Waverly-Shell Rock’s (WSR) search for a new athletic conference continues.
In April, the Go-Hawks were voted out of the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) by fellow league members Charles City, New Hampton, Cresco-Crestwood, Decorah and Waukon. The main argument being that the Go-Hawks have grown larger than other NEIC schools, creating competitive imbalance. WSR’s size was also cited as a hindrance to getting other schools to join the league, with expansion vital to the survival of Iowa’s oldest athletic conference.
That size continues to work against the Go-Hawks.
At this week’s WSR school Board meeting, Go-Hawks’ Superintendent Ed Klamfoth reported that their application to join the WaMac Conference had been rejected due to enrollment size, travel distance, current conference rivalries, and the current even number of conference member schools. Klamforth added that WSR was also rejected from the Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) for boys and girls wrestling.
With the WaMac and MVC options off the table, Klamforth says he has contacted the Iowa High School athletic unions to determine WSR’s next steps to access a conference. There is the remote possibility that the Go-Hawks could be returned to the NEIC, but they’re currently scheduled to exit the league after the 2022-23 school year.
Meanwhile, none of five schools invited to join the NEIC, Osage, North Fayette Valley, Sumner-Fredericksburg, MFL Mar-Mac, nor Oelwein, have accepted to this point.
