Section Assignments 2017-19

New Section Assignments are out on MSHSL.org – be sure to check out the full listing for dance team here.

Here are the highlights by section:

1A:  The southeast region still appears to be suffering from a lack of jazz teams – with only 8 of the teams fielding a jazz routine last year.  The threat of losing a place in favor of section 4A (with the most jazz teams at 13) is still there.  Goodhue departs this group for section 2.

2A:  The biggest changes in all of dance happens here with 5 teams joining the sparse field from last year.  Goodhue, New Ulm Cathedral, GFW, ACGC, and Litchfield (from AA) – all join in.  Notably – Columbia Heights either didn’t apply for an op-down or was denied one and will move to section 2AA.  Spectrum was a no-show team removed from the list this time.

3A:  With New Ulm Cathedral and GFW departing, the field gets a bit more manageable.  Minnewaska (4A) and BBE/Paynesville (4AA) will move in.  You’ll notice the co-ops are more generous these days since the way they calculate a co-ops numbers has loosened up.  BBE will be on the class A side of that line this time.

4A:  Minnewaska leaves for 3A, but the notable changes here are the no-show teams that were removed.  Ely (my #1 violator of signing up and not showing up) finally left the list.  I’m unsure if Sauk Centre is going to make an appearance here, but even if they don’t – spots to state won’t be threatened.

1AA:  Cretin Derham Hall arrives in AA with my biggest surprise of the shuffle. I usually wouldn’t put money on a private school having an enrollment change – but Cretin will drop down and join the southeast.  Faribault stays, Northfield goes up to AAA.  Hill Murray and St. Paul Academy move over to make a bigger section 2.

2AA:  The tiny group of AA gets a few new names.  St. Paul Academy, Hill Murray, and Columbia Heights will join in, creating balance.  We’ll likely see 3 teams from all AA sections happen this coming year.  Totino Grace and Benilde still have a stronghold here, so that 3rd spot will very important. Monticello will depart for 4AA.

3AA: No major shakeups here.  Interesting how if Holy Family an/or Mayer Lutheran didn’t have a co-op, they’d be in class A.

4AA:  Monticello joins this section from 2AA, but the news-maker here is the departure of Sauk Rapids Rice up to 4AAA.  I think I’ll miss their rivalry with Rocori – but then again, I’ll like seeing things open up in this group.

1AAA:  Bloomington and Eagan will float on out to section 3, while Owatonna will be a brand new team here.  Very exciting to see new faces.  Northfield will also be back in AAA here.

2AAA:  Buffalo and Rogers will move in from section 4, with all the usual west metro names still here.  The Minneapolis no-show schools were dropped from this list as well as Minneapolis South from section 3.

3AAA:  Eagan and Bloomington will join in from section 1, bringing the count up to 13 here.  Minneapolis South didn’t field a program last year and aren’t signed up here this time.

4AAA:  Sauk Rapids Rice joins in from AA, and St. Michael Albertville will be a new team in AAA next year.  Rogers and Buffalo jump over to section 2 to balance it out.