2019-20 IWCOA Rankings Blog

sponsored by: Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association

Midwest Nationals Wrestling Tournament

Presented by Rob Sherrill

Nothing small about the state’s smallest classification Most seasons produce only a few situations that result in schools changing classifications. But, because of the Illinois High School Association’s new class distribution formula, 2019-20 isn’t most seasons. Two things happened. First, for wrestling, the distribution of schools into the IHSA’s three classifications is no longer one-third in each classification. It’s now 30-30-40, with the 40 percent being in 1A. Second, the distribution is in effect not just for this season, but for the next two seasons. That’s the practice most states follow – classification distributions on cycles of two to three school years. As a result, a record total of 42 schools – nearly 10 percent of the program population – are in different classifications this year. The only school in a higher classification than last season is Aurora Christian, which goes from 1A to 2A. The Eagles join Montini as the second school whose assignment is the result of the IHSA success factor. Four schools that could have competed in 2A, Chicago Mount Carmel, Marian Catholic, Marist and Providence, opted up to 3A. A pair of schools that could have competed in 1A, Bethalto Civic Memorial and Joliet Catholic Academy, opted up to 2A. So all six schools will compete in the same classification they did last year, and will do so for at least the next two seasons. The others moving down follow, according to the IHSA’s Enrollments and Classifications chart. Moving down from 3A to 2A (9): Cary-Grove, Crete-Monee, Deerfield, East Moline United, Kennedy, Normal Community West, Richards, Rockford Jefferson, Wheeling. Moving down from 2A to 1A (32): Agricultural Science, Argenta-Oreana, Bogan, Canton, Clemente, Clifton Central, Coal City, Dixon, Effingham, Farragut, Harvard, Herrin, Hyde Park, Manteno, Marengo, Mount Olive, Mount Zion, Nazareth Academy, North Chicago, Olney Richland County, Peoria Notre Dame, Plano, Putnam County, Rantoul, Richmond-Burton, Riverton, Rochester, Sacred Heart-Griffin, Sandwich, St. Francis, Taylorville, Westville. The bloating of some 1A regionals to 12 teams or more will result in some needed changes in scheduling. Regionals are one day in length, but some 1A regionals, most likely in central Illinois, will have no choice but to go to a two-day format. Complete double elimination and the size of lineups in those regionals mean that the National Federation’s five-match daily limit would be exceeded in a single-day regional. Which class is which? In addition to wrestling, state championship football games are also taking place this weekend at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Two of the Saturday finals, 5A and 7A, are matches between teams whose wrestlers are competing two classifications apart this year. St. Rita annually opts up to the state’s biggest wrestling classification, 3A. The Mustangs’ opponent in the 5A final, Rochester, was moved down to 1A this season by the 30-30-40 reclassification formula. The Rockets were in 2A last season. The two schools in the 7A final, Chicago Mount Carmel and Nazareth Academy, are in an identical situation. The Caravan also could have competed in 2A this season, but opted up to 3A. Nazareth Academy, which earned its first 2A state placewinner last year, is down in 1A this season for the same reason as Rochester. It’s what happens given the size of the largest schools in 1A – 788 students. The upper limit of small-class schools is far lower in surrounding states.