Northern Lakes Conference (Wisconsin)
The Northern Lakes Conference is a high school athletic conference with its membership base in northern Wisconsin. It was founded in 1927 and all members belong to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
[edit]Land O' Lakes Conference (1927–1937)
[edit]The Northern Lakes Conference was originally formed in 1927 as Land O' Lakes Conference by eleven schools in northern Wisconsin: Argonne, Crandon, Eagle River, Elcho, Goodman, Hiles, Laona, Suring, Three Lakes, Wabeno and White Lake.[1] Phelps joined the conference after the first season,[2] and in 1929, Mountain entered the league as its thirteenth member.[3] Minocqua became a member of the Land O' Lakes Conference in 1932,[4] but membership stayed at thirteen schools due to Crandon's departure.[5] That number was decreased to eleven the next year, as Mountain and Suring left to join the Marinette & Oconto Conference.[6] Crandon reinstated their membership in the Land O' Lakes in 1934 to put the roster at twelve schools, and the conference subdivided into Northern and Southern Divisions:[7]
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Eagle River | Argonne |
| Elcho | Crandon |
| Hiles | Goodman |
| Minocqua | Laona |
| Phelps | Wabeno |
| Three Lakes | White Lake |
Name Change and Rural Consolidations (1937–1972)
[edit]In 1937, the Land O' Lakes Conference changed its name to the Northern Lakes Conference in order to avoid confusion with another conference of the same name.[8] Membership stayed at twelve schools until the start of World War II, when both Argonne[9] and Hiles[10] closed, with students for both schools being redistricted to Crandon. The conference competed as a ten-member loop until the addition of Woodruff-Arbor Vitae in 1950, bringing the membership roster to eleven schools.[11] In 1951, Goodman accepted an invitation to join the Marinette & Oconto Conference,[12] and Elcho shifted to the Southern Division to make five teams per division:[13]
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Eagle River | Crandon |
| Minocqua | Elcho |
| Phelps | Laona |
| Three Lakes | Wabeno |
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | White Lake |
Divisional play was ended in 1954,[14] and in 1957, the number of schools in the Northern Lakes Conference decreased to eight as White Lake left for membership in the Wolf River Valley Conference[15] and Lakeland Union High School was created from the consolidation of Minocqua and Woodruff-Arbor Vitae.[16][17] Lakeland Union's tenure in the Northern Lakes Conference turned out to be short-lived, as they only spent one season in the conference before joining with larger schools in the Lumberjack Conference in 1958.[18] Goodman rejoined the conference in 1960 after spending the previous few seasons as members of the disbanded Granite Valley Conference.[19] In 1964, the Northern Lakes Conference added Florence as a new member, who joined after exiting the Big Six Conference in Michigan's upper peninsula.[20]
Minor Adjustments and Cooperative Programs (1972–present)
[edit]In 1972, Pembine entered the Northern Lakes from the Michigan-based Skyline Conference[21] and White Lake rejoined after displacement from the defunct Wolf River Valley Conference two years prior.[22] Eagle River High School changed its name to Northland Pines High School in 1974[23] when they built a new facility to relieve overcrowding, and they would leave the conference two years later for membership in the newly expanded Lumberjack Conference.[24] The Northern Lakes Conference remained a stable ten-school circuit for the next three decades before welcoming the Conserve School in Land o' Lakes into the fold in 2005.[25] Their stay would be relatively short, as they left the conference in 2009.[26][27] The Northern Lakes Conference would see four programs consolidate into two at the beginning of the 2010s, first with Goodman and Pembine in 2011[28] and then with Laona and Wabeno the next year.[29] White Lake left the conference for a second time to join the Central Wisconsin Conference in 2021,[30] bringing the membership roster to its current total of nine schools, four of which are part of cooperative programs due to size.
List of Conference Members
[edit]Current Members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crandon | Crandon, WI | Public | 239 | Cardinals | 1927,[1] 1934[7] | |
| Elcho | Elcho, WI | Public | 83 | Hornets | 1927[1] | |
| Florence | Florence, WI | Public | 118 | Bobcats | 1964[20] | |
| Goodman/Pembine | Goodman, WI/Pembine, WI | Public | 98 | Patriots | 2011[28] | |
| Phelps | Phelps, WI | Public | 28 | Fighting Knights | 1928[2] | |
| Three Lakes | Three Lakes, WI | Public | 155 | Bluejays | 1927[1] | |
| Wabeno/Laona | Laona, WI/Wabeno, WI | Public | 165 | Rebels | 2012[29] |
Former Members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argonne | Argonne, WI | Public | N/A | Orange | 1927[1] | 1942[9] | Closed in 1942 (consolidated into Crandon) | ||
| Goodman | Goodman, WI | Public | 30 | Falcons | 1927,[1] 1960[19] | 1951,[12] 2011[28] | Marinette & Oconto | Northern Lakes (coop with Pembine) | |
| Hiles | Hiles, WI | Public | N/A | Unknown | Unknown | 1927[1] | 1943[10] | Closed in 1943 (consolidated into Crandon) | |
| Laona | Laona, WI | Public | 66 | Fighting Kellys | 1927[1] | 2012[29] | Northern Lakes (coop with Wabeno) | ||
| Northland Pines | Eagle River, WI | Public | 451 | Eagles | 1927[1] | 1976[24] | Lumberjack | Great Northern | |
| Suring | Suring, WI | Public | 117 | Eagles | 1927[1] | 1933[6] | Marinette & Oconto | ||
| Wabeno | Wabeno, WI | Public | 99 | Logrollers | 1927[1] | 2012[29] | Northern Lakes (coop with Laona) | ||
| White Lake | White Lake, WI | Public | 43 | Lakers | 1927,[1] 1972[22] | 1957,[15] 2021[30] | Independent, Central Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin | |
| Mountain | Mountain, WI | Public | N/A | Mountaineers | 1929[3] | 1933[6] | Marinette & Oconto | Closed in 1948 (consolidated into Suring) | |
| Minocqua | Minocqua, WI | Public | N/A | Islanders | 1932[4] | 1957[16][17] | Closed (merged into Lakeland Union) | ||
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | Arbror Vitae, WI | Public | N/A | Muskies | 1950[11] | 1957[16][17] | Closed (merged into Lakeland Union) | ||
| Lakeland Union | Minocqua, WI | Public | 717 | Thunderbirds | 1957[16][17] | 1958[18] | Lumberjack | Great Northern | |
| Pembine | Pembine, WI | Public | 68 | Panthers | 1972[21] | 2011[28] | Northern Lakes (coop with Goodman) | ||
| Conserve School | Land o' Lakes, WI | Private (Nonsectarian) | N/A | Steelers | 2005[25] | 2009[26][27] | Independent | Closed in 2020 | |
Membership Timeline
[edit]
List of State Champions
[edit]Fall Sports
[edit]None
Winter Sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 1989 | Class C |
Spring Sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 1996 | Division 3 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The Lowdown (see Land O' Lakes League)". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 December 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Crandon Leads League". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 January 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Crandon Five Facing Eagle Netters Next". Rhinelander Daily News. 23 January 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "The Lowdown (see Land O' Lakes)". Rhinelander Daily News. 19 March 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Lakes League Opens Season". Rhinelander Daily News. 7 December 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b c "Marinette-Oconto Loop to Meet at Wausaukee". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 15 March 1933. p. 9. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Leaders Play in Lakes Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 December 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Highlights in Sports". Rhinelander Daily News. 22 September 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Argonne High School Closed". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 24 September 1942. p. 11. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Hiles News". Forest Republican. 23 September 1943. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Play Opens Tonight in Northern Lakes Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 15 September 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "M-O Loop Admits Granite Valley Schools, Goodman". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 19 April 1951. p. 43. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "White Lake Keeps Division Lead". Rhinelander Daily News. 15 December 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Minocqua Looms as Likely Winner of NLC Crown". Rhinelander Daily News. 21 December 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Prep Cage Standings (see Northern Lakes and Wolf River Valley)". Wisconsin State Journal. 2 March 1958. p. 24. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "School Progress Satisfactory in County – Paulson". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 November 1955. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Registration Set for Lakeland High". Rhinelander Daily News. 4 September 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Lakeland Cagers Expected to Do Well in New Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 November 1958. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Wabeno Favored to Retain Crown in NLC Basketball". Rhinelander Daily News. 16 November 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Crandall, Ray (27 March 1964). "In This Corner". Escanaba Daily Press. p. 9. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Jets Sail Past Pembine, 64–50". Escanaba Daily Press. 18 November 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Kloppenburg, Dick (13 April 1972). "Poor Richard's Sports Almanac". Wausau Daily Herald. p. 19. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "School bonds approved". Wausau Daily Herald. 17 July 1974. p. 26. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Papers, Apaches Shifted to Lumberjack". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. 27 June 1975. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Stapleton, Arnie (12 December 2005). "'Stormin' Norman' slows down". La Crosse Tribune. pp. B-1, B-4. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Standings and Statistics (see Northern Lakes)". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 8 January 2009. p. 16. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Standings, Statistics (see Northern Lakes)". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 7 January 2010. p. 19. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Goodman-Pembine Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Wabeno/Laona Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "White Lake Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.