As expected, Iola High athletes playing team sports will compete with the state’s smaller Class 4A teams in the postseason, some as early as this fall.
The Kansas State High School Activities announced the Class 4A split breakdown Friday.
The 32 largest 4A schools go into Division I, including IHS rivals Chanute, Fort Scott and Field Kindley of Coffeyville. The smaller half, with enrollments between 235 and 195 students, go into Division II. With 260 students, Iola is the sixth-largest of the Division II schools.
The 4A schools approved the split earlier this summer in a statewide vote.
Enrollment figures for football classifications are based on the number of students in ninth, 10th and 11th grades only, KSHSAA noted, and are based on figures as of Sept. 20. The state uses enrollment figures set on those dates to determine how much each district gets in state aid.
The split will take effect immediately for Iola’s volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball teams. The split goes into effect next season for football.
The split will not affect other sports: golf, cross country, tennis, wrestling and track and field — sports in which individual championships are awarded at the state level. Those will remain under a single Class 4A umbrella.
Iola High athletics director Martin Bambick said the state should announce regional designations for those sports within the next few days.
The split will have minimal effect on Iola’s participation wthin the Pioneer League. Osawatomie, Anderson County and Prairie View will join Iola in Class 4A, Division II. The other two schools, Central Heights and Wellsville, are in Class 3A.
IN OTHER classification news, Yates Center High’s football team will go back to 11-man in 2014 in Class 2-1A.
With 102 students in grades 9-11, Yates Center is just over the magic number of 100, USD 366 athletics director Karl Hamm said.
The football classifications are reset every two years.
Classifications for all others sports are reset every year and use enrollment figures based on grades 9-12.
Iola will remain in Class 4A for all other sports, as will Humboldt in Class 3A. Yates Center remains in Class 2A.
The three smallest schools in the Register’s readership area Marmaton Valley, Crest and Southern Coffey County, and will stay in the same classifications. Marmaton Valley will play in Eight Man, Division I in football and 1A in all other sports. Crest and Southern Coffey County are in Eight Man, Division II in football and 1A in other sports.
