Dairyland Conference

The Dairyland Conference is a high school athletic conference in west central Wisconsin. It was founded in 1959 and all member schools are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

1959–1977

13km
8.1miles
Location of Original Dairyland Conference Members

The Dairyland Conference was formed by six small high schools in west central Wisconsin in 1959. Three members came from the original Mississippi Valley Conference (Augusta, Osseo and Whitehall) and the other three from the disbanded Trempealeau Valley Conference (Blair, Eleva-Strum and Independence).[1] The membership roster soon increased to eight schools, with Lincoln High School in Alma Center joining from the West Central Conference in 1961[2] and Cochrane-Fountain City moving over from the Mississippi Valley Conference in 1963.[3][4] Alma High School joined the Dairyland Conference in 1971 from the West Central Conference.[5] They replaced Cochrane-Fountain City, who was moved to the Coulee Conference that year.[6]

1977–2000

In 1977, the Dairyland Conference added four schools: two from the Coulee Conference (Cochrane-Fountain City and Melrose-Mindoro) and two from the defunct West Central Conference (Gilmanton and Taylor).[7] The membership roster would remain the same for eight years, until the league realigned into divisions based on enrollment size in 1985:[8]

Large Schools Small Schools
Augusta Alma
Cochrane-Fountain City Alma Center Lincoln
Eleva-Strum Blair
Melrose-Mindoro Gilmanton
Osseo-Fairchild Independence
Whitehall Taylor

Osseo-Fairchild left for membership in the Cloverbelt Conference after the first season of this alignment.[9] In 1989, Blair and Taylor merged to form Blair-Taylor High School, inheriting both predecessors' Dairyland membership in the process.[10][11] The Dairyland Conference also consolidated into a single division that year. Augusta's departure to the Cloverbelt Conference in 1990 would bring membership down to nine schools.[12] Luther High School in Onalaska entered the Dairyland Conference in 1991, bringing the roster back up to ten schools.[13] The next year, the conference reinstated the Large School/Small School divisional alignment:[14]

Large Schools Small Schools
Blair-Taylor Alma
Cochrane-Fountain City Alma Center Lincoln
Luther Eleva-Strum
Melrose-Mindoro Gilmanton
Whitehall Independence

Luther was voted out of the conference in 1996, with members citing issues with travel distances and competition level disparity.[15] Soon after Luther left the conference in 1997, they were invited to become members of the Coulee Conference.[16]

2000–present

Immanuel Lutheran High School in Eau Claire joined the Dairyland Conference as its tenth member in 2000, after the merger between the WIAA and the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association was completed.[17] Eleva-Strum moved over to the Large Schools division to even out the divisional balance at five members each:[18]

Large Schools Small Schools
Blair-Taylor Alma
Cochrane-Fountain City Alma Center Lincoln
Eleva-Strum Gilmanton
Melrose-Mindoro Immanuel Lutheran
Whitehall Independence

In 2006, Alma Center Lincoln and Eleva-Strum swapped divisions,[19] and in 2009, Alma High School entered into a cooperative agreement for most sports with nearby Pepin High School. The Pepin/Alma cooperative inherited Alma's place in the Dairyland Conference's Small Schools division.[20] Augusta reentered the Dairyland in 2014 and was added to the conference's Large Schools division.[21] Blair-Taylor and Eleva-Strum switched divisions in 2016,[22][23] with the latter making their return to the Large Schools division. Blair-Taylor returned to the Large Schools division in 2021,[24] with Alma Center Lincoln moving back to the Small Schools division.[25] Two years later, Independence and Gilmanton became a cooperative program and remained in the Small Schools division. Cochrane-Fountain City moved over to the Small Schools division to balance the alignment at five schools per division:[26]

Large Schools Small Schools
Augusta Alma Center Lincoln
Blair-Taylor Cochrane-Fountain City
Eleva-Strum Immanuel Lutheran
Melrose-Mindoro Independence/Gilmanton
Whitehall Pepin/Alma

In 2024, Osseo-Fairchild left the Cloverbelt Conference to rejoin the Dairyland, and they were placed in the Large Schools division.[27]

List of conference members

Current members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Division
Alma Center Lincoln Alma Center, WI Public 164 Hornets     1961[2] Small
Augusta Augusta, WI Public 226 Beavers     1959,[1] 2014[21] Large
Blair-Taylor Blair, WI Public 193 Wildcats     1989[10][11] Large
Cochrane-Fountain City Fountain City, WI Public 175 Pirates       1963,[3][4] 1977[7] Small
Eleva-Strum Strum, WI Public 197 Cardinals     1959[1] Large
Immanuel Lutheran Eau Claire, WI Private (Lutheran, CLC) 96 Lancers     2000[17] Small
Independence/Gilmanton Independence, WI Public 172 Indees     2023[26] Small
Melrose-Mindoro Melrose, WI Public 223 Mustangs     1977[7] Large
Osseo-Fairchild Osseo, WI Public 255 Thunder     1959,[1] 2024[27] Large
Pepin/Alma Pepin, WI Public 149 Eagles     2009[20] Small
Whitehall Whitehall, WI Public 216 Norse     1959[1] Large

Former members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Blair Blair, WI Public N/A Cardinals     1959[1] 1989[10][11] Closed (merged into Blair-Taylor)
Independence Independence, WI Public 143 Indees     1959[1] 2023[26] Dairlyland (coop with Gilmanton)
Alma Alma, WI Public 65 Rivermen     1971[5] 2009[20] Dairyland (coop with Pepin)
Taylor Taylor, WI Public N/A Trojans     1977[7] 1989[10][11] Closed (merged into Blair-Taylor)
Gilmanton Gilmanton, WI Public 39 Panthers     1977[7] 2023[26] Dairyland (coop with Independence)
Luther Onalaska, WI Private (Lutheran, WELS) 228 Knights     1991[13] 1997[15] Coulee

Former football-only members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Seasons Primary Conference
Augusta Augusta, WI Public 226 Beavers     2011-2013 Cloverbelt

Membership timeline

Full members

 Eastern Division  Western Division  Large Schools  Small Schools

Football members

Membership map

Dairyland Conference
30km
19miles
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Location of Dairyland Conference full members:
1
Alma
2
Alma Center Lincoln
3
Augusta
4
Blair-Taylor
5
Cochrane-Fountain City
6
Eleva-Strum
7
Gilmanton
8
Immanuel Lutheran
9
Independence
10
Melrose-Mindoro
11
Osseo-Fairchild
12
Pepin
13
Whitehall


List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
School Year Division
Cochrane-Fountain City 1984 Class C
Cochrane-Fountain City 1993 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 1994 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 1995 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 1996 Division 3
Girls Cross Country
School Year Division
Cochrane-Fountain City 1996 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 1998 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 1999 Division 3
Cochrane-Fountain City 2022 Division 3
Football
School Year Division
Osseo-Fairchild 1977 Division 4
Osseo-Fairchild 1981 Division 5
Osseo-Fairchild 1982 Division 5
Augusta 1989 Division 6
Eleva-Strum 2007 Division 7
Girls Volleyball
School Year Division
Immanuel Lutheran 2024 Division 5

Winter sports

Boys Basketball
School Year Division
Eleva-Strum 2008 Division 4
Cochrane-Fountain City 2025 Division 5
Girls Basketball
School Year Division
Gilmanton 2001 Division 4

Spring sports

Baseball
School Year Division
Eleva-Strum 2024 Division 4
Boys Golf
School Year Division
Eleva-Strum 1989 Class C
Eleva-Strum 2008 Division 3
Boys Track & Field
School Year Division
Whitehall 1986 Class C
Girls Track & Field
School Year Division
Whitehall 2008 Division 3

Summer sports

Baseball
School Year Division
Whitehall 1986 Single Division

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

School Quantity Years
Eleva-Strum 23 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015
Whitehall 19 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2020, 2022
Blair-Taylor 15 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021
Alma Center Lincoln 8 1963, 1967, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2020
Osseo-Fairchild 8 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 2025
Melrose-Mindoro 7 1998, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024
Blair 6 1960, 1963, 1964, 1972, 1973, 1974
Cochrane-Fountain City 6 1987, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2024, 2025
Gilmanton 6 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2011, 2012
Alma 4 1975, 1989, 1990, 1996
Independence 4 1987, 1988, 1999, 2018
Pepin/Alma 4 2010, 2016, 2017, 2023
Immanuel Lutheran 3 2004, 2021, 2022
Luther 2 1995, 1996
Augusta 1 1986
Independence/Gilmanton 0
Taylor 0

Girls Basketball

School Quantity Years
Blair-Taylor 16 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Independence 15 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019
Alma Center Lincoln 12 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2021, 2022, 2023
Eleva-Strum 12 1989, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2025
Cochrane-Fountain City 10 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2015, 2016, 2024, 2025
Whitehall 10 1984, 1985, 1987, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2024
Melrose-Mindoro 7 2000, 2001, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Augusta 3 1983, 1986, 2015
Gilmanton 3 1993, 2002, 2005
Immanuel Lutheran 3 2006, 2012, 2013
Osseo-Fairchild 3 1980, 1981, 1982
Alma 2 1986, 2003
Pepin/Alma 1 2012
Blair 0
Independence/Gilmanton 0
Luther 0
Taylor 0

Football

School Quantity Years
Augusta 11 1959, 1961, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2021
Eleva-Strum 11 1960, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1987, 2004, 2007, 2014, 2015
Whitehall 11 1967, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1992, 2006, 2009, 2012
Melrose-Mindoro 10 1988, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Osseo-Fairchild 9 1968, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
Blair-Taylor 8 1998, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019, 2020, 2024
Independence 7 1962, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1994, 2001
Cochrane-Fountain City 5 1966, 1994, 2000, 2014, 2024
Luther 3 1991, 1993, 1995
Pepin/Alma 3 2022, 2023, 2024
Alma/Gilmanton 2 1990, 1996
Alma 1 2005
Independence/Gilmanton 1 2014
Alma Center Lincoln 0
Blair 0
Blair/Taylor 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Blanchard, Ken (16 November 1958). "Battin' the Breeze (see "Dairyland New Tag")". La Crosse Tribune. p. 15. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Four Area Grid Loops Open Schedules Friday". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 14 September 1961. p. 13. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b Gunderson, Jim (28 March 1962). "Gunning for Sports (see "More Conference Changes")". La Crosse Tribune. p. 21. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b Gunderson, Jim (5 July 1962). "BRF Joins S-C Loop". La Crosse Tribune. p. 20. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Lincoln Football Prospects Good". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 20 August 1971. p. 8. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  6. ^ Pickett, Jim (3 September 1971). "Alma Center Lincoln Eyes End of Long Grid Drought". La Crosse Tribune. p. 18. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e Lisser, Bill (30 August 1977). "Mel-Min, C-FC switch to Dairyland". La Crosse Tribune. p. 37. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Whitehall turns back Osseo-Fairchild". La Crosse Tribune. 6 December 1985. p. 21. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  9. ^ Taschner, Tony (23 August 1986). "Stanley-Boyd has experience to rebound". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. p. 30. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d Smith, Linda (20 September 1988). "Blair, Taylor schools begin consolidation". La Crosse Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d "It's Wildcats for Blair-Taylor". La Crosse Tribune. 6 January 1989. p. 9. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Augusta eyes final title in Dairyland". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 20 September 1989. p. 20. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  13. ^ a b Quast, Steve (12 April 1990). "Onalaska Luther prepares to join Dairyland Conference". La Crosse Tribune. p. 29. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Indees romp past Lincoln". La Crosse Tribune. 16 December 1992. p. 5. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  15. ^ a b Kabelowsky, Art (13 January 1996). "Move could affect Onalaska Luther". La Crosse Tribune. p. 7. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  16. ^ Cohen, Andrew (20 April 1996). "Area leagues next on WIAA agenda". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 33. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  17. ^ a b Holmes, Kirk (24 April 1999). "Ramblers, Lancers, Macks get the OK". La Crosse Tribune. p. 16. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  18. ^ Nelson, Loren (26 November 2000). "Becker keeps Gilmanton humming along". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. pp. 28 (Basketball 2000 insert). Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  19. ^ Ziemer, Joe (11 January 2007). "Fall Creek better than WCC mark (see Standings)". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. p. 25. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  20. ^ a b c Brommerich, David L. (5 April 2009). "Pepin, Alma enter co-op". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. pp. B3. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  21. ^ a b Ziemer, Joe (11 December 2014). "Keep an eye on Appleby". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. pp. D3. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  22. ^ "Dairyland - Large Basketball (Standings)". MaxPreps. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  23. ^ "Dairyland - Small Basketball (Standings)". MaxPreps. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  24. ^ "Dairyland - Large Basketball (Standings)". MaxPreps. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  25. ^ "Dairyland - Small Basketball (Standings)". MaxPreps. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  26. ^ a b c d "Dairyland - Small Basketball (Standings)". MaxPreps. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  27. ^ a b Tabbert, Nick (6 December 2023). "Osseo-Fairchild, Elk Mound closing in on conference shifts". WQOW.com. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.