The Mountain View Thunder are headed to the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League.
The school won its appeal of its enrollment numbers with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, and the corrected number of students at the school means Mountain View will drop from Class 4A to 3A.
The decision will not be official until the WIAA releases the final numbers on reclassification Tuesday, but Mike Colbrese, executive director of the WIAA, said late Monday afternoon that Mountain View won its appeal.
Meanwhile, Hudson’s Bay, a 2A program the past two school years, will return to Class 3A. After double-checking their numbers, Hudson’s Bay officials withdrew their intent to appeal in a last-minute move.
Mountain View’s move will leave the 4A GSHL with five teams — Battle Ground, Camas, Heritage, Skyview, and Union.
Evergreen, a longtime 4A GSHL member, became a 3A team a couple weeks ago when the initial reclassification numbers were released by the WIAA.
The 3A GSHL is adding three teams, but losing one — and might be adding a fourth. For now, it is a six-team league with the possibility of becoming a seven-team league.
Evergreen, Mountain View, and Hudson’s Bay will be joining the league, while Columbia River, as previously reported, did not opt-up this cycle and will be a 2A program. Capital, from Olympia, is now a member of Southwest Washington’s District 4 on the WIAA map. Capital is in talks to join the 3A GSHL, as well.
The 2A GSHL will remain a seven-team league, with River and Hudson’s Bay switching classifications.
Monday’s biggest local headline from the WIAA’s executive board meeting was Mountain View’s appeal. Colbrese said the school presented its case that 305 students were counted twice.
Cale Piland, athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools, said the 305 students come from non-district residents who attend the school district’s Skills Center. Those students, if they are athletes, must compete for their home schools. They were counted at their home schools, and then counted as Evergreen School District students.
“They have no ability to access our athletic programs,” Piland said.
Mountain View’s argument was those students should not be counted as school district students in terms of athletic participation.
In the past, reclassification happened every two years. Starting with this cycle, though, reclassification will happen once every four years. Administrators throughout the state wanted to make sure of their final numbers.
“This wasn’t a case of Mountain View seeking to get out of playing in the 4A class,” Piland said. “We wanted them to play in the classification that their accurate numbers would have placed them.”
Mountain View athletic director Adam Mathieson did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
In other WIAA news:
• The Tacoma Dome is still the ultimate destination for high school football players. The WIAA and dome officials have reached an agreement to play the state championship games in all classifications for the next three school years. The semifinals, however, will not be held at the dome.
• The state basketball committee presented findings from a survey regarding the possibility of returning to 16-team state tournaments. Colbrese said there is support for it, but as of now, no plan to fund such a move. According to a WIAA release, “The board agreed to continue the conversation and create a sub-committee to develop discussion points” to be heard at the March meeting.
The Leagues
4A GSHL
Battle Ground
Camas
Heritage
Skyview
Union
3A GSHL*
Evergreen (from 4A)
Fort Vancouver
Hudson’s Bay (from 2A)
Kelso
Mountain View (from 4A)
Prairie
*Capital, from Olympia, also might join the 3A GSHL
2A GSHL
Columbia River (from 3A)
Hockinson
Mark Morris
R.A. Long
Ridgefield
Washougal
Woodland
