SWANI Conference
{{Short description|Former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin and Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
The Southern Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Conference, more commonly referred to as the SWANI Conference, is a former high school athletic conference with members in Wisconsin and Illinois. It was in existence from 1946 to 1952 and its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Illinois High School Association.
History
{{OSM Location map
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| coord = {{coord|42.5029|-88.5596}}
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| mark-size1=10
| mark-title1=Burlington
| mark-coord1={{coord|42.6709|-88.2524}} | mark-description1=Location:
| shape-color1=#e35205 | shape1=circle
| mark-title2=Delavan
| mark-coord2={{coord|42.6319|-88.6600}} | mark-description2=Location:
| shape-color2=#0032a0 | shape2=circle
| mark-title3=Elkhorn
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| shape-color3=#330072 | shape3=circle
| mark-title4=Harvard
| mark-coord4={{coord|42.4285|-88.6094}} | mark-description4=Location:
| shape-color4=#ffc72c | shape4=circle
| mark-title5=Lake Geneva
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| shape-color5=#ba0c2f | shape5=circle
| mark-title6=Marengo
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| mark-title7=McHenry
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| mark-title8=Whitewater
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| caption = Location of SWANI Conference Members
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The SWANI Conference was formed in 1946 by a group of eight similarly-sized high schools: five in Wisconsin (Burlington, Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater) and three in Illinois (Harvard, Marengo and McHenry). The five Wisconsin high schools formerly comprised the Southern Five Conference, two high schools in Illinois (Harvard and Marengo) formerly competed in the North Six Conference, and McHenry competed independent of conference affiliation.{{Cite news |date=6 April 1946 |title=Three County High Schools Join New Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/204412035/?match=1&terms=SWANI%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Woodstock Daily Sentinel |pages=1}} This cross-border loop lasted for six seasons before the five Wisconsin-based high schools voted to disband the SWANI Conference after the 1952 football season.{{Cite news |date=11 January 1952 |title=Meet to Form New Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/334419373/?match=1&terms=burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater%20standings |access-date=13 May 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=17}} Soon after the conference's dissolution, the five Wisconsin high schools initiated talks with East Troy, Mukwonago and Wilmot (all members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference) to form a new athletic conference for the 1953-54 school year,{{Cite news |date=6 March 1952 |title=Meet Monday to Plan Athletic League to Succeed SWANI |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588492951/?match=1&terms=burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater%20standings |access-date=13 May 2025 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=9}} which eventually was named the Southern Lakes Conference.{{Cite news |date=2 April 1953 |title=New Southern Lakes Conference Ready to Start Games Next Fall |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588627045/?match=1&terms=SWANI%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=10}} The five former SWANI members played an independent home-and-home schedule for the remainder of the 1952-53 school year, filling open dates with the three members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference where feasible.{{Cite news |date=12 March 1952 |title=Schools Join New League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/334414461/?match=1&terms=burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater%20standings |access-date=13 May 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=23}} The three Illinois-based high schools joined the IHSA-affiliated SHARK Conference after the demise of the SWANI Conference in 1952.{{Cite news |date=11 March 1952 |title=Elkhorn, Marengo Cagers Monopolized SWANI Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/69976511/?match=1&terms=SHARK%20conference%20harvard%20marengo |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=12}}{{clear}}
Conference membership history
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Nickname !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Burlington
|Public |1,001 |Demons |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |
| Delavan
|Public |628 |Comets |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Elkhorn
|Public |1,142 |Elks |{{color box|330072}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Harvard
|Public |Hornets |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Lake Geneva
|Public |N/A |Resorters |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger) |
| Marengo
|Public |Indians |{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|white}} |
| McHenry
|Public |Warriors |{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}} |Fox Valley (IHSA) |
| Whitewater
|Public |606 |Quakers |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |Capitol (2025) |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1946 till:1952
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:1946 till:1952 text:Burlington (1946-1952)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Delavan (1946-1952)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Elkhorn (1946-1952)
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Harvard (IL) (1946-1952)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Lake Geneva (1946-1952)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Marengo (IL) (1946-1952)
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:McHenry (IL) (1946-1952)
bar:8 color:tan1 from:1946 till:1952 text:Whitewater (1946-1952)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1946
List of conference champions
= Boys Basketball =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #6f2c3f; color: white" | Marengo
|3 |1947, 1949, 1952 |
| style="background: #330072; color: #ffc72c" | Elkhorn
|2 |1951, 1952 |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" | Burlington
|1 |1950 |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" | Lake Geneva
|1 |1948 |
| style="background: #0032a0; color: #ffc72c" | Delavan
|0 | |
| style="background: black; color: #ffc72c" | Harvard
|0 | |
| style="background: #ff8200; color: black" | McHenry
|0 | |
| style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" | Whitewater
|0 | |
= Football =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: black; color: #ffc72c" | Harvard
|2 |1950, 1951 |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" | Burlington
|1 |1947 |
| style="background: #0032a0; color: #ffc72c" | Delavan
|1 |1952 |
| style="background: #330072; color: #ffc72c" | Elkhorn
|1 |1946 |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" | Lake Geneva
|1 |1948 |
| style="background: #6f2c3f; color: white" | Marengo
|1 |1948 |
| style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" | Whitewater
|1 |1949 |
| style="background: #ff8200; color: black" | McHenry
|0 | |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
{{Illinois High School Association}}
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences
Category:Illinois high school sports conferences
Category:Sports organizations established in 1946
Category:1946 establishments in Wisconsin
Category:1946 establishments in Illinois