Tri-County League
The Tri-County League is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, operational from 1926 to 1963 with its membership concentrated in south central Wisconsin. All members belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
[edit]The Tri-County League began in 1923 as an oratorical and forensics conference between five small high schools in south central Wisconsin: Arena, Black Earth, Mazomanie, Prairie du Sac and Sauk City.[1] These five schools were concentrated in the lower Wisconsin River Valley across three counties: Dane, Iowa and Sauk. The loop began sponsorship of athletic competition in 1926,[2] and in 1928 added two new members: Spring Green and Waunakee.[3] Lodi joined the Tri-County League in 1932 from the Madison Suburban Conference,[4][5] and the conference maintained a steady eight-school roster for the next two decades. Poynette and Verona joined from the Dual County and Madison Suburban Conferences in 1954,[6] bringing conference membership to ten schools.
Over the next decade, consolidation of rural school districts in south central Wisconsin hit Tri-County League membership hard, leading to its eventual demise. In 1962, River Valley High School was created from the consolidation of high schools in Spring Green, Arena and Lone Rock.[7] They took the place of Arena and Spring Green in the conference. The next year, two new school districts affecting Tri-County League membership were created: Sauk Prairie (from Prairie du Sac and Sauk City) and Wisconsin Heights (from Black Earth and Mazomanie).[8] The new Sauk Prairie High School joined the South Central Conference in the same year it was created,[9] leaving only six schools in the conference for the 1963-64 school year. Because of the decline in member schools, the Tri-County League merged with the Madison Suburban Conference, with all six schools (Lodi, Poynette, River Valley, Verona, Waunakee, and Wisconsin Heights) comprising the Western Section of the conference.[10]
Conference Membership History
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arena | Arena, WI | Public | N/A | Purple Knights | 1923[1] | 1962[7] | Closed (consolidated into River Valley) | ||
| Black Earth | Black Earth, WI | Public | N/A | Earthmen | 1923[1] | 1963[8] | Closed (consolidated into Wisconsin Heights)[10] | ||
| Mazomanie | Mazomanie, WI | Public | N/A | Midgets | 1923[1] | 1963[8] | Closed (consolidated into Wisconsin Heights)[10] | ||
| Prairie du Sac | Prairie du Sac, WI | Public | N/A | Indians | 1923[1] | 1963[9] | Closed (consolidated into Sauk Prairie) | ||
| Sauk City | Sauk City, WI | Public | N/A | Cardinals | 1923[1] | 1963[9] | Closed (consolidated into Sauk Prairie) | ||
| Spring Green | Spring Green, WI | Public | N/A | Shamrocks | 1928[3] | 1962[7] | Closed (consolidated into River Valley) | ||
| Waunakee | Waunakee, WI | Public | 1,309 | Warriors | 1928[3] | 1963[10] | Madison Suburban | Badger | |
| Lodi | Lodi, WI | Public | 451 | Blue Devils | 1932[4][5] | 1963[10] | Madison Suburban | Capitol | |
| Poynette | Poynette, WI | Public | 310 | Indians | 1954[6] | 1963[10] | Madison Suburban | Capitol | |
| Verona | Verona, WI | Public | 1,801 | Indians | 1954[6] | 1963[10] | Madison Suburban | Big Eight | |
| River Valley | Spring Green, WI | Public | 389 | Blackhawks | 1962[7] | 1963[10] | Madison Suburban | Southwest Wisconsin | |
List of State Champions
[edit]Fall Sports
[edit]None
Winter Sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Lodi | 1962 | Single Division |
| Poynette | 1963 | Single Division |
Spring Sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie du Sac | 1929 | Class C |
| Prairie du Sac | 1930 | Class C |
| Prairie du Sac | 1931 | Class C |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Madison Relatives at Mazomanie Sunday". The Capital Times. 3 May 1923. p. 10. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Mazomanie Wins Second on Track". Wisconsin State Journal. 18 May 1926. p. 13. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Prairie du Sac Wins Tri-County Track Meet". The Capital Times. 15 May 1929. p. 14. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin Valley Cage Loop Plays Openers". Wisconsin State Journal. 30 November 1932. p. 19. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Lodi Has 6 Wins to Hold Lead in Tri-County Loop". The Capital Times. 27 January 1933. p. 15. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "High School Gridders Open Season Today". Wisconsin State Journal. 10 September 1954. p. 30. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d Hopkins, Steven E. (12 August 1962). "Area School Building Near $30 Million Total". Wisconsin State Journal. pp. 1 (Section 2). Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Model High School in Wisconsin". Wisconsin State Journal. 29 August 1963. p. 20. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Sauk-Prairie Joins S. Central". The Capital Times. 6 July 1962. p. 18. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Tri-County Prep Loop Combines With Suburban". Wisconsin State Journal. 1 August 1962. p. 11. Retrieved 9 December 2024.