wrestlers who placed at the state tournament last year, a higher seed at the regional tournament, should head-to-head and common opponent tie-breakers fail or can't be used. Currently with the rule in place, this rule could be viewed as punishing a wrestler who moves up or down a weight class. Motion passes on first reading. Must undergo another reading to become official.
4A State Golf: The proposal is that the top 4 teams and top 20 individuals at one of 2 meets held the week before the state meet, qualify for the state tournament. This would give the host site of the state meet, an easier time with planning tee times, and save schools some money, with fewer competitors at the state meet. A majority of 4A coaches have been wanting some sort of state qualifying standard for some time.This would not take effect until fall 2020. Motion passes on first reading. Must undergo another reading to become official.
Softball: Currently 7 schools have said yes to making it a varsity sport, but the WHSAA needs 8. Cody, Rock Springs, Green River, both Gillette and both Casper schools have said yes. Laramie said no, but might reconsider. It's possible this could be a topic for the board to act on, at the next meeting in September. It would be a spring sport and probable start time would be in 2021. Wyoming has been out of compliance with Title 9, ever since gymnastics was decommissioned back in 2010, due to not enough teams. The WHSAA can't make place a sport on varsity level on it's own. There must be enough support from the schools to make it happen, and until recently, it hasn't happened. There must be 8 teams in the first year, and then it can drop to 6 after that, but no lower.