Matt Harris
Staff writer
1-19-2017
The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) has finally completed sweeping changes across the map for all high school sports.
Lines have been redrawn, schools have been reclassified and UHSAA has even introduced a brand new 6A classification for more densely populated high schools in northern Utah. While North Sanpete, Manti, and Gunnison Valley High Schools are certainly not affected by the latter of these changes, the changes in regions have created a stir.
Statewide, moves being considered by UHSAA were meeting with controversy and backlash from different school administrators. Nan Ault, principal of North Sanpete High, was one of many Utah school administrators who said they felt that their school’s needs were being ignored.
Eventually, the UHSAA ultimately decided that there would never be a way to please everyone and went forward with the changes most agreed upon.
Region updates are as follows and will be in effect starting the beginning of the 2017-18 season.
North Sanpete
The Hawks will be in 3A Region 15. Unfortunately, the traditional rivals of North Sanpete, Delta and Juab, were placed in Region 14. Region 15 also includes Emery, Grand County, Manti, Richfield, South Sevier, and San Juan.
In football, North Sanpete is the 3A South region which includes Juab, Juan Diego, Manti, Richfield, and now, Summit Academy. Summit moved up from 2A Region 18.
Manti
The Templars have moved up to 3A in all sports as of next year, rather than their “football-only” standing. They will be joining North Sanpete in Region 15 and the 3A South football region.
Gunnison
Gunnison will remain as a 2A school in all sports in Region 18. They are joined by Beaver, Enterprise, Kanab, Millard, North Sevier, and Parowan, who have moved up from 1A.
In football, Gunnison will play in the 2A North region, along with American Leadership Academy, Delta (which dropped from 3A), Millard, North Summit and South Summit.
Among many other things affected by the changes, North Sanpete’s travel time for football was substantially increased. Administrators for North Sanpete reported that they plan to try and consolidate events for their sports teams to use fewer buses and, therefore, less fuel.
More development will take place over the coming year as principals and boards seek to make the changes work to their best advantage.
