PATRICK SCHMIEDT Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 12:00 am
Two long debates yielded one long-awaited vote.
The bottom line: Cody and Jackson are staying in Class 3A, but not without some bruised feelings for the schools they'll be playing there.
The Wyoming High School Activities Association Board of Directors voted 11-7 Tuesday to defeat a proposal to expand Class 4A for all sports except football to 14 schools. Essentially, the vote kept Cody and Jackson in the 3A ranks, allowing the two largest schools in that classification to remain.
"The new proposal did more harm than good for most schools across the state," said board member Tim Winland of Rocky Mountain, the chairman of the WHSAA's Reclassification Committee.
However, Jim Levine of Lyman, a Class 3A school, was one of several board members who voiced displeasure with the vote. He said the same concerns Jackson and Cody had playing up a class were the same concerns his school had playing the likes of Jackson and Cody.
"When you make a decision for the schools at the top end, you hurt the schools at the bottom end," he said.
Contact high school sports coordinator Patrick Schmiedt at (307) 266-0615 or patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.