MSHSL changes section alignments for 2023-24 and 2024-25 affecting every Laker sport, especially track, wrestling and volleyball

The Minnesota State High School League recently came out with its new section alignments for 2023-24 and 2024-25 and there are plenty of big changes for Minnewaska Area Laker sports, especially for volleyball, swimming and diving, dance, wrestling, and track and field; all of which will change sections this year.

For the next two years, Minnewaska Area will play in seven different sections; 6AAA, 6AA, 6A, 8A, 8AA, 3AA and 2A.

•  In the fall, the biggest change comes for swimming and diving, which changes from Section 6A to Section 8A to join the likes of Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls and Park Rapids Area.

In addition, the Laker volleyball team is leaving Section 3AA to join Section 6AA, which includes Albany, Melrose Area, Osakis, Sauk Centre and Staples-Motley, among others.

For football, Section 6AAA loses Morris Area and Pierz, but gains Sauk Centre, while in girls tennis, Section 6A adds LPGE-USA.

In addition, Section 8A soccer has added East Grand Forks, while for Section 6A cross-country, Breckenridge-Wahpeton has left, while Melrose Area has been added.

•  The biggest changes in the winter come for dance and wrestling.  

The Lakers wrestling team will now be competing in Section 8AA, which includes Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, DGF, SC-Melrose and Thief River Falls, while the dance team is moving from 4A to Section 2A to join ACGC, Litchfield, NLS, Pierz and Sauk Centre, among others.

Although the wrestling team moves up a class, Section 5A was loaded with wrestling talent so the Lakers are used to competing in a tough wrestling section.

Meanwhile, the Laker girls and boys basketball teams will stay in Section 3AA for the next two years with KMS added to the section and ACGC and West Central Area both leaving.

•  The biggest change for spring sports involves track and field, which will move from Section 5A to 6A.  That’s huge for the Lakers since EVW-Kimball Area and Holdingford were former competitors in Section 5A and field very strong track programs.

The Laker softball and baseball programs will remain in Section 3AA.  The baseball section loses ACGC and WCA and gains KMS, while the softball section loses ACGC, RCW-BOLD and WCA and picks up a strong KMS softball program.

For boys and girls golf, the Lakers will stay in Section 3AA where they will lose ACGC, WCA and Worthington, but will also be joined by KMS, Kimball-EVW and Paynesville.

And, for boys tennis, Section 8A adds Detroit Lakes to make a very strong nine-team section.

Section alignments for 2023-24 and 2024-25

•••Fall sports

FOOTBALL

Section 6AAA football

Minnewaska Area

Albany

Melrose Area

Montevideo

New London-Spicer

Sauk Centre

——————————–

VOLLEYBALL

Section 6AA volleyball

Minnewaska Area

Albany

Foley

Holdingford

Melrose Area

Milaca

Osakis

Pequot Lakes

Pierz

Pillager

Royalton

Sauk Centre

St. Cloud Cathedral

Staples-Motley

——————————–

CROSS-COUNTRY

Section 6A cross-country

Minnewaska Area

Benson-KMS

Bertha-Hewitt

Ashby-Brandon-Evansville

Border West

Ottertail Central

Hillcrest

Long Prairie-GE

Melrose Area

Morris Area-CA

Alexandria Community Chris

Ortonville

Osakis

Parkers Prairie

Pillager

Sauk Centre

Staples-Motley

Verndale

Wadena-DC

West Central Area

——————————–

SOCCER

Section 8A soccer

Minnewaska Area

Prinsburg CMCS

Crookston

East Grand Forks

Fergus Falls

Hillcrest-Underwood

Melrose Area

Pelican Rapids

St. Cloud Cathedral

St. John’s Prep

——————————–

GIRLS TENNIS

Section 6A girls tennis

Minnewaska Area

BBE

Litchfield

Long Prairie-GE-USA

Melrose Area

NLS

Osakis

Sauk Centre

St. John’s Prep

——————————–

SWIMMING-DIVING

Section 8A swimming

Minnewaska-Morris Area

Alexandria

Detroit Lakes Area

Fergus Falls

Fosston-Bagley-Crookston

Park Rapids Area

Perham-NY Mills

Thief River Falls

Warroad-BHMR-Roseau

••Winter sports

WRESTLING

Section 8AA wrestling

Minnewaska Area

Alexandria Area

Detroit Lakes

Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton

Fergus Falls

United Clay Becker

Sauk Centre-Melrose

Park Rapids Area

Perham

Pequot Lakes-Pine River-B

Roseau

Thief River Falls

——————————–

BOYS-GIRLS

BASKETBALL

Section 3AA boys and girls 

Minnewaska Area

EV-Watkins

Fairmont

Jackson County Central

KMS

Litchfield

Luverne

Montevideo

Morris Area-CA

New London-Spicer

Paynesville Area

Pipestone Area

Redwood Valley

St. James

Windom Area

—————

DANCE

Section 2A Dance

High Kick and Jazz 

Minnewaska Area

ACGC

BBE-Paynesville

Holdingford

Litchfield

Melrose Area

New London-Spicer

Osakis

PACT Charter

Pierz

Sauk Centre

SCC-St. Cloud Christian

St. Croix Academy

••Spring sports

BASEBALL

Section 3AA baseball

Minnewaska Area

Fairmont

Jackson Cty Central

KMS

Luverne

Montevideo

Morris Area-CA

NLS

Paynesville Area

Pipestone Area

Redwood Valley

St. James Area

Windom Area

——————————-

SOFTBALL

Section 3AA softball

Minnewaska Area

Dassel-Cokato

Jackson Cty Central

KMS

Litchfield

Luverne

Minneota-Canby

Montevideo

Morris Area-CA

NLS

Pipestone Area

Redwood Valley

Windom Area

——————————-

BOYS-GIRLS

TRACK and FIELD

Section 6A girls and boys track and field

Minnewaska Area

Ashby-Brandon-Evansville

Barnesville

Breckenridge

Browerville

Frazee

Ottertail Central

Hillcrest Lutheran

Long Prairie-GE

New York Mills

Osakis

Parkers Prairie

Pelican Rapids

Pillager

Pine River-Backus

Rothsay

Sauk Centre

United North Central

Staples-Motley

Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale

Wadena-DC

West Central Area

Border West

——————————-

BOYS-GIRLS GOLF

Section 3AA Golf

Minnewaska Area

Fairmont

Jackson Cty Central

KMS

Kimball-EVW

Litchfield

Luverne

Marshall

Montevideo

Morris Area-CA

NLS

New Ulm

Paynesville

Pipestone

Redwood Valley

Windom Area

——————————-

BOYS TENNIS

Section 8A boys tennis

Minnewaska Area

Crookston

Detroit Lakes

East Grand Forks

Fergus Falls

NLS

Osakis

Perham

Thief River Falls