Sports digest

Nordic skiing: WNSL state distance postponed to March 2-3, Junior National race at CAVOC moved

The lack of snow this winter has prompted two schedule changes related to the same weekend.

The Wisconsin Nordic Ski League’s state high school and middle school distance championships have been officially moved back to March 2-3 at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable. The Salomon CXC Cup junior national race that was scheduled for the CAVOC trails in Rhinelander that same weekend have also been moved to Cable.

The state distance championships were originally scheduled for Feb. 10-11 but moved as the Birkie trailhead tried to preserve as much snow as possible for the 50th annual American Birkebeiner, scheduled for Feb. 24. 

The CXC Salomon Cup was to have brought high-level youth races from around the Midwest to Rhinelander. It marked the second big event that the Northwoods Nordic Ski Club had to cancel this year due to a lack of snow. It also lost its annual Hodag Nordic Challenge high school and middle school race back in mid-January. In a Facebook post, club official noted that the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation has taken over the operation of the Salomon Cup race as it moves to Cable.

“Lack of snow and scheduling necessitated moving the event and NNSC would like to thank everyone that was working on this venue, and to CXC for giving us the opportunity to show case our trails and venue,” the post stated. “Good luck to all athletes going to the new venue!”

WIAA board OKs volleyball tournament format, student leadership initiative

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control authorized the tournament series format to accommodate a fifth division of girls’ volleyball in 2024 and approved plans for a student leadership program at its Jan. 31 meeting.

The board approved four recommendations originated and advanced by the volleyball coaches advisory committees, including two that revamp the tournament series that expands to five girls’ divisions next fall. Following a review by the executive staff, sports advisory committee and the advisory council, the board supported a plan that places the largest 116 enrollments of schools sponsoring girls volleyball in Division 1, and Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5 will consist of the remaining schools divided equally. 

To accommodate the addition of four teams and three games, the state tournament will expand to Wednesday afternoon and evening with the boys’ volleyball quarterfinals. The boys’ semifinals games will be played Thursday afternoon with the championship game scheduled for Friday evening. The girls’ semifinals will take place on Friday, with the championship games in all five divisions on Saturday.

One of the other two volleyball changes approved adds a fifth day (Sunday-Thursday) to the window that seeding meetings may be scheduled, and the other requires teams to wear contrasting colors at the State Tournament for the ease of identifying teams unless the schools do not have uniforms of contrasting colors.

The lone rule change in boys’ soccer permits tournament series games on a shared football and soccer natural-turf field if agreed upon by participating schools prior to the day of the game.

One football recommendation approved by the board changes the verbiage for the football playoff awards. The round formerly identified on the Level 3 plaques will be changed to “Sectional Champions,” which will be presented to the winner of the third-round game. The former Level 4 game will now be identified as the “State Semifinals” with only medals still being presented following the semifinal games. 

Plans for a WIAA Student Leadership Group were approved. The group, comprises a diverse group of student-athletes statewide, will serve as ambassadors for their peers and the WIAA while learning more about athletic leadership and the sports industry, as well as providing the membership with a student-athlete voice for advancing the purpose of education-based athletics. The launch of the initiative will begin with nominations of student-athletes to serve on the leadership team beginning in March with the first meeting of the group in May. 

WIAA task force finalizes conference realignment plans

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference Realignment Task Force reconvened at the executive staff office Feb. 8 to conduct hearings for modified requests and finalize solution proposals to advance to the Board of Control. 

The current realignment process addresses sports other than football for implementation in 2025-26. Football-only conference realignment consideration occurs on an alternate-year rotation.  

A new conference was created to provide Kewaskum and Plymouth with conference affiliation after the East Central Conference was dissolved by the task force. 

Other changes impacted the Greater Metro Conference, the North Shore Conference, the South Central Conference, the East Central Conference, the Big 8 Conference and the Badger Conference.

The task force rejected a modified plan with a tied vote that would move Oak Creek from the Southeast Conference to the Classic 8 Conference. 

The conference configurations for all the modified realignment plans, as well as all the original realignment proposals submitted, are available on the Conference Realignment Requests and Proposals page of the WIAA Website.

The Board of Control will hear any appeals of plans modified or rejected at Task Force meeting and will vote on the recommendations of the Task Force at its meeting Tuesday, March 5. The board has the options to approve, reject or remand realignment recommendations back to the Task Force. 

Among plans the Board of Control will take up at that meeting include one previously approved by the task force that would move Merrill from the Wisconsin Valley Conference to the Great Northern Conference.

If approved, the modifications will be implemented for the 2025-26 sports seasons. If remanded, the task force will reconvene to make appropriate changes to the plan before presenting it to the Board of Control again in April. If rejected, the conferences will remain in their current configuration.