1 goes out, 1 comes in
Unity Christian, G-LR trade conference affiliations
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SENTINEL-NEWS FILE PHOTO
A George-Little Rock player looks for a teammate as two H-M-S defenders trap him during the semifinal round of the boys' Class 1A district tournament on Feb. 25, 2020 at Paullina.
One area sports-related event in 2022 that will impact Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn is the exit of one member of the War Eagle Conference and its replacement by a school currently in the Siouxland Conference.
Unity Christian has competed in the War Eagle Conference for many years. But an enrollment of 228 in grades 9-11 puts it in Class 3A for girls' postseason competition and 2A for boys' tournaments. By comparison, most WEC schools compete in Class 1A.
Four previous attempts by Unity Christian to join the Siouxland Conference were rejected. However, chances of acceptance were greatly enhanced last September when George-Little Rock announced its intention to leave the Siouxland Conference, pending acceptance into the War Eagle.
George-Little Rock is currently the smallest school in the Siouxland with 102 students in grades 9-11. After receiving positive feedback from the War Eagle Conference, G-LR conducted public meetings to inform patrons about the possible move.
After both schools formally notified their current conferences of their intentions, Unity Christian was accepted into the Siouxland and G-LR was welcomed into the War Eagle.
The moves are effective at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Membership in the Siouxland Conference will remain at 10 schools and the War Eagle will stay at 11.
The conference membership changes do not apply to football, which is governed by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. G-LR has announced it plans to continue sharing football, cross country and wrestling with Siouxland Conference member Central Lyon.
