Northern Lakes Conference

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The Northern Lakes Conference within Indiana Indiana (NLC).png
The Northern Lakes Conference within Indiana

The Northern Lakes Conference of Indiana (NLC) is an IHSAA-sanctioned athletic conference of high schools located within Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties in northern Indiana, United States.

Contents

History

To deal with the reorganization and consolidation of high schools across Northern Indiana, an organizational meeting for the formation of the Northern Lakes Conference was held on February 3, 1963. Charter members of the NLC were the high schools of Bremen, Manchester, Nappanee, Plymouth, Rochester and Warsaw. The conference began competition in 1964–65 in Boys' Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track. In 1965, Boys' Tennis and Golf were added; Cross-Country was added in 1966; and Wrestling became a conference sport in 1968. The conference was "intended to provide good, clean competition and fellowship for the boys, the coaches, and the school bodies of the Northern Lakes region."

Concord High School joined the NLC in 1967 and Wawasee High School joined in 1968. By 1970, all schools participated in all eight boys' sports.

In the 1970s Girls' sports were added. Conference competition began in 1976–77 in Basketball, Tennis, Track and Volleyball. In 1980 Swimming was added; Cross-Country was added in 1986, Softball in 1987; Golf in 1994; and Soccer in 1997.

Additional sports added to NLC Boys' competition included Swimming in 1980 and Soccer in 1994.

Membership in the Northern Lakes Conference has fluctuated between six and eight schools throughout conference history. In 1976, Manchester changed conferences. 1987 and 1989, Rochester and Bremen withdrew memberships to begin competition with schools of lesser size and less travel than those of the NLC membership. Additions to the Northern Lakes Conference were Goshen in 1976 and Northridge in 1987. Elkhart Memorial began competition in winter sports in 2000 and all other sports in 2001–02.

On March 7, 2018, the Northern Lakes Conference announced that Elkhart Memorial High School will cease to be a member of the conference at the conclusion of the 2019- 2020 school year. In the fall of 2020, Elkhart Memorial and Elkhart Central high schools will consolidate forming one Elkhart High School. The new school will retain Elkhart Central's position in the Northern Indiana Conference.

The conference announced it will be accepting applications for membership through May 15, 2018. The NLC announced in July 2018 that Mishawaka High School will join for the 2020–21 school year after leaving the NIC. [1]

Basketball

The NLC has a rich basketball history, producing NBA stars like Scott Skiles, Rick Fox, and Shawn Kemp. On February 11, 2017, the Warsaw Tigers made league history by becoming the first team to win the conference in three consecutive years while going undefeated (21-0) during that span. [2]

Membership

SchoolLocationCountyTeam NameColorsEnrollment
24-25
IHSAA
Class
Year joinedPrevious conference
Concord Elkhart 20
Elkhart
Minutemen  1,7305A1967 Elkhart County
Goshen Goshen 20
Elkhart
RedHawks2  2,0065A1976Independents
(NIC 1969)
Mishawaka Mishawaka 71
St. Joseph
Cavemen  1,4224A2020 Northern Indiana
Northridge Middlebury 20
Elkhart
Raiders  1,3934A1987Independents
(new school 1969)
NorthWood Nappanee 20
Elkhart
Panthers  8694A1969none (new school)
Plymouth Plymouth 50
Marshall
Rockies / Pilgrims  1,0544A1963 Central Indiana
Warsaw Warsaw 43
Kosciusko
Tigers  2,1085A1963 Central Indiana
Wawasee Syracuse 43
Kosciusko
Warriors  8954A1968none (new school)
  1. Mascot was Redskins until 2016.

Former members

SchoolLocationMascotColorsCountyYears JoinedPrevious conferenceYear leftConference joined
Bremen 1 Bremen Lions   50
Marshall
1963 Marshall County 1989 Northern State
Manchester North Manchester Squires    85
Wabash
1963Independents
(WCC 1962)
1976 Three Rivers
Nappanee Nappanee Bulldogs   20
Elkhart
1963 Elkhart County 1969none (consolidated
into NorthWood)
Rochester Rochester Zebras    25
Fulton
1963 Central Indiana 1987 Three Rivers Conference
Elkhart
Memorial
2
Elkhart Crimson Chargers   20
Elkhart
1999 Northern Indiana 2020Consolidated into Elkhart (NIC)
  1. Played concurrently in NLC and MCC 1963–66.
  2. Elkhart Memorial played in both the NIC and NLC from 1999 to 2001.

Conference championships

Football

#TeamSeasons
16Plymouth1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973*, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978*, 2005, 2007*, 2008, 2009, 2012*, 2014, 2019*
15NorthWood1974, 1980*, 1984*, 1985*, 1991*, 1992*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999*, 2004*, 2007*, 2016, 2022
15Concord1979, 1983, 1984*, 1991*, 2004*, 2006, 2007* 2010, 2011, 2012*, 2013, 2015, 2019*, 2021, 2024
10Warsaw1964, 1967, 1973*, 1982, 1990, 1992*, 1999*, 2000, 2001, 2020*, 2023*
9Goshen1978*, 1980*, 1981*, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992*, 1997, 1998, 2002
3Wawasee1973*, 1986, 2004*
2Bremen1965, 1970
2Mishawaka2020*, 2023*
1Northridge2017
1Elkhart Memorial2003
1Rochester1969
0Manchester
0Nappanee

Boys basketball

#TeamSeasons
26Warsaw1965, 1966*, 1967, 1969, 1972*, 1976, 1979*, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994,
1995, 1996*, 1997*, 1999, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018* 2019, 2021
17Plymouth1968*, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983*, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1996*, 1997*, 1998*, 2001,
2007*, 2008
6NorthWood1972*, 1998*, 2000, 2007*, 2022, 2023
5Rochester1966*, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979*
5Northridge1996*, 2009, 2014, 2018* 2020, 2024*
3Elkhart Memorial2002, 2006, 2012
3Concord2005, 2013, 2024*
2Wawassee1983*, 1993
1Goshen2003
1Mishawaka2024*
1Manchester1968*
0Bremen

Girls basketball

#TeamSeasons
16Warsaw1984, 1987*, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2022, 2023, 2024
9Northridge1997, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019*
6Plymouth1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009*, 2019*
5Goshen1980, 1981, 1982, 1987*, 2021
4Elkhart Memorial2008, 2009*, 2011, 2012
3NorthWood1977, 2015, 2020
3Wawasee1995, 1996, 2009*
2Concord1983, 1985
2Rochester1978, 1979
1Bremen1986

State championships

Concord (3)

Elkhart Memorial (0)

Goshen (3)

Northridge (2)

NorthWood (4)

Plymouth (4)

Warsaw (5)

Wawasee (1)

References

  1. Ray, Olivia (July 11, 2018). "Mishawaka High School to join the Northern Lakes Conference 2020-21". WSBT 22 (South Bend, IN). Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. "Warsaw Basketball: Three-Peat of Perfection for Tigers". February 11, 2017.