Changing enrollment gives a new look to Alexandria and area teams in section assignments
Enrollment changes in Alexandria and area schools have created a few changes in section assignments for a few teams.
Section assignments are determined by school enrollments and activity classifications and Alexandria’s enrollment moved from 1,278 to 1,162.
Making the move to Class AAAA from Class AAAAA will be the Alexandria football team.
They will now be in Section 8AAAA with teams that include Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, Rocori, St. Cloud Apollo, Sartell-St. Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice.
They previously contended with Bemidji, Brainerd, Buffalo, Moorhead, St. Cloud Tech and Elk River.
“For us, it really doesn’t change that much until we get to the state-level competition,” said Cardinal head coach Mike Empting. “Most of the schools we would play in either AAAA or AAAAA in our section, we play in the regular season anyway. Some years, Section 8AAAA has been more difficult than Section 8AAAAA.
“It is difficult for us to match up with the Eden Prairies and Wayzatas,” he added. “They have so many more kids to choose from and football is a numbers game.
“We are always on the bubble. We will either be one of the biggest schools in AAAA or one of the smallest schools in AAAAA. Either way, we have to prepare our kids the same way and just play whoever we get.”
Both Osakis and Minnewaska also move, with the Silverstreaks heading up to Class AA with a change in enrollment that increased from 218 to 231, while the Lakers will drop down to Class AA as their enrollment dropped from 393 to 334.
Minnewaska will see BOLD, Benson, Eden Valley-Watkins, Lac qui Parle Valley, Morris, Paynesville and Yellow Medicine East as they move into Section 5AA. They previously faced Albany, Foley, Melrose, Milaca, New London-Spicer, St. Cloud Cathedral, Sauk Centre and Staples-Motley.
Osakis’ previous section included the teams of Browerville, Cass Lake-Bena, Lake Park-Audubon, Mahnomen, New York Mills, Parkers Prairie and Pillager.
The new section will see the Silverstreaks facing Breckenridge, Crosby-Ironton, Holdingford, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Pierz, Wadena-Deer Creek, West Central Area and Ottertail Central.
In girls’ swimming and diving, Alexandria drops down to Class A and will compete in Section 5, along with Albany, Little Falls, Melrose, Rocori, St. Cloud Apollo, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Centre, Holdingford, MAHS (Minnewaska, Morris, Chokio-Alberta), St. Cloud Cathedral/St. John’s Prep and Staples-Motley/Verndale/Wadena-Deer Creek.
Previously, the Cardinals competed in 8AA along with Bemidji, Buffalo, Maple Grove, Moorhead, St. Cloud Tech, Brainerd/Crosby-Ironton/Pillager, Elk River/Zimmerman.
“We’re excited,” said Cardinal girls’ swimming and diving coach Mark Storhaug. “These are teams from central Minnesota and we compete against many of them already.
“As far as a rotation for section sites, there are fewer schools with eight lanes in the rotation. With this set of schools, it will be easier scoring in the top two – automatically qualifying for state. Obviously, Class A’s cut times will be easier for our athletes to attain as well.”
The Alexandria wrestling team, which competes in Class AAA, is eligible to drop down to Class AA, but the team has opted to remain at the higher level. Those changes will be coming in the near future.
2008-2009 season
• Alpine ski, boys and girls – NO CLASS (Alexandria/Fergus Falls/Herman-Norcross/Lang Home School/West Central area/Wheaton 5)
• Baseball – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6, Osakis 5, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8).
• Basketball, boys – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, West Central Area 6) Class AAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Basketball, boys – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, West Central Area 6) Class AAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Cross country – Class A (Minnewaska 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Dance, high kick – Class AAA (Alexandria 4)
• Dance, jazz funk – Class AAA (Alexandria 4)
• Football – Class 9-man (Ashby 4, Brandon-Evansville 4) Class A – (Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA – (West Central Area 6) Class AAA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Golf, boys – Class A (Osakis 5, Ashby-Evansville 6, West Central Area 5) Class AA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Golf, girls – Class A (Ashby-Evansville 6, West Central Area 5, Osakis 5) Class AA (Minnewaska 6), Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Gymnastics – Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Hockey, boys – Class A (Alexandria 6)
• Hockey, girls – Class A (Alexandria 6)
• Nordic ski, boys and girls – NO CLASSES (Alexandria 8)
• Soccer, boys – Class A (Minnewaska 8) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Soccer, girls – Class A (Minnewaska 8), Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Softball – Class A (Osakis 5, Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Swimming and diving, boys – Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Swimming and diving, girls – Class A (Minnewaska-Morris 5), Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Tennis, boys – Class A (Minnewaska 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Tennis, girls – Class A (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Track and field, boys – Class A (Ashby-Brandon-Evansville 6, Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Track and field, girls – Class A (Ashby-Brandon-Evansville, Minnewaska, Osakis, Parkers Prairie, West Central Area) Class AA (Alexandria)
• Volleyball – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Osakis 5, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 3) Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Wrestling – Class A (Minnewaska 5, Osakis 5, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area-Ashby 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
2009-2011 seasons
• Alpine ski, boys and girls – NO CLASS (Alexandria/Fergus Falls/Herman-Norcross/Lang Home School/West Central area/Wheaton 5)
• Baseball – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6, Osakis 5, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8).
• Basketball, boys – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, West Central Area 6) Class AAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Basketball, girls – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, West Central Area 6) Class AAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Cross country – Class A (Minnewaska 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Dance, high kick – Class AA (Alexandria 4)
• Dance, jazz funk – Class AA (Alexandria 4)
• Football – Class 9-man (Ashby 4, Brandon-Evansville 3) Class A – (Parkers Prairie 6) Class AA – (Osakis, 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 5) Class AAAA (Alexandria 8)
• Golf, boys – Class A (Osakis 5, Ashby-Evansville 5, West Central Area 5) Class AA (Minnewaska 3) Class AAA (Alexandria)
• Golf, girls – Class A (Ashby-Evansville 5, West Central Area 5, Osakis 5) Class AA (Minnewaska 3), Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Gymnastics – Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Hockey, boys – Class A (Alexandria 6)
• Hockey, girls – Class A (Alexandria 6, Morris/Benson/Minnewaska 6)
• Nordic ski, boys and girls – NO CLASSES (Alexandria 8)
• Soccer, boys – Class A (Minnewaska 8) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Soccer, girls – Class A (Minnewaska 8), Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Softball – Class A (Osakis 5, Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 6) Class AAA (Alexandria 8)
• Swimming and diving, boys – Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Swimming and diving, girls – Class A (Minnewaska-Morris 5), Class A (Alexandria 5)
• Tennis, boys – Class A (Minnewaska 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Tennis, girls – Class A (Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Track and field, boys – Class A (Ashby-Brandon-Evansville 6, Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Track and field, girls – Class A (Ashby-Brandon-Evansville 6, Minnewaska 6, Osakis 6, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Alexandria 8)
• Volleyball – Class A (Ashby 6, Brandon-Evansville 6, Osakis 5, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area 6) Class AA (Minnewaska 3) Class AAA (Alexandria)
• Wrestling – Class A (Minnewaska 5, Osakis 5, Parkers Prairie 6, West Central Area-Ashby 6) Class AA (Alexandria 6-opted up to Class AAA)
Tags: sports, section, alignments, enrollment
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