Three Rivers Athletic Conference
{{about||the defunct Indiana conference|Three Rivers Athletic Conference (Indiana)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title = Three Rivers Athletic Conference
| logo = TRAC logo.jpg
| pixels = frameless
| caption =
| classification = OHSAA Divisions I & II
| region = {{flag|Ohio}}
| sports = Football, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Gymnastics, Swimming and Diving, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field
| founded = 2011
| members = 10
| website = http://www.tracsports.org
| map = 300px
| map_caption =
| footnotes =
}}
The Three Rivers Athletic Conference was an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) high school athletic conference that began athletic competition in 2011 and lasted until 2023 with 10 high schools from Northwest Ohio, seven of which were from the Toledo metropolitan area, and one each from the cities of Findlay, Fremont and Lima.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = Exiting CL schools unveil new league | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = July 29, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100729/SPORTS12/7280389 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}} Ken Myers, former director of public safety and public services in Fremont, was the league's inaugural commissioner.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = Myers picked as first TRAC commissioner | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = August 25, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100825/SPORTS12/8240375 | accessdate = August 25, 2010}} The three rivers from which the conference derived its name are the Maumee, Sandusky, and Blanchard.
Members
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Nickname !Location !Enrollment (CB/FB 2020) !State FB Region (2020) !Colors !Type !Tenure !Notes |
| colspan="9" style="background:#676AFE;" | |
|---|
| Central Catholic
|Fighting Irish |396 |2:6 |Scarlet, Gray |Parochial |2011-2023 |Joined CHSL |
| Clay
|Eagles |446 |2:6 |Green, Yellow |Public |2011-2023 |Joined NLL |
| Findlay
|Trojans |604 |1:2 |Blue, Gold |Public |2011-2023 |Joined NLL |
| Fremont Ross
|Little Giants |459 |2:6 |Purple, White |Public |2011-2023 |Joined NLL |
| Lima Senior
|Spartans |Lima |432 |2:6 |Scarlet, Gray |Public |2011-2023 |Joined Toledo City League |
| Notre Dame
|Eagles | | |Blue, Gold |Parochial (Girls) |2011-2023 |Joined CHSL |
| St. Francis de Sales
|Knights |546 |2:6 |Red, Blue |Parochial (Boys) |2011-2023 |Joined CHSL |
| St. John's Jesuit
|Titans |479 |2:6 |Blue, Vegas Gold |Parochial (Boys) |2011-2023 |Joined CHSL |
| St. Ursula
|Arrows | | |Blue, Gold |Parochial (Girls) |2011-2023 |Joined CHSL |
| Whitmer
|Panthers |842 |1:2 |Maize, Blue |Public |2011-2023 |Joined NLL |
History
The Three Rivers Athletic Conference began its inaugural season in the fall of 2011. The idea for the creation of the league was brought about following Toledo Public Schools' decisions to close Libbey High School{{cite web | last = Kirkpatrick | first = Christopher D. | title = Libbey High to be closed to save money, board rules in 3–2 vote | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = May 26, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100526/NEWS04/5260371 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}} and athletic cuts within TPS which were made by the system to offset a reported $39 million budget deficit. In May 2010, the Toledo Public School board of education voted to cut all junior high (seventh and eighth grade) and freshman sports, as well as the discontinuation of boys tennis, cross country, golf, ice hockey and wrestling.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = Steps could begin to end current CL lineup in Toledo | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = July 14, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100714/SPORTS12/7140361 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}} This caused concern for the non-TPS members, who wanted to have competition in those sports and at those levels without struggling to find games.
Clay High School, who joined the Toledo City League in 2003, were the first school to announce that they would leave following a unanimous vote of 5–0 by the Oregon School District in mid July 2010.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = Oregon board votes to leave CL | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = July 15, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100715/SPORTS12/7150392 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}} Following Clay's decision, TCL members Central Catholic, Notre Dame, St. Francis de Sales, St. John's Jesuit, St. Ursula and Whitmer all announced that they would leave the City League as well. Fremont Ross, who was to join the City League in 2011, as well as Findlay and Lima Senior were also announced as members of the new league.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = End of an era: City League in transition | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = July 18, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100718/SPORTS12/7180362 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}}
Near the end of July 2010, the new league's members announced that Three Rivers Athletic Conference was chosen to be the name for the conference. The name represents the Northwest Ohio rivers - the Maumee, the Sandusky and the Blanchard - which are part of the collective geography of the 10 inaugural member schools. Other names considered for the new league included Toledo Metro Athletic Conference, the Greater Metro Athletic Conference and the Northwest Athletic Conference.{{cite web | last = Junga | first = Steve | title = New frontier ahead for area leagues | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = July 19, 2010 | url = http://toledoblade.com/article/20100719/SPORTS12/7190363 | accessdate = July 29, 2010}} Each member of the TRAC will be asked to submit a logo design for the league and the conference's ten principals will make a decision on which logo will be chosen for the league.{{cite web | last = Hanneman | first = Dave | title = Findlay High athletes have a new home | publisher = The Courier | date = July 29, 2010 | url = http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Jul/29/ar_sports_072910_story1.asp?d=072910_story1,2010,Jul,29&c=s | accessdate = July 29, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716211820/http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2010/Jul/29/ar_sports_072910_story1.asp?d=072910_story1,2010,Jul,29&c=s | archive-date = July 16, 2011 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}
Although he indicated that joining the TRAC was "probably off the table", Marion Harding athletic director Gary Miller mentioned that his school did apply for admission into the TRAC as an alternative to being independent in the future.{{cite web | last = | first = | title = Three GBC schools joining new league | publisher = Marion Star | date = July 19, 2010 | url = http://www.marionstar.com/article/20100729/SPORTS/7290309/1006/rss02 | accessdate = August 1, 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} Marion Harding remained members of the Greater Buckeye Conference with Findlay, Fremont Ross, and Lima Senior through the 2010-11 school year, and eventually wound up in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in 2014.
On April 9, 2021, invitations were extended to four TRAC schools by the NLL, starting with the 2023-2024 school year: Findlay, Fremont Ross, Oregon Clay, and Whitmer.{{cite web | title = In the Beginning…Constant Changing High School Athletic Conferences| publisher = Stateline Sports Network | date = April 9, 2021| url = https://statelinesportsnetwork.net/2021/04/09/in-the-beginning-constant-changing-high-school-athletic-conferences| accessdate = April 9, 2021}} Fremont Ross voted to accept the invitation on April 12, Findlay on April 19, Clay on April 20, and Whitmer on April 21.{{cite news |title=Fremont Ross accepts Northern Lakes League Invitation |newspaper=Fremont News Messenger |date=April 13, 2021 |url=https://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/local/2021/04/13/fremont-ross-accepts-northern-lakes-league-invitation/7200601002/ |access-date=April 20, 2021}}{{cite news |title=Findlay joins Northern Lakes League |newspaper=Findlay Courier |date=April 19, 2021 |url=https://thecourier.com/news/316102/findlay-joins-northern-lakes-league/ |access-date=April 20, 2021}}
On March 10, 2022, Lima Senior announced that it would be joining the Toledo City League in 2023 on a four-year contract as its seventh member.{{cite web | last = | first = | title = Lima Senior High School to join City League in 2023-24 | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = March 10, 2022 | url = https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/high-school/2022/03/10/lima-senior-city-league-trac/stories | accessdate = March 23, 2022}} Lima Senior wasn't invited to join the NLL with the other public TRAC schools and decided being in a league was preferable to independence.
On March 22, 2022, the five Catholic high schools in the TRAC (Central Catholic, Notre Dame, St. Francis, St. John's Jesuit, and St. Ursula) were introduced as the newest members of the Detroit Catholic High School League, effective for the fall of 2023.{{cite web | last = Monroe| first = Mark| title = 5 TRAC schools formally join Detroit area's Catholic High School League | publisher = Toledo Blade | date = March 22, 2022 | url = https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/high-school/2022/03/22/5-former-trac-schools-formally-join-detroit-areas-catholic-high-school-league/stories | accessdate = March 23, 2022}} They will bring the CHSL's membership up to 32 schools, which create divisions based on the competitiveness of each school's teams.
Competition format
The TRAC will play a standard seven-game varsity football schedule in weeks 4-10 of the season, with each of the eight schools that have varsity football playing non-league games in the first three weeks of the football season.
Hockey will be contested outside of the conference umbrella. The hockey teams will retain their membership in the three-tiered Northwest Hockey Conference.
The TRAC will have championship competition for football and all of its other sanctioned sports.
League championships<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tracsports.org/?page_id=70|title=Standings}}</ref>
=Boys championships=
| class="wikitable"
!School Year!!Football!!Soccer!!Cross Country!!Golf!!Basketball!!Wrestling!!Swimming/Diving!!Baseball!!Track & Field!!Tennis |
| align="left"
! 2011-12 | Findlay | St. Francis | St. Francis | Findlay | Whitmer | Clay | St. Francis | St. John's Jesuit | Whitmer | St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2012-13 | Whitmer | St. John's Jesuit | St. Francis | Findlay | St. John's Jesuit | Clay | St. Francis | Central Catholic | Whitmer | St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2013-14 | Central Catholic |St. John's Jesuit | St. Francis |St. John's Jesuit | Central Catholic |Clay |St. Francis |St. John's Jesuit |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2014-15 | Central Catholic |Findlay, St. Francis, St. John's (co-champs) |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |Clay |St. Francis |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2015-16 |Central Catholic |Findlay |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |Lima Senior |Clay |St. Francis |St. Francis |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2016-17 | Central Catholic |St. John's Jesuit |St. Francis |St. John's Jesuit | St. John's Jesuit | Fremont Ross |St. Francis |St. Francis |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2017-18 |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |Clay |St. Francis |St. Francis |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2018-19 |Central Catholic |St. John's Jesuit |Whitmer |St. John's Jesuit |Lima Senior | | |St. John’s Jesuit, St. Francis (co-champs) | | |
| align="left"
! 2019-20 |Central Catholic |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |St. John's Jesuit |Lima Senior |Clay |St. Francis |St. Francis |Whitmer |Findlay |
| align="left"
! 2020-21 |Central Catholic |St. John’s Jesuit |St. Francis |St. John’s Jesuit |St. John’s Jesuit, Findlay, Lima Senior (co-champs) | | |St. John’s Jesuit | |St. John’s Jesuit |
| align="left"
! 2021-22 |Central Catholic | | | | | | | | | |
| align="left"
! 2022-23 |Central Catholic | | | | | | | | | |
=Girls championships=
| class="wikitable"
!School Year!!Volleyball!!Soccer!!Cross Country!!Golf!!Tennis!!Basketball!!Gymnastics!!Swimming/Diving!!Softball!!Track & Field |
| align="left"
! 2011-12 | St. Ursula | Central Catholic | Notre Dame | St. Ursula | St. Ursula | Notre Dame | Clay | St. Ursula | Central Catholic | Notre Dame |
| align="left"
! 2012-13 | St. Ursula | Clay | Notre Dame | St. Ursula | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Findlay | Fremont Ross | Clay | Notre Dame |
| align="left"
! 2013-14 | St. Ursula |Notre Dame | Clay |St. Ursula |Notre Dame |Notre Dame |Findlay |Fremont Ross |Clay |Notre Dame |
| align="left"
! 2014-15 | St. Ursula |Clay |Clay |St. Ursula |Notre Dame |Central Catholic, Notre Dame (co-champs) |Findlay |Notre Dame |Clay |Clay |
| align="left"
! 2015-16 |St. Ursula |St. Ursula |Notre Dame |St. Ursula |Notre Dame |Central Catholic |Findlay |Fremont Ross |Clay |Notre Dame |
| align="left"
! 2016-17 |Notre Dame |Notre Dame, St. Ursula |Notre Dame |St. Ursula |Central Catholic |Notre Dame |Findlay |Findlay |Clay |Notre Dame |
| align="left"
! 2017-18 |Notre Dame |Clay |Notre Dame |St. Ursula |Central Catholic |Notre Dame |Notre Dame |St. Ursula |Notre Dame |Lima Senior |
| align="left"
! 2018-19 |Clay |Clay |Notre Dame | | | | | | |
| align="left"
! 2019-20 | | |St. Ursula | | | | | | |cancelled |
| align="left"
! 2020-21 | | |St. Ursula | | | | | | |
| align="left"
! 2021-22 | | |Notre Dame | | |Central Catholic | | | |
| align="left"
! 2022-23 | | |Notre Dame | | |Central Catholic | | | |
References
- [http://tracsports.org/ Official Site of the TRAC]
{{reflist}}
{{Three Rivers Athletic Conference |state=expanded}}
{{Northwest Ohio High School Athletic Conferences}}