Spring MHSA Board Meeting Changes

The Montana High School Association had its annual spring board meeting this week and here are the changes that will effect our prep sports athletes locally.

Approved:

• The board approved that District 6B and District 7B will hold district tournaments again for the sports of volleyball, basketball, and track & field.
• The 2020 Class B Boy’s state golf tournament will be moved from King Ranch in Frenchtown to the Ranch Club in Missoula.

Sent to schools for a two week  notice for schools to comment on before final action by MHSA Executive Board

• Summer practice rules:

– Only students who meet all MHSA eligibility requirements (enrollment, age, semesters, academics, physical examinations etc.) are eligible to practice with and participate on member school teams. Exception: students who are eligible in every way except academics may participate in practice
if the school allows.

Exception – For incoming freshman (graduated eighth graders) from the high school’s feeder school can practice with that high school’s team during the June 1 – July 31 st period, Also, for incoming freshman, enrollment into an MHSA high school will occur after the following:

a) the student completes eighth grade
b) the parent(s) complete registration at the student’s selected school
c) the parent(s) paid the applicable tuition charge
d) the parent(s) complete a request that cumulative school records be sent to
the high school.

Upon completion of these four criteria, incoming freshman students are eligible to participate in the open team coaching period for that high school during June 1- July 31.

• Wrestling:

– DIVISIONAL/SEEDING TOURNAMENTS
(4) The first four place winners in each weight class from each division in Class B-C will qualify for the State Tournament. The first eight place winners in the AA seeding tournaments and the A divisional tournaments will qualify for the state tournament. The tournament manager must certify these qualifiers for his/her divisional to the state tournament manager not later than the Monday morning prior to the state tournament. In addition to the top four wrestlers at each weight qualifying for the B-C state tournament, each division will wrestle for fifth and sixth place. The fifth and sixth place wrestler will be placed into the state tournament where byes would be present. All fifth place divisional finishers will be first alternates and all sixth place finishers will be second alternates into the state tournament. Alternates will be drawn by the MHSA on the Monday prior to the state tournament after the completion of the divisional tournaments. The MHSA will notify divisional tournament managers and the schools involved of the selected alternates. The divisional tournament managers will notify schools of alternates that have been selected.

• Swimming:

– Individual – A medal will be awarded to the top six places in each event for both Class AA and Class A.
– Class A swimmers will compete separately in the finals for individual events.
AA and A Schools shall compete together during the preliminary races with the top 12 swimmers in AA competing for 12 places in the finals and the top six swimmers in Class A competing for six places in the finals in all events. AA and A-B schools will be scored separately.

• 8-Man Football:

– Playoff seeds would be 5 teams from the North, 4 from the East, 4 from the West and 3 from the South.

• Speech:

– As recommended by the MFEA, various amendments to speech, debate and drama rules were approved including a rules challenge and protest procedure. Refer to the Speech & Drama page of the MHSA website for a summary of all changes.
Changes

• Music:

– Clarified the Student Conduct Code for the appropriate dress at music festivals.
Changes

• Final actions on items from previous meetings:

a) (MOA) Allow the use of flags by line judges during volleyball contests. The use of flags is required during MHSA post season play.
b) Football realignment will be on a two-year basis, aligning with the school reclassification cycle.
c) Football realignment – adding that petitioning for reassignment when within the approved enrollment numbers, criteria b and c of the rule must be met.

Finally the MHSA Executive Board also finalized state events for the remainder of the 2019/2020 season, and the 2020/2021 season.

• 2019/2020 State Events
• 2020/2021 Sate Events