The West Central (Activities) Conference currently consists of nine schools, 10 if you count the Woodward Academy, who competes as boys-only in baseball, basketball, cross country and track.
Beginning with the start of the 2018-19 school year, their number will grow by two, as Interstate-35 and Pleasantville will both join the league, which consists of AC/GC, Des Moines Christian, Earlham, Madrid, Ogden, Panorama, Van Meter, West Central Valley and Woodward-Granger. The school boards (and administrators of the Woodward Academy) of the WCC districts were unanimous in accepting the requests of both I-35 and Pleasantville to become full members.
“We looked ahead to where we, as a conference, felt we would be in two years, five years from now, and both of these schools seemed like natural fits,” Panorama Athletic Director Erin Ambrose said. “I think it will be be good both for I-35 and Pleasantville but also for each of our current schools, which is why I think you saw it approved by all the school boards with so few concerns.”
The Roadrunners and Trojans will be leaving the Pride of Iowa, which will fall from 12 members to 10. Including I-35 and Pleasantville, the Pride of Iowa also counts Bedford, Central Decatur, East Union, Lenox, Mt. Ayr, Nodaway Valley, Martensdale-St. Marys, Southwest Valley, Southeast Warren and Wayne as members.
Ogden Athletic Director Ben Van Wyk said one of the factors that helped make the acceptance of the two additions so welcome was sub-varsity level scheduling.
“Many of our schools — and I think this was probably an issue for both I-35 and Pleasantville — have had difficulty filling out our freshman and junior varsity schedules in several sports, and this will help everyone,” he said. “I don’t know, size or competition-wise, that we (the WCC) could have found two better schools to join with us.”
A simple look at the map shows one reason why the two new members have to be happy to be welcomed aboard. While Pleasantville occasionally faced 115 mile or longer one-way trips to Bedford or Villisca, no trip will now be longer than 85 miles, while I-35 will see their longest one-way drive a 70-mile trek to Ogden.
“Think of what that means to the parents from those schools and how hard it has been for them to get off work, even if they work in Des Moines, and then try to get to a varsity game in time, nevermind one that starts before the varsity,” Van Wyk said. “It cuts way down on their travel, on how late their kids are returning home on road trips — all of that.
“For us it doesn’t mean that much more in travel, and the advantages outweigh any negatives,” he added. “I really think this is a situation where we all come out ahead.”
Ambrose noted the oddity of having one school — Woodward Academy — competing only in some sports will continue to create disparities in scheduling. While no such plans are currently in the works, it is not of the question, she said, that the conference divide into two divisions, as there will be 11 teams competing co-ed in most sports, with the Academy making it 12 in four boys sports.
The Panorama AD was quick to note the addition of the two schools would have an impact beyond athletics.
“We looked at their academics, the strength and variety of the non-sport extra-curricular activities that are offered, the whole picture,” Ambrose said. “This was not a decision driven only by our sports and our bus trips — I can tell you it was much more than that.”
The athletic directors at both I-35 and Pleasantville declined comment.
