Board of Control approves new wrestling weight classes, rejects shot clocks

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control reviewed and acted on coaches’ committee recommendations impacting winter sports at its June 21 meeting.

The board approved the new 14-weight class option for boys wrestling as designated by the National Federation of State High School Associations in Rule 4-4-1 to be effective in 2023-24. The weight classes, in pounds, are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215 and 285.

While the first six weight classes, along with 285, remain the same, the seven weight classes are reduced from 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195 and 220 pounds. The second recommendation supported by the board increases the number of medals distributed at the team sectional from 21 to 28.

The lone basketball recommendation to be approved by the board recognizes and applies the NFHS pre-game protocol for officials beginning with the 2023-24 season. The WIAA advisory council, on June 20, passed by an 8-6 vote a plan approving the possibility of bringing shot clocks to Wisconsin high school basketball, but the Board of Control rejected it the following day. A proposal to add two Division 1 teams to the state tournaments was not approved by the advisory council.

In gymnastics, the board approved language in the tournament procedures addressing replacements of gymnasts who have qualified for the state championships but are unable to compete. The new provision clarifies that only the sixth-place gymnast at the sectional level will advance to the state meet if any of the top-five qualifiers are not able to advance. If there is no substitute, the original placement stands with one less competitor at state. In addition, the draw for the team state tournament rotation in each division will be done by alphabetical order by school name.

The state hockey tournament overtime procedure was altered by the board. Games tied at the end of regulation will proceed with an eight-minute sudden victory overtime period. If the score remains tied following the first overtime, there will be a three-minute rest period before teams play a second eight-minute, sudden-victory overtime period. If the game is still tied, the remainder of the existing overtime procedure will be implemented.

In addition, the board voted in support of two fast-track conference realignment plans that moves St. Mary’s Catholic to the Trailways Conference in football for the 2023 season only, and another that moves Hmong American Peace Academy into the Lake City Conference in all sports for the 2023-24 season. The school has competed as an independent since joining the membership in 2017. The board also received a report on updates to the conference realignment process by co-chairs Jeremy Schlitz and Lance Bagstad of the Conference Realignment Task Force and approved one task force recommendation. When modifications are made to realignment plans following the January Task Force meeting that results in newly affected schools, representatives from those schools now have the ability to appeal to the Task Force in February, prior to the subsequent Board of Control meeting.

The board approved spring cooperative programs for the 2023-24 and 202425 seasons, a spending resolution to continue spending until the 2023-24 budget is approved, winter season sports financial statements, and the general fund financial statements and payments for May.

Among the meeting’s discussions and reports were a review of the recently completed spring sports tournaments; the newly approved constitutional amendments; special election results; the June Jam and Summer Slam events; development of the agenda for the 2023 Area Meetings in September; and a reminder of the New AD Workshop scheduled for July 17.