Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League
(WPIAL)
Established 1907
Association Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
Region Western Pennsylvania
Commissioner Tim O'Malley, Executive Director[1]
Website www.wpial.org

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) is an interscholastic athletic association in Western Pennsylvania. It is District 7 of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) was founded in 1907 by a group of educators from four public and private Pittsburgh schools who sought increased regulation and governance of student athletic eligibility and interscholastic athletic competition. The founding schools in the league included Shady Side Academy, Allegheny Prep, Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue High School, and Pittsburgh Central High School. William R. Crabbe of Shady Side Academy acted as a central force in the formation of the League and served as its first president.[2]

At its inception the league was poorly received by the public and the press, and found it difficult to enforce its rules. However, the league slowly spread throughout the Pittsburgh area. The league controlled the growth to small numbers that they could handle. As such, the only organization absorbed as a whole was the old Allegheny Valley League. Following the local success of WPIAL, the idea was brought to the whole state in 1914 when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) was founded. Within PIAA, WPIAL has been designated as District 7, and since 1982, WPIAL/District 7. Although officially known as District 7, the WPIAL is grandfathered to keep the older name due to it predating the PIAA.[3]

Originally numbering three high schools, WPIAL had a high of 156 participating school as late as the 1981-82 school year. As of October 2012, there are 137 high schools and 148 junior high school members in the WPIAL.[3]

Member schools

The league is responsible for administering the interscholastic athletic participation/competition of public school districts and private schools located in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington, Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania.

Exceptions as of the 2015-16 school year include:

Sports

Note: While some sports are dominated by one sex, there is no rule that mandates sex segregation in PIAA sports, even if a school has teams for each sex.

Fall: Football, Golf, Tennis (girls), Cross Country, Volleyball (girls), Field Hockey, Soccer

Winter: Rifle, Gymnastics, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Basketball

Spring: Lacrosse (girls), Tennis (boys), Softball, Baseball, Volleyball (boys), Track & Field

WPIAL Champions 2016-present

2016

Class AAAAAA (6A)

Class AAAAA (5A)

Class AAAA (4A)

Class AAA (3A): Beaver Falls

Class AA (2A)

Class A (1A)

2000–present boys' basketball champions

Class AAAA:

Class AAA:

Class AA:

Class A:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Emert, Rich (March 28, 2012). "HOME NEWS LOCAL SPORTS OPINION A & E LIFE BUSINESS VIDEO PHOTO Q&A: WPIAL Executive Director Tim O'Malley". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  2. ↑ Silver, Jonathan L. (2004). Approaching the Pinnacle of Privilege: The History of Shady Side Academy, 1883-Present (Ph.D.). Carnegie Mellon University. p. 132.
  3. 1 2 "History of the WPAIL". WPAIL. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ Frisco, R. (March 19, 2009). "PIAA meeting: Altoona, Hollidaysburg approved for move to WPIAL". The Sports Blog. PennLive. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
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