Flyway Conference

The Flyway Conference is a former high school athletic conference with its membership concentrated in east central Wisconsin. Founded in 1970 and disbanded in 2001, all of its members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

Early Years and Sustained Stability (1970-1999)

The Flyway Conference was formed in 1970 by seven small- to medium-sized high schools in the lower Fox River Valley in east central Wisconsin.^[1] Three schools came from the disbanded Fox Valley Tri-County League (Laconia, Lomira and Oakfield), two joined from the Scenic Moraine Conference (Campbellsport and North Fond du Lac), and one school each came from the Eastern Suburban Conference (Dodgeland) and the Little Ten Conference (Horicon) after the latter's dissolution.^[2] Membership remained relatively stable through the history of the conference with few changes in the conference's first decade. Markesan joined the Flyway in 1977 to create an eight-member circuit,^[3] and in 1980, Dodgeland left to rejoin the Eastern Suburban Conference with Mayville taking its place from the Scenic Moraine Conference.^[4] The Flyway Conference continued as an eight-school loop for nineteen seasons before any further realignment.

Merger with East Central Conference (1999-2001)

In 1999, two schools left to join the East Central Conference (Laconia and Markesan) along with Campbellsport's departure to the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. To counter the losses, four private schools joined as a result of the pending WIAA/WISAA merger set to be finalized in 2000. Three schools joined from the Midwest Classic Conference (Central Wisconsin Christian in Waupun, St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary and Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac) and St. Mary's Springs Academy in Fond du Lac joined from the former Fox Valley Christian Conference.^[5] 2001 saw the end of the Flyway Conference as the merger agreement originally reached two years prior with the East Central Conference was finalized. The East Central Flyway Conference would begin play in the 2001-02 school year.^[6]

Conference Membership History

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Joined	Left	Conference Joined	Current Conference
Campbellsport	Campbellsport, WI	Public	470	Cougars	1970^[1]	1999^[5]	Eastern Wisconsin	Wisconsin Flyway
Dodgeland	Juneau, WI	Public	278	Trojans	1970^[1]	1980^[4]	Eastern Suburban	Trailways
Horicon	Horicon, WI	Public	275	Marshmen	1970^[1]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Trailways
Laconia	Rosendale, WI	Public	317	Spartans	1970^[1]	1999^[5]	East Central	Wisconsin Flyway
Lomira	Lomira, WI	Public	323	Lions	1970^[1]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Wisconsin Flyway
North Fond du Lac	North Fond du Lac, WI	Public	466	Orioles	1970^[1]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Wisconsin Flyway
Oakfield	Oakfield, WI	Public	158	Oaks	1970^[1]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Trailways
Markesan	Markesan, WI	Public	254	Hornets	1977^[3]	1999^[5]	East Central	Trailways
Mayville	Mayville, WI	Public	375	Cardinals	1980^[4]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Wisconsin Flyway
Central Wisconsin Christian	Waupun, WI	Private (Reformed)	119	Crusaders	1999^[5]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Trailways
St. Lawrence Seminary	Mount Calvary, WI	Private (Catholic, Capuchin)	256	Hilltoppers	1999^[5]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Independent
St. Mary's Springs	Fond du Lac, WI	Private (Catholic)	263	Ledgers	1999^[5]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Wisconsin Flyway
Winnebago Lutheran	Fond du Lac, WI	Private (Lutheran, WELS)	319	Vikings	1999^[5]	2001^[6]	East Central Flyway	Wisconsin Flyway

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country
School	Year	Division
Campbellsport	1972	Medium Schools

Girls Cross Country
School	Year	Division
Mayville	1992	Division 2
Mayville	1993	Division 2

Football
School	Year	Division
Mayville	1994	Division 4

Girls Volleyball
School	Year	Division
Laconia	1998	Division 3

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball
School	Year	Division
Mayville	1983	Class B
Markesan	1994	Division 3
Markesan	1996	Division 3

Girls Basketball
School	Year	Division
Oakfield	1979	Class C
Lomira	1991	Division 3
North Fond du Lac	1997	Division 3
North Fond du Lac	2000	Division 3

Boys Wrestling
School	Year	Division
Campbellsport	1980	Class B

Spring Sports

Baseball
School	Year	Division
Oakfield	1984	Class C
Oakfield	1986	Class C
Lomira	1991	Division 3

Softball
School	Year	Division
Oakfield	1997	Division 3
Mayville	1999	Division 2

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "School Board Reviews Fee Charged to Mobile Homes". Fond du Lac Reporter. 18 October 1969. p. 27. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ Hillstrom, Eric (26 March 1970). "City, Area Prep Hi-Notes". The Capital Times. p. 32. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Markesan now in Flyway". Fond du Lac Reporter. 27 June 1975. p. 14. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "WIAA Approves Realignment; Kewaskum in Eastern Wisconsin". Kewaskum Statesman. 27 April 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Dawn of the three 'new' leagues". Fond du Lac Reporter. 28 November 1999. pp. D1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Sommerfeldt, Todd (26 July 2001). "ECC, Flyway merge". Oshkosh Northwestern. pp. C1. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

[Founding-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "School Board Reviews Fee Charged to Mobile Homes". Fond du Lac Reporter. 18 October 1969. p. 27. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

[2] Hillstrom, Eric (26 March 1970). "City, Area Prep Hi-Notes". The Capital Times. p. 32. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

[1977_Markesan-3] "Markesan now in Flyway". Fond du Lac Reporter. 27 June 1975. p. 14. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

[1980_Dodgeland_Mayville-4] "WIAA Approves Realignment; Kewaskum in Eastern Wisconsin". Kewaskum Statesman. 27 April 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

[Realignment-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Dawn of the three 'new' leagues". Fond du Lac Reporter. 28 November 1999. pp. D1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.

[Merger-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Sommerfeldt, Todd (26 July 2001). "ECC, Flyway merge". Oshkosh Northwestern. pp. C1. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

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