Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (May 2009) |
| File:WPIAL crest.png | |
| Association | Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Tim O'Malley, Executive Director[1] |
| Region | Western Pennsylvania |
| Official website | www |
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) was founded in 1907 by a group of educators from four public and private Pittsburgh schools who sought increased regulation and governance of student athletic eligibility and interscholastic athletic competition. The founding schools in the league included Shady Side Academy, Allegheny Prep, Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue High School, and Pittsburgh Central High School. William R. Crabbe of Shady Side Academy acted as a central force in the formation of the League and served as its first president.[2]
At its inception the league was poorly received by the public and the press, and found it difficult to enforce its rules. However, the league slowly spread throughout the Pittsburgh area. The league controlled the growth to small numbers that they could handle. As such, the only organization absorbed as a whole was the old Allegheny Valley League. Following the local success of WPIAL, the idea was brought to the whole state in 1914 when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) was founded. Within PIAA, WPIAL has been designated as District 7, and since 1982, WPIAL/District 7. Although officially known as District 7, the WPIAL is grandfathered to keep the older name due to it predating the PIAA.[3]
Originally numbering three high schools, WPIAL had a high of 156 participating school as late as the 1981-82 school year. As of October 2012, there are 137 high schools and 148 junior high school members in the WPIAL.[3]
Member schools
The league is responsible for administering the interscholastic athletic participation/competition of public school districts and private schools located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington, Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania.
Exceptions as of the 2015-16 school year include:
- Ligonier Valley School District in Westmoreland County participates in District 6.
- Slippery Rock Area School District and Moniteau School District in Butler County participate in District 10 and District 9 respectively.
- Wilmington Area School District in Lawrence and Mercer counties participates in District 10.
- Since 2012, four high schools from Pittsburgh Public Schools in Allegheny County, which makes up PIAA District 8, compete in the WPIAL for baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, golf, and cross country.
- Altoona Area High School and Hollidaysburg Area High School in Blair County were granted "conditional membership" for football and began competing in District 7 in 2013. The condition stated: If the PIAA does approve an expansion from four to six classifications in football, the WPIAL will look at its alignments to see if the schools' inclusion will benefit the WPIAL's scheduling."[4] Such an expansion was approved to take effect for the 2016-17 school year. Hollidaysburg intended to leave District 7 after the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.
Sports
- Note: While some sports are dominated by one sex, there is no rule that mandates sex segregation in PIAA sports, even if a school has teams for each sex.
Fall: Football, Golf, Tennis (girls), Cross Country, Volleyball (girls), Field Hockey, Soccer
Winter: Rifle, Gymnastics, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Basketball
Spring: Lacrosse (girls), Tennis (boys), Softball, Baseball, Volleyball (boys), Track & Field
Recent football champions
Class AAAA:
- 2015: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2014: Pine Richland
- 2013: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2012: North Allegheny
- 2011: North Allegheny
- 2010: North Allegheny
- 2009: Woodland Hills
- 2008: Bethel Park
- 2007: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2006: Upper St. Clair
- 2005: McKeesport
- 2004: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2003: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2002: Woodland Hills
- 2001: Woodland Hills
- 2000: Mt. Lebanon
Class AAA:
- 2015: Thomas Jefferson
- 2014: Central Valley
- 2013: West Allegheny
- 2012: West Allegheny
- 2011: Montour
- 2010: Central Valley
- 2009: West Allegheny
- 2008: Thomas Jefferson
- 2007: Thomas Jefferson
- 2006: Thomas Jefferson
- 2005: Franklin Regional
- 2004: Thomas Jefferson
- 2003: Pine-Richland
- 2002: Hopewell
- 2001: West Allegheny
- 2000: West Allegheny
Class AA:
- 2015: Aliquippa
- 2014: South Fayette
- 2013: South Fayette
- 2012: Aliquippa
- 2011: Aliquippa
- 2010: South Fayette
- 2009: Greensburg Central Catholic
- 2008: Aliquippa
- 2007: Jeannette
- 2006: Jeannette
- 2005: South Park
- 2004: Seton-LaSalle
- 2003: Aliquippa
- 2002: Seton-LaSalle
- 2001: Washington
- 2000: Aliquippa
Class A:
- 2015: Clairton
- 2014: Clairton
- 2013: North Catholic
- 2012: Clairton
- 2011: Clairton
- 2010: Clairton
- 2009: Clairton
- 2008: Clairton
- 2007: Serra Catholic
- 2006: Clairton
- 2005: Duquesne
- 2004: Rochester
- 2003: Springdale
- 2002: Rochester
- 2001: Rochester
- 2000: Rochester
Recent boy's basketball champions
Class AAAA:
- 2016: Pine-Richland
- 2015: Chartiers Valley
- 2014: New Castle
- 2013: New Castle
- 2012: Gateway
- 2011: Gateway
- 2010: Mt. Lebanon
- 2009: Peters Township
- 2008: Pittsburgh Central Catholic
- 2007: Bethel Park
- 2006: Mt. Lebanon
- 2005: Upper St. Clair
- 2004: Chartiers Valley
- 2003: Penn Hills
- 2002: Uniontown
- 2001: Chartiers Valley
- 2000: Penn Hills
Class AAA:
- 2016: Beaver Falls
- 2015: Indiana
- 2014: Central Valley
- 2013: Montour
- 2012: New Castle
- 2011: Montour
- 2010: Chartiers Valley
- 2009: Hampton Township
- 2008: Blackhawk
- 2007: West Allegheny
- 2006: Moon
- 2005: Moon
- 2004: Moon
- 2003: Blackhawk
- 2002: Steel Valley
- 2001: Brownsville
- 2000: Blackhawk
Class AA:
- 2016: Aliquippa
- 2015: Aliquippa
- 2014: Seton-LaSalle
- 2013: Beaver Falls
- 2012: Beaver Falls
- 2011: Monessen
- 2010: North Catholic
- 2009: North Catholic
- 2008: Jeannette
- 2007: Aliquippa
- 2006: Aliquippa
- 2005: Beaver Falls
- 2004: Aliquippa
- 2003: Aliquippa
- 2002: Sto-Rox
- 2001: Sto-Rox
- 2000: Aliquippa
Class A:
- 2016: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic
- 2015: Monessen
- 2014: Lincoln Park
- 2013: Vincentian Academy
- 2012: Lincoln Park
- 2011: Vincentian Academy
- 2010: Sewickley Academy
- 2009: Sewickley Academy
- 2008: Serra Catholic
- 2007: Leechburg
- 2006: Clairton
- 2005: Duquesne
- 2004: Sewickley Academy
- 2003: Union Township
- 2002: Monessen
- 2001: Monessen
- 2000: Cornell
See also
- Chuck Heberling, long-time executive director of WPIAL
References
- ^ Emert, Rich (March 28, 2012). "HOME NEWS LOCAL SPORTS OPINION A & E LIFE BUSINESS VIDEO PHOTO Q&A: WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ Silver, Jonathan L. (2004). Approaching the Pinnacle of Privilege: The History of Shady Side Academy, 1883-Present (Ph.D.). Carnegie Mellon University. p. 132.
- ^ a b "History of the WPAIL". WPAIL. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
- ^ Frisco, R. (March 19, 2009). "PIAA meeting: Altoona, Hollidaysburg approved for move to WPIAL". The Sports Blog. PennLive. Retrieved July 31, 2012.