Olympian Conference

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The Olympian Conference is a former high school athletic conference with its members concentrated in east central Wisconsin. Formed in 1970 and dissolved in 2015, all conference members belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

Contents

History

Origins and membership stability (1970-1999)

The Olympian Conference was formed in 1970 by eight small- to medium-sized high schools in proximity to the Fox River Valley and Lake Winnebago in east central Wisconsin. [1] Six of the original conference members previously competed in the Little Nine Conference (Brillion, Denmark, Freedom, Hilbert, Reedsville and Wrightstown), while one each came from the Eastern Wisconsin (Valders) and Peninsula (Mishicot) Conferences. The name of the conference was credited to a student at Mishicot High School [2] after each school in the new conference suggested a name. Other finalists considered were the Inter-Lake Conference, Mid-Valley Conference and Packerland Conference (which would itself be used for a new conference that was inaugurated the same year as the Olympian). It was named so because the Olympics are considered the pinnacle of athletic competition. [3] The Olympian Conference's first change in membership occurred in 1979, as Valders left to join a reconstituted Eastern Wisconsin Conference after a successful appeal against joining the Packerland Conference. [4] [5] Their stay in the newly-formed EWC was short-lived as they returned to the Olympian [6] in 1980 to bring the circuit back to eight member schools.

Realignment and Big East merger (1999-2015)

The Olympian Conference's membership roster was remarkably stable for the first three decades of its existence, but major changes came in 1999 during a wave of realignment in east central Wisconsin. Denmark and Freedom, the two largest schools in the conference, left to join the Packerland Conference and Valley Eight Conference, respectively. [7] They were replaced by three schools: Chilton (previously of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference), Manitowoc Lutheran (formerly a member of the Fox Valley Christian Conference) and St. Mary Catholic in Neenah (from the Midwest Classic Conference). [8] Both Manitowoc Lutheran and St. Mary Catholic were new to the WIAA having recently joined as part of the merger with the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association (WISAA). The Olympian Conference would continue in this alignment for eight years before adding Roncalli in Manitowoc joined from the Eastern Wisconsin Conference in 2007. [9] The Olympian Conference would be dissolved in 2015 as its five of its smallest members (Hilbert, Manitowoc Lutheran, Mishicot, Reedsville and St. Mary Catholic) would leave to join nine former Central Lakeshore Conference schools in forming the new Big East Conference. The Eastern Wisconsin Conference took four former Olympian schools into the fold (Brillion, Chilton, Roncalli and Valders), and Wrightstown would join the North Eastern Conference. [10]

Conference membership history

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Brillion Brillion, WI Public342Lions  1970 [1] 2015 [10] Eastern Wisconsin
Denmark Denmark, WI Public488Vikings  1970 [1] 1999 [7] [8] Packerland North Eastern
Freedom Freedom, WI Public504Irish  1970 [1] 1999 [7] [8] Valley Eight North Eastern
Hilbert Hilbert, WI Public141Wolves  1970 [1] 2015 [10] Big East
Mishicot Mishicot, WI Public280Indians  1970 [1] 2015 [10] Big East
Reedsville Reedsville, WI Public192Panthers  1970 [1] 2015 [10] Big East
Valders Valders, WI Public298Vikings  1970, [1] 1980 [5] 1979, [5] 2015 [10] Eastern Wisconsin Eastern Wisconsin
Wrightstown Wrightstown, WI Public402Tigers  1970 [1] 2015 [10] North Eastern
Chilton Chilton, WI Public401Tigers  1999 [7] [8] 2015 [10] Eastern Wisconsin
Manitowoc Lutheran Manitowoc, WI Private (Lutheran, WELS)227Lancers  1999 [7] [8] 2015 [10] Big East
St. Mary Catholic Neenah, WI Private (Catholic)277Zephyrs  1999 [7] [8] 2015 [10] Big East
Roncalli Manitowoc, WI Private (Catholic)223Jets  2007 [9] 2015 [10] Eastern Wisconsin

List of state champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Valders1988Class B
Valders1989Class B
Wrightstown1992Division 3
Football
SchoolYearDivision
Brillion1984Division 4
Hilbert1989Division 5
Hilbert1994Division 6
Hilbert1996Division 6
Wrightstown1998Division 5
Brillion2003Division 5
Brillion2004Division 5
Wrightstown2006Division 4
Brillion2010Division 5
Wrightstown2011Division 4

Winter sports

Boys Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Denmark1985Class B
Freedom1990Class B
Brillion2012Division 3
Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
St. Mary Catholic2009Division 4
Boys Wrestling
SchoolYearDivision
Freedom1997Division 2
Wrightstown1999Division 3
Wrightstown2005Division 3
Wrightstown2006Division 3

Spring sports

Boys Golf
SchoolYearDivision
Wrightstown2002Division 3
Roncalli2009Division 3
Girls Soccer
SchoolYearDivision
St. Mary Catholic2007Division 3
Softball
SchoolYearDivision
Denmark1982Class B
Denmark1983Class B
Denmark1991Division 2
Denmark1997Division 2
Girls Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
Brillion1993Division 3
Hilbert1995Division 3
Wrightstown2011Division 2

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Olympian Loop Gets Approval". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. 5 December 1969. p. 22. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "Names Conference". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. 8 December 1969. p. 24. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  3. ↑ "Staff's Stuff". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 14 December 1979. p. 38. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  4. ↑ "Olympian Tables Decision on Manitowoc Lutheran". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 8 February 1979. p. 26. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Bartel, Roger (12 October 1978). "Lutheran looks for new conference". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. p. 19. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Rockley, Jan (21 June 1979). "Valders rejoins Olympian group". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. p. 18. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McMahon, Scott (26 June 1998). "WIAA's realignment stands, as expected". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 15. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lichterman, Dean (17 April 1998). "Area school officials generally pleased with latest proposals". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. p. 8. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 VanderPas, Dan (13 January 2006). "Approval expected for plan". Appleton Post-Crescent. p. 19. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gannett Wisconsin Media (30 January 2014). "WIAA approves realignment plan". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. pp. A7–A8. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
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