MSHSL announces new section alignments for winter, spring sports

There were a few changes involving Park Rapids, Menahga and Nevis sports teams when the Minnesota State High School League announced the new section alignments for winter and spring sports for the 2023-24 season.

For Section 8AA boys and girls basketball, Fergus Falls and Red Lake have been moved to different sections.

Frazee also leaves for the boys, dropping the section to 13 teams. In addition to Park Rapids and Menahga, the section returns Barnesville, Crookston, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, East Grand Forks, Hawley, Pelican Rapids, Perham, Roseau, Thief River Falls, Wadena-Deer Creek and Warroad. Frazee remains in the Section 8AA girls field.

Nevis returns to Section 5A in both boys and girls basketball.

The boys will feature 20 teams with Barnum, Cromwell and McGregor moving out and Maple Lake, Northern Lakes Academy and PACT moving in to join Bertha-Hewitt, Braham, Browerville-Eagle Valley, East Central, Mille Lacs, Kaleidoscope Charter, Laporte, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Ogilvie, Pine River-Backus, Sebeka, St. John’s Prep, Swanville Area, Upsala, Verndale and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

For the girls, Barnum and McGregor move out with Maple Lake moving in. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa also returns for the girls to make an 18-team section. Kaleidoscope Charter, Northern Lakes Academy and PACT are not in the girls section.

Section 8A boys hockey remains the same with Bagley/Fosston, Crookston, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Kittson County Central, Lake of the Woods, Red Lake Falls, Thief River Falls and Warroad staying with Park Rapids-Menahga-Nevis-Walker-Hackensack-Akeley to comprise the 10-team section.Section 8A wrestling also stays the same with Badger-Greenbush-Middle River, Barnesville, Crookston, Fertile-Beltrami, Fosston/Bagley, Frazee, Mahnomen/Waubun and defending champion United North Central making up the 10-team section.

There are two changes in Section 8AA wrestling with Albany moving out and Minnewaska Area moving in. In addition to Park Rapids, the other teams returning in the 13-team section are Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Fergus Falls, Minnewaska, Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus, Perham, Roseau, Sauk Centre/Melrose, Thief River Falls and United Clay Becker.

The sections remained the same for Section 8A gymnastics and Section 5A boys swimming and diving.

Park Rapids-Nevis returns with Albany, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville, Melrose and Perham/New York Mills in the eight-team Section 8A gymnastics field

Section 5A boys swimming and diving returns with the same eight teams: Park Rapids, Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Melrose/Sauk Centre, Morris Area, Perham/New York Mills and Thief River Falls

The biggest change in spring sports is the Menahga fastpitch softball team moving from Section 5A to Section 8AA.

Fergus Falls, Frazee, Pelican Rapids and Red Lake move out of Section 8AA as the section goes down to 14 teams. Returning along with Park Rapids are Barnesville, Breckenridge, Crookston, D-G-F, East Grand Forks, Hawley, Ottertail Central, Perham, Roseau, Thief River Falls, Wadena-Deer Creek and Warroad.

Section 8AA baseball remains the same with Park Rapids and Menahga returning with Barnesville, Crookston, D-G-F, East Grand Forks, Hawley, Ottertail Central, Pelican Rapids, Perham, Roseau, Thief River Falls and Warroad.

Nevis returns to Section 5A in both baseball and softball.

Section 5A baseball is up two teams with Frazee, Lake Park-Audubon and New York Mills moving in and Hinckley-Finlayson moving out. Joining Nevis as returning teams are Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale, Braham, Cass Lake-Bena, East Central, Hill City/Northland, Mille Lacs, Laporte, McGregor, Ogilvie, Pine River-Backus, Sebeka and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

For Section 5A softball, Hinckley-Finlayson joins Menahga as teams leaving with B-H-V, Blackduck and Kelliher-Northome moving in to form a 14-team section. Returning along with Nevis are CL-B, Deer River, East Central, Hill City/Northland, Mille Lacs, Laporte, McGregor, Pine River-Backus, Sebeka and W-H-A.

Section 8AA golf becomes tougher with the addition of Detroit Lakes. Frazee also joined while Bagley moved out. Park Rapids and United North Central return along with Barnesville, Crookston, D-G-F, East Grand Forks, Fergus Falls, Hawley, Pelican Rapids, Perham, Red Lake, Roseau, Thief River Falls and Warroad to form a 16-team field.

Nevis returns to Section 7A for golf as Barnum and Duluth Marshall leave to form a 13-team section. Bigfork, Blackduck, Bug-O-Nay, Carlton, Cass Lake-Bena, Deer River, Northeast Range/Ely, Moose Lake-Willow River, North Woods, Northome-Kelliher, Pine River-Backus and W-H-A are the other teams.

The Section 8A track and field teams remain the same with Park Rapids and Nevis being joined by Ada-Borup-West, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River, Bagley/Fosston, Cass Lake-Bena, Clearbrook-Gonvick, Climax-Fisher-Sacred Heart, Crookston, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Fertile-Beltrami, Goodridge/Grygla, Kittson County Central, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen/Waubun, Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal, Northome/Kelliher, Park Christian, Red Lake County, Roseau, Trek North, United Clay Becker, W-H-A, West Marshall and Warroad in the 25-team section.

Section 6A track and field increases to 23 teams with Perham moving out and Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Minnewaska Area and Sauk Centre moving in to join United North Central, Ashby-Brandon-Evansville, Barnesville, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale, Border West, Breckenridge, Browerville-Eagle Valley, Frazee, Ottertail Central, Hillcrest Lutheran, New York Mills, Osakis, Parkers Prairie, Pelican Rapids, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Rothsay, Staples-Motley, Wadena-Deer Creek and West Central Area.