Login
Login

Olympian Conference

{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

The Olympian Conference is a former high school athletic conference with its members concentrated in east central Wisconsin. Formed in 1970 and dissolved in 2015, all conference members belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

= 1970-1999 =

{{OSM Location map

| title =

| coord = {{coord|44.2136|-87.9751}}

| float = right

| zoom = 8

| width = 250

| height = 250

| mark-size1=10

| mark-title1=Brillion

| mark-coord1={{coord|44.1886|-88.0972}} | mark-description1=Location:

| shape-color1=#ba0c2f | shape1=circle

| mark-title2=Denmark

| mark-coord2={{coord|44.3544|-87.8253}} | mark-description2=Location:

| shape-color2=#582c83 | shape2=circle

| mark-title3=Freedom

| mark-coord3={{coord|44.3845|-88.2923}} | mark-description3=Location:

| shape-color3=#115740 | shape3=circle

| mark-title4=Hilbert

| mark-coord4={{coord|44.1375|-88.1690}} | mark-description4=Location:

| shape-color4=#005eb8 | shape4=circle

| mark-title5=Mishicot

| mark-coord5={{coord|44.2385|-87.6329}} | mark-description5=Location:

| shape-color5=#ff8200 | shape5=circle

| mark-title6=Reedsville

| mark-coord6={{coord|44.1537|-87.9529}} | mark-description6=Location:

| shape-color6=#000000 | shape6=circle

| mark-title7=Valders

| mark-coord7={{coord|44.0694|-87.8846}} | mark-description7=Location:

| shape-color7=#d50032 | shape7=circle

| mark-title8=Wrightstown

| mark-coord8={{coord|44.3174|-88.1542}} | mark-description8=Location:

| shape-color8=#0032a0 | shape8=circle

| caption = Location of Original Olympian Conference Members

| auto-caption=

| wrap=wrap}}

The Olympian Conference was formed in 1970 by eight small- to medium-sized high schools in proximity to the Fox River Valley and Lake Winnebago in east central Wisconsin.{{Cite news |date=5 December 1969 |title=Olympian Loop Gets Approval |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/293920990/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22 |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=22}} Six of the original conference members previously competed in the Little Nine Conference (Brillion, Denmark, Freedom, Hilbert, Reedsville and Wrightstown), while one each came from the Eastern Wisconsin (Valders) and Peninsula (Mishicot) Conferences. The name of the conference was credited to a student at Mishicot High School{{Cite news |date=8 December 1969 |title=Names Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/293924089/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22 |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=24}} after each school in the new conference suggested a name. Other finalists considered were the Inter-Lake Conference, Mid-Valley Conference and Packerland Conference (which would itself be used for a new conference that was inaugurated the same year as the Olympian). It was named so because the Olympics are considered the pinnacle of athletic competition.{{Cite news |date=14 December 1979 |title=Staff's Stuff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/188939711/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22 |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=38}} The Olympian Conference's first change in membership occurred in 1979, as Valders left to join a reconstituted Eastern Wisconsin Conference after a successful appeal against joining the Packerland Conference.{{Cite news |date=8 February 1979 |title=Olympian Tables Decision on Manitowoc Lutheran |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/189397900/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20valders%20%22eastern%20wisconsin%22 |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=26}}{{Cite news |last=Bartel |first=Roger |date=12 October 1978 |title=Lutheran looks for new conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/291407032/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20valders%20%22eastern%20wisconsin%22 |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=19}} Their stay in the newly-formed EWC was short-lived as they returned to the Olympian{{Cite news |last=Rockley |first=Jan |date=21 June 1979 |title=Valders rejoins Olympian group |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/291895101/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20valders%20mishicot%20realignment |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=18}} in 1980 to bring the circuit back to eight member schools. For football, Denmark and Mishicot swapped affiliations with Packerland members Gibraltar and Sevastopol,{{Cite news |date=24 April 1979 |title=WIAA Alters Grid Playoffs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/189413299/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20gibraltar%20sevastopol%20football |access-date=10 June 2025 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=B-2}} an arrangement that would last until the 1984 football season.{{Cite news |last=Goff |first=Tom |title=WIAA approves CSC, CWC league merger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/289091558/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20denmark%20freedom%20football%20realignment |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=B-14}}

= 1999-2015 =

{{OSM Location map

| title =

| coord = {{coord|44.2136|-87.9751}}

| float = right

| zoom = 8

| width = 250

| height = 250

| mark-size1=10

| mark-title1=Brillion

| mark-coord1={{coord|44.1886|-88.0972}} | mark-description1=Location:

| shape-color1=#ba0c2f | shape1=circle

| mark-title2=Chilton

| mark-coord2={{coord|44.0239|-88.1753}} | mark-description2=Location:

| shape-color2=#ffc72c | shape2=circle

| mark-title3=Hilbert

| mark-coord3={{coord|44.1375|-88.1690}} | mark-description3=Location:

| shape-color3=#005eb8 | shape3=circle

| mark-title4=Manitowoc Lutheran

| mark-coord4={{coord|44.1111|-87.6983}} | mark-description4=Location:

| shape-color4=#a2aaad | shape4=circle

| mark-title5=Mishicot

| mark-coord5={{coord|44.2385|-87.6329}} | mark-description5=Location:

| shape-color5=#ff8200 | shape5=circle

| mark-title6=Reedsville

| mark-coord6={{coord|44.1537|-87.9529}} | mark-description6=Location:

| shape-color6=#000000 | shape6=circle

| mark-title7=Roncalli

| mark-coord7={{coord|44.1265|-87.6318}} | mark-description7=Location:

| shape-color7=#002d6c | shape7=circle

| mark-title8=St. Mary Catholic

| mark-coord8={{coord|44.2127|-88.4831}} | mark-description8=Location:

| shape-color8=#69b3e7 | shape8=circle

| mark-title9=Valders

| mark-coord9={{coord|44.0694|-87.8846}} | mark-description9=Location:

| shape-color9=#d50032 | shape9=circle

| mark-title10=Wrightstown

| mark-coord10={{coord|44.3174|-88.1542}} | mark-description10=Location:

| shape-color10=#0032a0 | shape10=circle

| caption = Location of Final Olympian Conference Members

| auto-caption=

| wrap=wrap}}

The Olympian Conference's membership roster was remarkably stable for the first three decades of its existence, but major changes came in 1999 during a wave of realignment in east central Wisconsin. Denmark and Freedom, the two largest schools in the conference, left to join the Packerland Conference and Valley Eight Conference, respectively.{{Cite news |last=McMahon |first=Scott |date=26 June 1998 |title=WIAA's realignment stands, as expected |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/190372260/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20realignment |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=15}} They were replaced by three schools: Chilton (previously of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference), Manitowoc Lutheran (formerly a member of the Fox Valley Christian Conference) and St. Mary Catholic in Neenah (from the Midwest Classic Conference).{{Cite news |last=Lichterman |first=Dean |date=17 April 1998 |title=Area school officials generally pleased with latest proposals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1029139783/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20realignment |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=8}} Both Manitowoc Lutheran and St. Mary Catholic were new to the WIAA having recently joined as part of the merger with the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association (WISAA). The Olympian Conference would continue in this alignment for eight years before Roncalli in Manitowoc joined from the Eastern Wisconsin Conference in 2007.{{Cite news |last=VanderPas |first=Dan |date=13 January 2006 |title=Approval expected for plan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/290717343/?match=1&terms=%22olympian%20conference%22%20realignment |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=19}} That same year, the Olympian entered into a football partnership with the Packerland Conference, creating the new seventeen-member Olympian-Packerland Conference.{{Cite news |last=Venci |first=Scott |date=30 June 2007 |title=It will be a new era |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/361111072/?match=1&terms=olympian%20packerland%20football |access-date=10 June 2025 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=C-1}} The Olympian Conference would be dissolved in 2015 as its five of its smallest members (Hilbert, Manitowoc Lutheran, Mishicot, Reedsville and St. Mary Catholic) would leave to join nine former Central Lakeshore Conference schools in forming the new Big East Conference. The Eastern Wisconsin Conference took four former Olympian schools into the fold (Brillion, Chilton, Roncalli and Valders), and Wrightstown would join the North Eastern Conference.{{Cite news |last=Gannett Wisconsin Media |date=30 January 2014 |title=WIAA approves realignment plan |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/109258204/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=A7–A8}}{{clear}}

Conference membership history

= Full members =

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Location

!Affiliation

![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment]

!Mascot

!Colors

!Joined

!Left

!Conference Joined

!Current Conference

Brillion

|Brillion, WI

|Public

|342

|Lions

|{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}}

|1970

|2015

| colspan="2" |Eastern Wisconsin

Denmark

|Denmark, WI

|Public

|488

|Vikings

|{{color box|582c83}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1970

|1999

|Packerland

|North Eastern

Freedom

|Freedom, WI

|Public

|504

|Irish

|{{color box|115740}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1970

|1999

|Valley Eight

|North Eastern

Hilbert

|Hilbert, WI

|Public

|141

|Wolves

|{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}}

|1970

|2015

| colspan="2" |Big East

Mishicot

|Mishicot, WI

|Public

|280

|Indians

|{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}}

|1970

|2015

| colspan="2" |Big East

Reedsville

|Reedsville, WI

|Public

|192

|Panthers

|{{color box|black}} {{color box|e35205}}

|1970

|2015

| colspan="2" |Big East

Valders

|Valders, WI

|Public

|298

|Vikings

|{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}}

|1970, 1980

|1979, 2015

|Eastern Wisconsin

|Eastern Wisconsin

Wrightstown

|Wrightstown, WI

|Public

|402

|Tigers

|{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|white}}

|1970

|2015

| colspan="2" |North Eastern

Chilton

|Chilton, WI

|Public

|401

|Tigers

|{{color box|041e42}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1999

|2015

| colspan="2" |Eastern Wisconsin

Manitowoc Lutheran

|Manitowoc, WI

|Private (Lutheran, WELS)

|227

|Lancers

|{{color box|a2aaad}} {{color box|d50032}}

|1999

|2015

| colspan="2" |Big East

St. Mary Catholic

|Neenah, WI

|Private (Catholic)

|277

|Zephyrs

|{{color box|69b3e7}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1999

|2015

| colspan="2" |Big East

Roncalli

|Manitowoc, WI

|Private (Catholic)

|223

|Jets

|{{color box|002d6c}} {{color box|69b3e7}}

|2007

|2015

| colspan="2" |Eastern Wisconsin

= Football-only members =

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Location

!Affiliation

![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment]

!Mascot

!Colors

!Seasons

!Primary Conference

Gibraltar

|Fish Creek, WI

|Public

|182

|Vikings

|{{color box|ffc72c}} {{color box|0032a0}}

|1979-1982

|Packerland

Sevastopol

|Sturgeon Bay, WI

|Public

|180

|Pioneers

|{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|black}}

|1979-1983

|Packerland

Membership timeline

= Full members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1970 till:2015

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m

bar:1 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2015 text:Brillion (1970-2015)

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1970 till:1999 text:Denmark (1970-1999)

bar:3 color:tan1 from:1970 till:1999 text:Freedom (1970-1999)

bar:4 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2015 text:Hilbert (1970-2015)

bar:5 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2015 text:Mishicot (1970-2015)

bar:6 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2015 text:Reedsville (1970-2015)

bar:7 color:tan1 from:1970 till:1979 text:Valders (1970-1979)

bar:7 color:tan1 from:1980 till:2015 text:(1980-2015)

bar:8 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2015 text:Wrightstown (1970-2015)

bar:9 color:tan1 from:1999 till:2015 text:Chilton (1999-2015)

bar:10 color:tan1 from:1999 till:2015 text:Manitowoc Lutheran (1999-2015)

bar:11 color:tan1 from:1999 till:2015 text:St. Mary Catholic (1999-2015)

bar:12 color:tan1 from:2007 till:2015 text:Roncalli (2007-2015)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1970

= Football members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1970 till:2007

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m

bar:1 color:lavender from:1970 till:2007 text:Brillion (1970-2006)

bar:2 color:lavender from:1970 till:1979 text:Denmark (1970-1978)

bar:2 color:lavender from:1984 till:1999 text:(1984-1998)

bar:3 color:lavender from:1970 till:1999 text:Freedom (1970-1998)

bar:4 color:lavender from:1970 till:2007 text:Hilbert (1970-2006)

bar:5 color:lavender from:1970 till:1979 text:Mishicot (1970-1978)

bar:5 color:lavender from:1984 till:2007 text:(1984-2006)

bar:6 color:lavender from:1970 till:2007 text:Reedsville (1970-2006)

bar:7 color:lavender from:1970 till:1979 text:Valders (1970-1978)

bar:7 color:lavender from:1980 till:2007 text:(1980-2006)

bar:8 color:lavender from:1970 till:2007 text:Wrightstown (1970-2006)

bar:9 color:lavender from:1979 till:1983 text:Gibraltar (1979-1982)

bar:10 color:lavender from:1979 till:1984 text:Sevastopol (1979-1983)

bar:11 color:lavender from:1999 till:2007 text:Chilton (1999-2006)

bar:12 color:lavender from:1999 till:2007 text:Manitowoc Lutheran (1999-2006)

bar:13 color:lavender from:1999 till:2007 text:St. Mary Catholic (1999-2006)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1970

List of state champions

= Fall sports =

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Cross_Country/State_Records/bteamchamps.pdf Boys Cross Country]

!School

!Year

!Division

Valders

|1988

|Class B

Valders

|1989

|Class B

Wrightstown

|1992

|Division 3

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Football/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Football]

!School

!Year

!Division

Brillion

|1984

|Division 4

Hilbert

|1989

|Division 5

Hilbert

|1994

|Division 6

Hilbert

|1996

|Division 6

Wrightstown

|1998

|Division 5

Brillion

|2003

|Division 5

Brillion

|2004

|Division 5

Wrightstown

|2006

|Division 4

= Winter sports =

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Basketball_Boys/State%20Records/teamchamps.pdf?ver=2019-03-25-161230-947 Boys Basketball]

!School

!Year

!Division

Denmark

|1985

|Class B

Freedom

|1990

|Class B

Brillion

|2012

|Division 3

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Basketball_Girls/State%20Records/teamchamps.pdf?ver=2019-03-25-103336-893 Girls Basketball]

!School

!Year

!Division

St. Mary Catholic

|2009

|Division 4

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Wrestling/State%20Records/teamchamps.pdf Boys Wrestling]

!School

!Year

!Division

Freedom

|1997

|Division 2

Wrightstown

|1999

|Division 3

Wrightstown

|2005

|Division 3

Wrightstown

|2006

|Division 3

= Spring sports =

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Golf_Boys/teamchamps.pdf Boys Golf]

!School

!Year

!Division

Wrightstown

|2002

|Division 3

Roncalli

|2009

|Division 3

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Soccer_Girls/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Girls Soccer]

!School

!Year

!Division

St. Mary Catholic

|2007

|Division 3

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Softball/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Softball]

!School

!Year

!Division

Denmark

|1982

|Class B

Denmark

|1983

|Class B

Denmark

|1991

|Division 2

Denmark

|1997

|Division 2

class="wikitable"

|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Track/State_Records/gteamchamps.pdf Girls Track & Field]

!School

!Year

!Division

Brillion

|1993

|Division 3

Hilbert

|1995

|Division 3

Wrightstown

|2011

|Division 2

List of conference champions

= Boys Basketball =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #d50032; color: white" |Valders

|13

|1971, 1973, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 2006, 2010, 2015

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Brillion

|10

|1972, 1980, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013

style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" |Freedom

|7

|1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1989, 1990, 1998

style="background: #a2aaad; color: #d50032" |Manitowoc Lutheran

|5

|2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007

style="background: #002d6c; color: #69b3e7" |Roncalli

|5

|2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015

style="background: #0032a0; color: white" |Wrightstown

|5

|1979, 1986, 1991, 1992, 2012

style="background: #582c83; color: #ffc72c" |Denmark

|4

|1980, 1981, 1985, 1997

style="background: black; color: #e35205" |Reedsville

|4

|1976, 1977, 1978, 1995

style="background: #005eb8; color: white" |Hilbert

|1

|2004

style="background: #69b3e7; color: #ffc72c" |St. Mary Catholic

|1

|2005

style="background: #041e42; color: #ffc72c" |Chilton

|0

|

style="background: #ff8200; color: black" |Mishicot

|0

|

= Girls Basketball =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #005eb8; color: white" |Hilbert

|10

|1976, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1998, 1999

style="background: black; color: #e35205" |Reedsville

|6

|1979, 1980, 1995, 1996, 2013, 2014

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Brillion

|4

|1984, 2003, 2010, 2012

style="background: #582c83; color: #ffc72c" |Denmark

|4

|1978, 1982, 1983, 1997

style="background: #69b3e7; color: #ffc72c" |St. Mary Catholic

|4

|2000, 2001, 2005, 2007

style="background: #d50032; color: white" |Valders

|4

|1986, 1991, 2002, 2009

style="background: #ff8200; color: black" |Mishicot

|3

|1993, 1994, 2006

style="background: #a2aaad; color: #d50032" |Manitowoc Lutheran

|2

|2003, 2004

style="background: #002d6c; color: #69b3e7" |Roncalli

|2

|2008, 2015

style="background: #041e42; color: #ffc72c" |Chilton

|1

|2011

style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" |Freedom

|1

|1985

style="background: #0032a0; color: white" |Wrightstown

|1

|1987

= Football =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #0032a0; color: white" |Wrightstown

|11

|1974, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006

style="background: #005eb8; color: white" |Hilbert

|10

|1976, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2003

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Brillion

|8

|1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995

style="background: #582c83; color: #ffc72c" |Denmark

|6

|1970, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1996

style="background: black; color: #e35205" |Reedsville

|3

|1992, 1993, 1994

style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" |Freedom

|2

|1991, 1997

style="background: #d50032; color: white" |Valders

|2

|1993, 2002

style="background: #041e42; color: #ffc72c" |Chilton

|1

|1999

style="background: #ff8200; color: black" |Mishicot

|1

|1972

style="background: #ffc72c; color: #0032a0" |Gibraltar

|0

|

style="background: #a2aaad; color: #d50032" |Manitowoc Lutheran

|0

|

style="background: #002d6c; color: #69b3e7" |Roncalli

|0

|

style="background: #d50032; color: black" |Sevastopol

|0

|

style="background: #69b3e7; color: #ffc72c" |St. Mary Catholic

|0

|

References

{{reflist}}

{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}

Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences

Category:Sports organizations established in 1970

Category:1970 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:2015 disestablishments in Wisconsin