Three Rivers Athletic Conference

Three Rivers Athletic Conference
Classification OHSAA Divisions I & II
Region  Ohio
Sports fielded Football, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field
Founded 2011
No. of members 10
Official website http://www.tracsports.org
Map

The Three Rivers Athletic Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) high school athletic conference that began athletic competition in 2011 and has 10 high schools from Northwest Ohio, seven of which are from the Toledo metropolitan area, and one each from the cities of Findlay, Fremont and Lima.[1] Ken Myers, former director of public safety and public services in Fremont, is the league's inaugural commissioner.[2] The three rivers from which the conference derives its name are the Maumee, Sandusky, and Blanchard.

Members

School Nickname Location Colors Type Join Date
Central Catholic Fighting Irish Toledo Scarlet, Gray
          		Parochial 2011
Clay Eagles Oregon Green, Yellow
         		 Public 2011
Findlay Trojans Findlay Blue, Gold
         		 Public 2011
Fremont Ross Little Giants Fremont Purple, White
         		 Public 2011
Lima Senior Spartans Lima Scarlet, Gray
          		Public 2011
Notre Dame Eagles Toledo Blue, Gold
         		 Parochial (Girls) 2011
St. Francis de Sales Knights Toledo Red, Blue
         		 Parochial (Boys) 2011
St. John's Jesuit Titans Toledo Blue, Vegas Gold
         		 Parochial (Boys) 2011
St. Ursula Arrows Toledo Blue, Gold
         		 Parochial (Girls) 2011
Whitmer Panthers Toledo Maize, Blue
         		 Public 2011

History

The Three Rivers Athletic Conference began its inaugural season in the fall of 2011. The idea for the creation of the league was brought about following Toledo Public Schools' decisions to close Libbey High School[3] and athletic cuts within TPS which were made by the system to offset a reported $39 million budget deficit. In May 2010, the Toledo Public School board of education voted to cut all junior high (seventh and eighth grade) and freshman sports, as well as the discontinuation of boys tennis, cross country, golf, ice hockey and wrestling.[4] This caused concern for the non-TPS members, who wanted to have competition in those sports and at those levels without struggling to find games.

Clay High School, who joined the Toledo City League in 2003, were the first school to announce that they would leave following a unanimous vote of 5–0 by the Oregon School District in mid July 2010.[5] Following Clay's decision, TCL members Central Catholic, Notre Dame, St. Francis de Sales, St. John's Jesuit, St. Ursula and Whitmer all announced that they would leave the City League as well. Fremont Ross, who was to join the City League in 2011, as well as Findlay and Lima Senior were also announced as members of the new league.[6]

Near the end of July 2010, the new league's members announced that Three Rivers Athletic Conference was chosen to be the name for the conference. The name represents the Northwest Ohio rivers - the Maumee, the Sandusky and the Blanchard - which are part of the collective geography of the 10 inaugural member schools.[1] Other names considered for the new league included Toledo Metro Athletic Conference, the Greater Metro Athletic Conference and the Northwest Athletic Conference.[7] Each member of the TRAC will be asked to submit a logo design for the league and the conference's ten principals will make a decision on which logo will be chosen for the league.[8]

Although he indicated that joining the TRAC was "probably off the table", Marion Harding athletic director Gary Miller mentioned that his school did apply for admission into the new league as an alternative to being independent in the future.[9] Marion Harding remained members of the Greater Buckeye Conference with Findlay, Fremont Ross, and Lima Senior through the 2010-11 school year.

Competition format

The TRAC will play a standard seven-game varsity football schedule in weeks 4-10 of the season, with each of the eight schools that have varsity football playing non-league games in the first three weeks of the football season.[1]

Hockey will be contested outside of the conference umbrella. The hockey teams will retain their membership in the three-tiered Northwest Hockey Conference.[1]

The TRAC will have championship competition for football and all of its other sanctioned sports.[1]

League championships[10]

Boys championships

School YearFootballSoccerCross CountryGolfBasketballWrestlingSwimming/DivingBaseballTrack & FieldTennis
2011-12 Whitmer St. John's St. Francis St. John's Whitmer Clay St. Francis St. John's Whitmer St. John's
2012-13 Whitmer St. John's St. Francis Findlay St. John's Clay St. Francis Central Catholic Whitmer St. John's
2013-14 Central Catholic St. John's St. Francis St. John's Central Catholic
2014-15 Central Catholic
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21

Girls championships

School YearVolleyballSoccerCross CountryGolfTennisBasketballGymnasticsSwimming/DivingSoftballTrack & Field
2011-12 St. Ursula Central Catholic Notre Dame St. Ursula St. Ursula Notre Dame Clay St. Ursula Central Catholic Notre Dame
2012-13 St. Ursula Clay Notre Dame St. Ursula Notre Dame Notre Dame Fremont Ross Clay Notre Dame
2013-14 Clay
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Junga, Steve (July 29, 2010). "Exiting CL schools unveil new league". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  2. ↑ Junga, Steve (August 25, 2010). "Myers picked as first TRAC commissioner". Toledo Blade. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  3. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Christopher D. (May 26, 2010). "Libbey High to be closed to save money, board rules in 3–2 vote". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. ↑ Junga, Steve (July 14, 2010). "Steps could begin to end current CL lineup in Toledo". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  5. ↑ Junga, Steve (July 15, 2010). "Oregon board votes to leave CL". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  6. ↑ Junga, Steve (July 18, 2010). "End of an era: City League in transition". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ Junga, Steve (July 19, 2010). "New frontier ahead for area leagues". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ Hanneman, Dave (July 29, 2010). "Findlay High athletes have a new home". The Courier. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Three GBC schools joining new league". Marion Star. July 19, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  10. ↑ http://tracsports.org/?page_id=70