By Dana Hess
For the S.D. NewsMedia Association
PIERRE—The first reading of sports classifications and alignments for the next two school years received the endorsement of the South Dakota High School Activities Association board of directors at its meeting on Wednesday. Feb. 28.
Despite some suggestions for changes from activities directors, the board accepted the alignments as offered by the SDHSAA staff. A second reading will be held at the board’s April meeting.
The board typically has a “public forum” at the top of its agenda. Often unused, at Wednesday’s meeting the board listened for 40 minutes as school representatives offered alternatives to the plan laid out by the SDHSAA staff in basketball, volleyball, wrestling and golf.
One suggestion was that more emphasis should be placed on enrollment when making regional assignments. SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Jo Auch explained that the schools are assigned to regions based on geography first to cut down on travel. The second consideration is making the least amount of change.
Considering enrollment within regions, Auch said, was “different than we’ve ever looked at before.” If that would be considered, it would be “back to the drawing board.”
SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos said that enrollment is considered in the classification system that seeks to have schools of similar sizes compete against each other.
Swartos explained to the board that the staff uses a system of circles to try to find teams in each classification that are within the same geographical area. “It’s all about perspective,” Swartos said. “You could draw these things a million different ways.”
Swartos said that if extensive changes are made to the classifications or alignments at the second reading, there could be a third reading.
The first reading of the classifications and alignments for Garretson as approved for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years include:
BOYS’ and GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Region 3A: Baltic, Dell Rapids, Flandreau, Garretson, Madison, Tri-Valley, West Central. New to Region 3A: Flandreau.
BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Region 2A: Baltic, Dell Rapids, Elkton-Lake Benton, Flandreau, Garretson, Madison, McCook Central/Montrose, Sioux Falls Christian, Sioux Valley, Tri-Valley, West Central.
FOOTBALL
Class 9AA: Bennett County, Bon Homme, Britton-Hecla, De Smet, Elkton-Lake Benton, Florence/Henry, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy, Garretson, Great Plains Lutheran, Gregory, Hamlin, Hanson, Hill City, Kimball/White Lake, Leola/Frederick Area, New Underwood, Parkston, Redfield, Scotland/Menno, Stanley County, Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian, Viborg-Hurley, Waubay/Summit.
New to Class 9AA: Hill City, Redfield, Scotland/Menno, Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian, Waubay/Summit.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Class A: Belle Fourche, Dakota Valley, Garretson, Groton Area, Sioux Falls Christian, Vermillion, West Central.
BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD
Class A: Aberdeen Roncalli, Baltic, Belle Fourche, Beresford, Bon Homme, Britton-Hecla, Canton, Chamberlain, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Clark/Willow Lake, Crow Creek, Custer, Dakota Valley, Dell Rapids, Deuel, Elk Point-Jefferson, Elkton-Lake Benton, Ethan/Parkston, Flandreau, Florence/Henry, Garretson, Great Plains Lutheran, Groton Area, Hamlin, Hanson, Hill City, Hot Springs, Lakota Tech, Lead-Deadwood, Lennox, Little Wound, Madison, Mahpiya Luta, McCook Central/Montrose, Milbank, Miller, Mobridge-Pollock, Mount Vernon/Plankinton, Parker, Pine Ridge, Platte-Geddes, Rapid City Christian, Redfield, Scotland/Menno, Sioux Falls Christian, Sioux Valley, Sisseton, St. Francis Indian, St. Thomas More, Stanley County, Todd County, Tri-State, Tri-Valley, Vermillion, Wagner, Webster Area, West Central, Winner.
New to Class A: Britton-Hecla and Scotland/Menno.
VOLLEYBALL
Region 3A: Baltic, Dell Rapids, Flandreau, Garretson, Madison, Tri-Valley, West Central.
New to Region 3A: Flandreau.
WRESTLING
Region 2B: Baltic, Canistota, Canton, Chester, Elk Point-Jefferson, Flandreau, Garretson, Hanson, Howard, Marion/Freeman, McCook Central/Montrose, Parker, Sioux Valley, Tri-Valley, Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda.
New to Class B: Baltic and Flandreau.
New to Region 2B: Hanson and Sioux Valley.
