Some sports classifications will change next school year

Every two years in Wyoming, high school competition classifications are set by the Wyoming High School Athletics Association (WHSAA). While in the course of spirited competition, it may sometimes seem that the classifications are arbitrary and capricious, the system is attempting to balance some important, and competing, interests.

In discussing the subject, Thermopolis School District Athletic Director, Brandon Deromedi, said “The Athletic Association is trying to create a classification system that provides for fair and equitable competition, by balancing school population size, and the time spent away from school by the individual competitors. The problem is, Wyoming is a big state.”

Biennially, WHSAA compares high schools, utilizing school population size, as reported by the various school districts, through the Average Daily Membership (ADM) structure. School districts report their average daily population numbers to the State for many reasons, not the least of which, is the setting of funding levels for each school district. Those numbers are used by WHSAA to assess where schools will be placed in the competition hierarchy.

Utilizing current school year ADM numbers, the process undertaken by WHSAA compares school population numbers, which represent an anticipated average ADM for each high school in the coming two years. The anticipated population number for each school, represents an average of the current year number of students in grades 6 through 9, and the current year number of students in grades 7 though 10.

So, for example, the number of Hot Springs County School District students in grades 6-9 this year was 203. The number of students in grades 7-10 this year was 182. Averaging those numbers results in an anticipated average student population size of 192 for Hot Springs County High School for the next two years. That is the number used by WHSAA to determine the level at which high school students will compete in the upcoming two years.

The WHSAA handbook sets out the specific rules used to determine competition levels. Each sport has a defined cutoff population point, which establishes the level of competition for each school, using the anticipated ADM number. For example, in basketball, the sixteen schools with the largest ADM are classified as 4A; the next sixteen largest schools are set at 3A; the next sixteen largest schools are set at 2A, etc. For those who are interested, the Handbook is available to review on their webpage found at whsaa.org.

Looking at the numbers, no change in classification will result for the sport of football for the next two years. The football team will continue to compete at the Class 2A level, as it has the past two years. The same applies for cross country, golf and wrestling. Significantly, however, there will be a change for some other sports.

The numbers will result in a change of competition classification for volleyball, basketball and track. While those sports have competed the past two years at the Class 3A level, for the next two years those teams will compete against Class 2A schools. Thus, all high school sports competition will be at the Class 2A level for the next two years.

AD Deromedi believes the classification changes “will give Thermopolis High School the opportunity to be more competitive in basketball, volleyball and track, and being more competitive is good for both the school and the athletes. It gives our athletes a better opportunity to show what they can accomplish.”