Draft:Midwest Classic Conference
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The Midwest Classic Conference is a high school athletic conference made up primarily of private high schools in southeastern Wisconsin. Founded in 1983, all of its member schools belong to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
History
[edit]Origin and Early Years (1983-1997)
[edit]The Midwest Classic Conference was formed in 1983 out of the merger between two previously established conferences in the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association. Seven schools came from the Midwest Prep Conference (Martin Luther, Northwestern Prep, Racine Lutheran, St. John's Military Academy, St. Mary's, University School of Milwaukee and Wayland Academy) while the other nine came from the Classic Conference (Central Wisconsin Christian, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Notre Dame, Sheboygan Area Lutheran, Sheboygan Christian, Shoreland Lutheran, St. Lawrence Seminary, The Prairie School and Winnebago Lutheran).[1] This was done in part to cut transportation costs and create for opportunities for girls in interscholastic athletics.[2] For the first few seasons of the conference, they were organized into two eight-member divisions:
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Central Wisconsin Christian | Martin Luther |
| Kettle Moraine Lutheran | Notre Dame |
| Northwestern Prep | Racine Lutheran |
| Sheboygan Area Lutheran | Shoreland Lutheran |
| Sheboygan Christian | St. John's Military Academy |
| St. Lawrence Seminary | St. Mary's |
| Wayland Academy | The Prairie School |
| Winnebago Lutheran | University School |
The first change to conference membership came in 1988, when Notre Dame High School in Milwaukee closed its doors after the end of the school year.[3] They were replaced in 1989 by Heritage Christian School and St. Joan Antida (both in Milwaukee), and they took Notre Dame's place in the Southern Division.[4] In 1993, Messmer joined the Midwest Classic Conference's Southern Division after working their way back from near oblivion a decade earlier.[5][6] University School moved to the Northern Division to accommodate this move. Wayland Academy left the Midwest Classic to join the Indian Trails as a full member in 1994, and in 1995, Northwestern Prep was merged with Martin Luther Prep in Prairie du Chien by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Their successor school, Luther Prep, took Northwestern's place in the conference's Northern Division. The conference subdivided into three divisions in 1996 when Brookfield Academy joined and Wayland Academy returned as a full member:
| Central Division | Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|---|
| Luther Prep | Brookfield Academy | Catholic Central |
| Kettle Moraine Lutheran | Central Wisconsin Christian | Heritage Christian |
| Martin Luther | Sheboygan Area Lutheran | Shoreland Lutheran |
| Messmer | Sheboygan Christian | St. John's Northwestern |
| Racine Lutheran | St. Lawrence Seminary | The Prairie School |
| Winnebago Lutheran | Wayland Academy | University School |
WISAA/WIAA Merger and Mass Exodus (1997-2005)
[edit]In 1997, WISAA approved a merger with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association that would be finalized in time for the 2000-01 school year. This led to some changes in conference membership, as schools could more easily join with established WIAA conferences within their geographic footprint and enrollment size. Martin Luther was the first school to leave the conference post-merger, and they joined the Parkland Conference in 1997. The next year, two more Midwest Classic schools followed Martin Luther into the Parkland: Kettle Moraine Lutheran and Luther Prep. They were replaced by three schools in the Fox Valley region: Lourdes Academy in Oshkosh, N.E.W. Lutheran in Green Bay and St. Mary Catholic in Neenah. Their stay would only be for a single season, as all three schools left the conference along with Central Wisconsin Christian, Sheboygan Area Lutheran, Sheboygan Christian, St. Lawrence Seminary and Winnebago Lutheran in 1999. This exodus of eight Fox Valley-area schools left an eleven-member conference spread out over two divisions with a more concentrated catchment in southeastern Wisconsin:
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Brookfield Academy | Catholic Central |
| Heritage Christian | Racine Lutheran |
| Messmer | Shoreland Lutheran |
| University School | St. Joan Antida |
| Wayland Academy | St. John's Northwestern |
| The Prairie School |
This alignment lasted for four years before Martin Luther rejoined the conference in 2003, and the Midwest Classic competed as a single-division conference for the first time in its history. They would keep this alignment for two years before adding three schools in 2005: Christian Life in Kenosha, Lake Country Lutheran in Hartland and Living Word Lutheran in Jackson. The conference subdivided into Classic and Midwest Divisions with this expansion:
| Classic Division | Midwest Division |
|---|---|
| Catholic Central | Brookfield Academy |
| Heritage Christian | Christian Life |
| Martin Luther | Lake Country Lutheran |
| Messmer | Living Word Lutheran |
| Shoreland Lutheran | Racine Lutheran |
| The Prairie School | St. Joan Antida |
| University School | St. John's Northwestern |
| Wayland Academy |
Expansion and Conference Split (2005-2012)
[edit]Dominican joined the Midwest Classic Conference in 2006 after competing for a season independently following their exit from the Parkland Conference. They joined the Classic Division to bring membership to sixteen schools in two eight-member divisions. Heritage Christian changed divisions the following year before more schools were added to the conference before the 2008-09 school year. St. Catherine's in Racine and St. Joseph in Kenosha joined after the demise of the Lakeshore Conference, and HOPE Christian in Milwaukee joined after competing as an independent in their formative years. The conference changed their alignment again to accomodate these additions, and it lasted for four years before the conference had another mass exodus of members:
| Central Division | North Division | South Division |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Central | Heritage Christian | Brookfield Academy |
| Dominican | Lake Country Lutheran | Christian Life |
| Messmer | Living Word Lutheran | HOPE Christian |
| Shoreland Lutheran | St. Joan Antida | Martin Luther |
| St. Catherine's | St. John's Northwestern | Racine Lutheran |
| St. Joseph | University School | The Prairie School |
| Wayland Academy |
Present Day (2012-present)
[edit]In 2012, eight schools left the Midwest Classic Conference: Catholic Central, Dominican, Martin Luther, Racine Lutheran, Shoreland Lutheran, St. Catherine's, St. Joseph and The Prairie School. These eight schools, along with Thomas More of the Woodland Conference, formed the Metro Classic Conference, named so because several of its members were part of the old Metro Conference in WISAA before its breakup. The eleven remaining schools began competition as a single division, an alignment they currently maintain. Wayland Academy left the Midwest Classic in 2014 and were replaced by the conference's first (and, to date, only) public school member: St. Francis High School. St. Joan Antida left the Midwest Classic in 2018 to compete as an independent before joining the new Lake City Conference in 2021. In 2022, HOPE Christian left the conference when it eliminated high school grades from its curriculum. These schools were replaced in 2023 by one newcomer and two returning members. Kingdom Prep Lutheran in Wauwatosa made its Midwest Classic debut, and Catholic Central and Luther Prep rejoined from the Metro Classic and Capitol Conferences, respectively.
List of Member Schools
[edit]Current Members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookfield Academy | Brookfield, WI | Private (Nonsectarian) | 334 | Blue Knights | 1996 | |
| Catholic Central | Burlington, WI | Private (Catholic) | 128 | Hilltoppers | 1983, 2023 | |
| Christian Life | Kenosha, WI | Private (Christian) | 202 | Eagles | 2005 | |
| Heritage Christian | New Berlin, WI | Private (Protestant) | 196 | Patriots | 1989 | |
| Kingdom Prep Lutheran | Wauwatosa, WI | Private (WELS) | 198 | Wolfpack | 2023 | |
| Lake Country Lutheran | Hartland, WI | Private (LCMS) | 335 | Lightning | 2005 | |
| Living Word Lutheran | Jackson, WI | Private (LCMS) | 232 | Timberwolves | 2005 | |
| Luther Prep | Watertown, WI | Private (WELS) | 406 | Phoenix | 1995, 2023 | |
| Messmer | Milwaukee, WI | Private (Catholic) | 499 | Bishops | 1993 | |
| St. Francis | St. Francis, WI | Public | 522 | Mariners | 2014 | |
| St. John's Northwestern | Delafield, WI | Private (Military) | 236 | Lancers | 1983 | |
| University School | River Hills, WI | Private (Nonsectarian) | 407 | Wildcats | 1983 |
Former Members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Wisconsin Christian | Waupun, WI | Private (Reformed) | 119 | Crusaders | 1983 | 1999 | Flyway | Trailways | |
| Kettle Moraine Lutheran | Jackson, WI | Private (WELS) | 553 | Chargers | 1983 | 1998 | Parkland | East Central | |
| Martin Luther | Greendale, WI | Private (LCMS) | 649 | Spartans | 1983. 2003 | 1997,2012 | Parkland, Metro Classic | Metro Classic | |
| Northwestern Prep | Watertown, WI | Private (WELS) | N/A | Hornets | 1983 | 1995 | Merged with Martin Luther Prep | ||
| Notre Dame | Milwaukee, WI | Private (Catholic) | N/A | Redwings | 1983 | 1988 | Closed in 1988 | ||
| Racine Lutheran | Racine, WI | Private (LCMS) | 303 | Crusaders | 1983 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| Sheboygan Area Lutheran | Sheboygan, WI | Private (LCMS) | 206 | Crusaders | 1983 | 1999 | Central Lakeshore | Big East | |
| Sheboygan Christian | Sheboygan, WI | Private (Christian) | 131 | Eagles | 1983 | 1999 | Central Lakeshore | Big East | |
| Shoreland Lutheran | Somers, WI | Private (WELS) | 384 | Pacers | 1983 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| St. Lawrence Seminary | Mount Calvary, WI | Private (Catholic, Capuchin) | 256 (Boys only) | Hilltoppers | 1983 | 1999 | Flyway | Independent | |
| The Prairie School | Wind Point, WI | Private (Nonsectarian) | 226 | Hawks | 1983 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| Wayland Academy | Beaver Dam, WI | Private (historically Baptist) | 159 | Big Red | 1983, 1996 | 1994, 2014 | Indian Trails, Trailways | Trailways | |
| Winnebago Lutheran | Fond du Lac, WI | Private (WELS) | 319 | Vikings | 1983 | 1999 | Flyway | Wisconsin Flyway | |
| St. Joan Antida | Milwaukee, WI | Private (Catholic) | 376 (Girls only) | Jaguars | 1997 | 2018 | Independent | Lake City | |
| Lourdes Academy | Oshkosh, WI | Private (Catholic) | 178 | Knights | 1998 | 1999 | Independent | Trailways | |
| N.E.W. Lutheran | Green Bay, WI | Private (LCMS) | 145 | Blazers | 1998 | 1999 | Packerland | ||
| St. Mary Catholic | Neenah, WI | Private (Catholic) | 277 | Zephyrs | 1998 | 1999 | Olympian | Big East | |
| Dominican | Whitefish Bay, WI | Private (Catholic, Sinsinawa Dominicans) | 324 | Knights | 2006 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| St. Catherine's | Racine, WI | Private (Catholic, Racine Dominicans) | 472 | Angels | 2008 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| St. Joseph | Kenosha, WI | Private (Catholic) | 229 | Lancers | 2008 | 2012 | Metro Classic | ||
| HOPE Christian | Milwaukee, WI | Private (Christian) | N/A | Hawks | 2008 | 2022 | Closed in 2022 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ "Classic, Midwest loops to merge". Sheboygan Press. 18 November 1982. p. 33. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ "Midwest Prep, Classic will merge in 1983-84". Racine Journal Times. 18 November 1982. p. 13. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Cooper, Geoffrey (10 August 1988). "Notre Dame High School faces an uphill battle". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 3. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ LeCount, Randy (1 September 1989). "Rebels have all the ingredients". Racine Journal Times. p. 65. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Associated Press (10 August 1984). "School bought by parents". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Miller, Mark (8 April 1992). "Elkhart basketball coach in limbo". Sheboygan Press. p. 14. Retrieved 25 November 2024.