Southwest Wisconsin Activities League

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The Southwest Wisconsin Activities League is a high school athletic conference with its membership concentrated in southwestern Wisconsin. Founded in 1926, all league members (past and present) are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

Origins and Early Years (1926-1961)

The Southwest Wisconsin Activities League, originally known as the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League, was formed in 1926 by a group of ten small- to medium-sized high schools in southwestern Wisconsin. [1] Original members were Cuba City, Darlington, Dodgeville, Fennimore, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Monroe, Monticello, Mount Horeb and Platteville. Monticello would only be a member during the league's first season, after which they left to become a charter member of the newly formed State Line League. [2] A year later, Monroe would make its exit from the SWAL to help form the new Southern Six Conference. [3] Conference membership remained at eight until 1935, when Boscobel and Prairie du Chien joined the conference. [4] The SWAL maintained this alignment for the next twenty-six years, until expansion caused the league to undergo its first membership split.

Expansion and First Membership Split (1961-1987)

The consolidation of rural school districts in southwestern Wisconsin and the resulting creation of larger high schools coincided with the expansion of the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League. Two newly created high schools joined the conference in 1961, bringing membership to twelve: Iowa-Grant High School in Livingston and West Grant High School in Patch Grove. [5] Three years later, River Valley High School in Spring Green and Riverdale High School in Muscoda joined, bringing membership to fourteen. Membership was also subdivided into North and South Sections that year: [6]

North SectionSouth Section
BoscobelCuba City
FennimoreDarlington
Iowa-GrantDodgeville
Prairie du ChienLancaster
River ValleyMineral Point
RiverdaleMount Horeb
West GrantPlatteville

West Grant left the conference in 1969 to join the Black Hawk League and were replaced by Viroqua (formerly of the South Central Conference). [7] In 1970, Richland Center High School was accepted for the 1971-72 school year as the SWAL's fifteenth member school. [8] They were placed in the league's North Seciton, with Iowa-Grant shifting to the South Section to accommodate the expansion:

North SectionSouth Section
BoscobelCuba City
FennimoreDarlington
Prairie du ChienDodgeville
Richland CenterIowa-Grant
River ValleyLancaster
RiverdaleMineral Point
ViroquaMount Horeb
Platteville

The SWAL never competed in this new alignment, though. Soon after Richland Center joined, the schools in the league's South Section left to form the new Southern Eight Conference. [9] The remaining schools in the SWAL's North Section continued as a seven-member circuit for sixteen years.

Reformation (1987-2005)

In 1987, the Southern Eight Conference merged with the SWAL to create a fourteen-member conference. [10] All original Southern Eight members (with the exception of Mount Horeb, who left the Southern Eight in 1983) rejoined the league, with Southwestern High School in Hazel Green making their SWAL debut. Viroqua also left the SWAL to join the Coulee Conference that year. With conference expansion came subdivision by enrollment into large (Division 1) and small school (Division 2) divisions:

SWAL Division 1SWAL Division 2
Cuba CityBoscobel
DodgevilleDarlington
LancasterFennimore
PlattevilleIowa-Grant
Prairie du ChienMineral Point
Richland CenterRiverdale
River ValleySouthwestern

With the exception of Cuba City and Boscobel swapping divisions in 2003, [11] this divisional alignment remained intact for the next eighteen years before the SWAL split its membership for a second time.

Second Membership Split (2005-present)

In 2005, six members of SWAL Division 1 (Dodgeville, Lancaster, Platteville, Prairie du Chien, Richland Center and River Valley) left the league to form the new Southwest Wisconsin Conference. The original league's name was changed to its current name (the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League) as part of the breakup, and the eight remaining members (Boscobel, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Iowa-Grant, Mineral Point, Riverdale and Southwestern) have maintained a stable eight-school circuit to the present day. [12]

List of Member Schools

Current Members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoined
Boscobel Boscobel, WI Public212Bulldogs  1935 [4]
Cuba City Cuba City, WI Public273Cubans  1926, [1] 1987 [10]
Darlington Darlington, WI Public280Redbirds  1926, [1] 1987 [10]
Fennimore Fennimore, WI Public223Golden Eagles  1926 [1]
Iowa-Grant Livingston, WI Public204Panthers  1961, [5] 1987 [10]
Mineral Point Mineral Point, WI Public245Pointers  1926, [1] 1987 [10]
Riverdale Muscoda, WI Public202Chieftains  1964 [6]
Southwestern Hazel Green, WI Public162Wildcats  1987 [10]

Former Members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Dodgeville Dodgeville, WI Public375Dodgers  1926, [1] 1987 [10] 1971, [9] 2005 [12] Southern Eight, SWC Southwest Wisconsin
Lancaster Lancaster, WI Public295Flying Arrows  1926, [1] 1987 [10] 1971, [9] 2005 [12] Southern Eight, SWC Southwest Wisconsin
Monroe Monroe, WI Public742Cheesemakers  1926 [1] 1928 [3] Southern Six Rock Valley
Monticello Monticello, WI Public98Ponies  1926 [1] 1927 [2] State Line Six Rivers
Mount Horeb Mount Horeb, WI Public792Vikings  1926 [1] 1971 [9] Southern Eight Badger
Platteville Platteville, WI Public513Hillmen  1926, [1] 1987 [10] 1971, [9] 2005 [12] Southern Eight, SWC Southwest Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien Prairie du Chien, WI Public343Chieftains  1935 [4] 2005 [12] Southwest Wisconsin
West Grant Patch Grove, WI PublicN/AFalcons  1961 [5] 1969 [7] Black Hawk Closed in 1995 [13]
River Valley Spring Green, WI Public389Blackhawks  1964 [6] 2005 [12] Southwest Wisconsin
Viroqua Viroqua, WI Public339Blackhawks  1969 [7] 1987 Coulee
Richland Center Richland Center, WI Public418Hornets  1971 [8] 2005 [12] Southwest Wisconsin

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Dodgeville1967Small Schools
Fennimore1974Class C
Fennimore1977Class C
Fennimore1978Class C
Fennimore1979Class C
Fennimore1980Class C
Fennimore1981Class C
Fennimore1991Division 3
Iowa-Grant2000Division 3
Boscobel2003Division 3
Darlington2011Division 3
Darlington2012Division 3
Darlington2013Division 3
Darlington2014Division 3
Darlington2015Division 3
Darlington2016Division 3
Girls Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Prairie du Chien1975Single Division
Fennimore1980Class C
Fennimore1981Class C
Fennimore1981Class C
Cuba City/Southwestern1997Division 2
Fennimore2001Division 3
Boscobel2002Division 3
Boscobel2004Division 3
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2005Division 2
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2006Division 2
Boscobel2007Division 3
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2010Division 2
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2011Division 2
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2012Division 2
Darlington2016Division 2
Boscobel2021Division 3
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2021Division 2
Football
SchoolYearDivision
Darlington1987Division 5
Darlington1990Division 5
Darlington1991Division 5
Lancaster1993Division 4
Darlington1995Division 4
Lancaster2000Division 4
Lancaster2001Division 4
Lancaster2002Division 4
Girls Volleyball
SchoolYearDivision
Richland Center1987Class B
Iowa-Grant1989Class C
Platteville1994Division 2
Dodgeville1995Division 3
Dodgeville1996Division 3
Iowa-Grant1997Division 3
Dodgeville1999Division 3

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Dodgeville1964Single Division
Darlington1990Class C
Cuba City1991Division 3
Cuba City1998Division 3
Mineral Point2024Division 4
Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Cuba City1990Class B
Cuba City1991Division 3
Prairie du Chien1991Division 2
Cuba City1993Division 3
Cuba City2005Division 3
Cuba City2006Division 3
Cuba City2007Division 3
Cuba City2010Division 3
Cuba City2014Division 4
Cuba City2015Division 4
Mineral Point2016Division 4
Mineral Point2022Division 4
Gymnastics
SchoolYearDivision
Platteville/Belmont1994Division 2
Cuba City/Southwestern1995Division 2
Cuba City/Southwestern1996Division 2
Cuba City/Southwestern1999Division 2
Cuba City/Southwestern2000Division 2
Boys Wrestling
SchoolYearDivision
River Valley1982Class B
River Valley1984Class B
River Valley1989Class B
Lancaster1990Class B
Riverdale1990Class C
Riverdale1992Class C
Riverdale1997Division 3
Mineral Point2002Division 3
Mineral Point2003Division 3
Iowa-Grant2004Division 3
Mineral Point2007Division 3
Mineral Point2008Division 3
Mineral Point2009Division 3
Fennimore2016Division 3
Fennimore2019Division 3
Mineral Point2021Division 3
Fennimore2022Division 3
Fennimore2023Division 3
Fennimore2024Division 3

Spring Sports

Baseball
SchoolYearDivision
Boscobel1987Class C
Prairie du Chien1993Division 2
Cuba City2022Division 3
Boys Golf
SchoolYearDivision
River Valley1997Division 2
Cuba City2012Division 3
Mineral Point2024Division 3
Softball
SchoolYearDivision
River Valley1985Class B
River Valley1986Class B
Mineral Point2013Division 3
Dodgeville2021Division 3
Boys Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
Platteville1929Class B
Platteville1957Class B
Mineral Point1961Class C
Mineral Point1962Class C
Platteville1988Class B
Boscobel1989Class C
Platteville1989Class B
Lancaster/Potosi1998Division 2
Fennimore2009Division 3
Girls Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
Prairie du Chien1975Class B
Prairie du Chien1976Class B
Prairie du Chien1977Class B
Prairie du Chien1978Class B
Richland Center1983Class B
Dodgeville/Mineral Point2015Division 2

Summer Sports

Baseball
SchoolYearDivision
Platteville1967Single Division

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "S.W. Wisconsin League Books Grid, Cage Games". Wisconsin State Journal. 21 September 1926. p. 17. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Eight Schools Organize New Sports League". The Capital Times. 14 October 1927. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "11 Tilts Booked in New Circuit". The Stoughton Courier. 17 September 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Southwest League Adds Two Teams". Wisconsin State Journal. 1 March 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Cornelius, Lew (2 September 1961). "Iowa-Grant, West Grant Join SWAL". The Capital Times. p. 13. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "SWAL Divided Into Two Sections; Muscoda, River Valley Are Added". The Boscobel Dial. 10 September 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "SWAL Split Into Two Sections With Addition of Viroqua High". The Boscobel Dial. 30 January 1969. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Richland Center Joins Big SWAL". La Crosse Tribune. 24 March 1970. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Conference Is Southern Eight". Wisconsin State Journal. 18 December 1970. p. 22. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "SWAL, Southern Eight combined as one league". The Boscobel Dial. 18 December 1986. p. 17. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Jackson, Lauren (23 January 2003). "Move to SWAL 1 called a 'moot' point". The Boscobel Dial. p. 1. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hernandez, Rob (28 August 2005). "Off and Running (and Blocking)". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 24. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "News from around the area (Lancaster)". The Boscobel Dial. 20 October 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

Southwest Wisconsin Activities League (official site)

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