WaMaC Conference
Encyclopedia
The WaMaC conference is a high school athletic conference in Eastern Iowa made up of mid-sized schools. Named for the three rivers that drain in the area (Wa for Wapsipinicon, Ma for Maquoketa, and C for Cedar), the sixteen team league is one of the strongest conferences in Iowa and holds the two-time defending state football and the 2009 basketball champions in Solon High School. WaMaC also does concert choir and concert band calling them WaMaC Honor Choir and WaMaC Honor Band. However, instead of competition, the schools play together.
The schools are divided into two divisions, the East and the West. Each division has eight schools each, with division assignment determined by geographic location.
In 1940, a new league, the Mid-Six, was formed. This new conference consisted of Anamosa, Maquoketa, Manchester, Marion, Monticello, and Tipton. Independence and Vinton rejoined the league in 1942 and the conference was renamed the Tri-Rivers Conference. After a year of competing under that moniker, the league was renamed the WaMaC Conference to honor the three rivers that run through the region, the Wapsipinicon, the Maquoketa, and the Cedar.
In the 1985-86, Anamosa, Monticello, and Maquoketa left the conference to join a redesigned Big Bend Conference. They were replaced in the league by Benton Community and LaSalle Catholic of the recently disbanded Eastern Iowa Conference, and by LaSalle's crosstown rival, Regis. Tipton also left at this time to join the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference. South Tama would be added soon after. After Regis left to join the larger Mississippi Valley Conference in 1992, Columbus Catholic in Waterloo replaced them. Don Bosco joined the conference in 1998, as Regis closed its doors in order for Cedar Rapids to open a new, larger Catholic High School made up of the former populations of LaSalle and Regis.
The real expansion for the WaMaC began in 2003. Western Dubuque, Central Clinton, Maquoketa, and Beckman were added to the league this year. After originally being denied membership in the league, this expansion only occurred because the four schools petitioned to the state for inclusion in the WaMaC following the collapse of their former conference, the Big Bend. Three other teams that made up the Big Bend had agreed to leave the conference for the Tri-Rivers Conference, while Camanche (the other remaining team) applied to the Big East Conference. The WaMaC opposed the addition of the teams because there was little tradition with the other league schools and the increased travel distance appeared to threaten South Tama's membership in the league, while the addition of more big schools like Central Clinton and Western Dubuque threatened the membership of Don Bosco, which was by far the league's smallest school. It turned out that both fears proved valid. Don Bosco left the league for the Iowa Star Conference in 2005 and South Tama joined the Little Hawkeye Conference for 2006.
In 2007, the league added two Tri-River Conference members, Anamosa (who had been a member of the conference in its early days and had recently been in the Big Bend conference with the other 4 schools that had joined the conference in 2003), and Center Point-Urbana. In 2008, the league expanded to add four of the larger schools in the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference, all of which were also rapidly growing schools. These four were Clear Creek-Amana, Mount Vernon, Solon, and Williamsburg.
The new 16 team league has gained much credibility in recent years due to the success of its schools. In the 2009-2010 academic year, the WaMaC fielded many state championship teams and participants in boys' sports. Clear Creek-Amana, Williamsburg, Maquoketa, West Delaware, Marion, and Vinton-Shellsburg represented the conference in the 3A state football playoffs; Center Point-Urbana and Solon were participants in 2A, with Solon winning the 2009 2A State Football Championship. Solon, Central Clinton of DeWitt, and Marion represented the conference at the 2009 State Cross Country Meet. Western Dubuque, Epworth participated in the 2009 3A State Basketball tournament; Solon was the 2009 2A State Basketball Runners-Up. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo and Beckman, Dyersville, competed in the Class 2A State Golf meet, with Columbus claiming 3rd. Williamsburg participated in the 3A meet. Beckman, Dyersville was the conference's lone State participant in soccer. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo claimed the 1A State Tennis Championship in June, 2010 and Solon claimed the 2A State Championship in Track & Field. Independence & Central Clinton, Dewitt participated in the 3A State Baseball tournament. Solon and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A State Baseball tournament, with Solon claiming the state title.
In girls' sports in the 2009-2010 academic year, Williamsburg and Marion participated in the 3A State Volleyball tournament; Mount Vernon claimed the 2A state championship. Marion participated in the 3A State Basketball tournament and Mount Vernon won the 2A State Championship. Williamsburg participated in the 3A State Golf meet. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo placed 3rd at the State Tennis meet. Mount Vernon repeated this in the 3A State Track & Field Meet; Benton Community, Van Horne placed 5th. Solon won the 2A Championship and Beckman, Dyersville placed 10th. Mount Vernon placed 4th in the 2A State Softball tournament; Clear Creek-Amana placed 4th in the 3A State tournament.
In the 2010-2011 school year, the conference has enjoyed much of the same success. Clear Creek-Amana, Williamsburg, Maquoketa, Central Clinton, DeWitt, Marion, and Solon participated in the 3A state football playoffs, with Solon claiming the State Championship after moving up a class. Beckman, Dyersville and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A state football playoffs. Western Dubuque, Epworth participated in the 4A State Golf meet, placing t-4th. Marion and Central Clinton, DeWitt participated in the 3A State Cross Country meet. Marion qualified for the 3A State Basketball tournament. Independence took 6th at the 2A state wrestling tournament. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A State Golf meet, claiming 2nd and Williamsburg participated in the 3A meet. Clear Creek-Amana, Solon, and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo qualified for the State Soccer Tournament. Central Clinton, Dewitt took 2nd at the State Track & Field meet, with Clear Creek-Amana and Solon finishing in the top ten. Solon won the 3A State Baseball tournament, defeating Marion in the semifinals. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo qualified for the 2A tournament.
In girls' sports, Solon, Benton Community, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon participated in the State Cross Country meet. Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and West Delaware were State Volleyball qualifiers in 3A. Mount Vernon defeated West Delaware to capture the 3A State Championship and cap a perfect season. Mount Vernon, Central Clinton, DeWitt, and Benton Community qualified for the 3A State Basketball tournament. Beckman, Dyersville qualified for the 2A Girls' State Golf meet. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo, Center Point-Urbana, and Independence-East Buchanan all qualified for the Girls' State Soccer tournament. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo claimed the 1A State Girls Tennis Championship. Solon, Mount Vernon, and Benton Community, Van Horne all finished in the top ten at the Girls' State Track & Field meet. Clear Creek-Amana won the 2011 Softball tournament. Solon and West Delaware also qualified.
In 2010-11, the league fielded its first ever 4A school, as Western Dubuque moved into the uppermost echelon for high school athletics in the state, although they still compete at the 3A level for football.
Members
There are 16 full members of the WaMaC Conference. The majority of these schools are in Class 3A, Iowa's second largest enrollment class; Western Dubuque of Epworth, (as of the 2010-2011 school year) is in Class 4A, the state's largest enrollment class, and Columbus Catholic of Waterloo and Beckman Catholic of Dyersville are in Class 2A, the state's third largest enrollment class.The schools are divided into two divisions, the East and the West. Each division has eight schools each, with division assignment determined by geographic location.
East
| Institution | Location | Founded | Mascot | Colors | Affiliation | 9-12 Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anamosa Anamosa School District The Anamosa School District is a school district that encompasses part of Jones County, Iowa and a small portion of eastern Linn County, Iowa. The cities of Anamosa, Iowa, Martelle, Iowa and Morley, Iowa are in the school district along with the unincorporated communities of Amber, Fairview and... |
Anamosa Anamosa, Iowa As of the census of 2000, there were 5,494 people, 1,750 households, and 1,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,453.4 people per square mile . There were 1,884 housing units at an average density of 841.3 per square mile... |
Blue Raiders | Public | |||
| Beckman Catholic Beckman High School (Dyersville, Iowa) Beckman High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Dyersville, Iowa. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.-Background:... |
Dyersville Dyersville, Iowa Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware and western Dubuque Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,035 at the 2000 census and was estimated to be 4,167 in 2006.... |
1966 | Trailblazers | Private | ||
| Central Clinton | De Witt | 1960 | Sabers | Public | ||
| Maquoketa Maquoketa Community High School Maquoketa Community High School is a public high school in Maquoketa, Iowa, United States.-Notable alumni:*Robert A. Millikan, Nobel Prize of Science winner*Sage Rosenfels, quarterback in the NFL*William Welch, inventor of the High School Diploma... |
Maquoketa Maquoketa, Iowa Maquoketa is a city in Clinton and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County.... |
Cardinals | Public | |||
| Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon Mount Vernon, Iowa Mount Vernon is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, adjacent to the city of Lisbon. The city's population was 3,390 when the 2000 census figures were released, but that number was later revised to 3,808 because the Census Bureau had incorrectly reported that 418 residents of a Cornell... |
Mustangs | Public | |||
| Solon | Solon Solon, Iowa Solon is a city located in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. Part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, it is located a few miles from Lake MacBride State Park and the larger cities of Coralville and Iowa City. The population was 1,177 at the 2000 census.-History:Solon is named... |
Spartans | Public | |||
| West Delaware | Manchester Manchester, Iowa Manchester is a city in Delaware County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,257 at the 2000 census. As of the 2005 population estimates, Manchester's population was 5,052... |
Hawks | Public | |||
| Western Dubuque Western Dubuque High School Western Dubuque High School is a four-year public high school located in Epworth, Iowa. It is one of two high schools in the Western Dubuque Community School District, and enrolls 770 students in grades 9-12... |
Epworth Epworth, Iowa Epworth is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,428 at the 2000 census, but is now estimated to be 1,589 .... |
1962 | Bobcats | Public | ||
West
| Institution | Location | Founded | Mascot | Colors | Affiliation | 9-12 Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Community Benton Community School District The Benton Community School District, part of the WAMAC Conference, comprises eight rural towns located in the state of Iowa : Atkins, Newhall, Norway, Watkins, Van Horne, Keystone, Elberon, Blairstown; additional students from Marengo, Garrison.Benton Community elementaries are located in: ... |
Van Horne Van Horne, Iowa Van Horne is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 716 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Van Horne is located at .... |
Bobcats | Public | |||
| Center Point-Urbana | Center Point Center Point, Iowa Center Point is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,007 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Center Point is located at .... |
Stormin' Pointers | Public | |||
| Clear Creek-Amana | Tiffin Tiffin, Iowa Tiffin is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the Iowa City, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 975 at the 2000 census. In recent years, Tiffin has begun to see rapid growth; its estimated population in 2006 was 1,561. F. W... |
1990 | Clippers | Public | ||
| Columbus Catholic | Waterloo Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two... |
1959 | Sailors | Private/Catholic | ||
| Independence | Independence Independence, Iowa Independence is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,966 in the 2010 census, a decline from 6,014 in the 2000 census... |
Mustangs | Public | |||
| Marion | Marion Marion, Iowa Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 32,172 in 2007. The city is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :... |
Indians | Public | |||
| Vinton-Shellsburg | Vinton Vinton, Iowa -2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,257 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,299 housing units, of which 2,187 were occupied.... |
Vikings | Public | |||
| Williamsburg | Williamsburg Williamsburg, Iowa Williamsburg is a city in Iowa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,622 at the 2000 census. Williamsburg is known for Holden's Foundation Seeds... |
Raiders | Public | |||
History
The conference traces its history to 1931. This is the year the Tri Valley Conference was formed. Membership in the conference included Independence, Marion, Manchester, and Vinton. Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids Wilson joined later.In 1940, a new league, the Mid-Six, was formed. This new conference consisted of Anamosa, Maquoketa, Manchester, Marion, Monticello, and Tipton. Independence and Vinton rejoined the league in 1942 and the conference was renamed the Tri-Rivers Conference. After a year of competing under that moniker, the league was renamed the WaMaC Conference to honor the three rivers that run through the region, the Wapsipinicon, the Maquoketa, and the Cedar.
In the 1985-86, Anamosa, Monticello, and Maquoketa left the conference to join a redesigned Big Bend Conference. They were replaced in the league by Benton Community and LaSalle Catholic of the recently disbanded Eastern Iowa Conference, and by LaSalle's crosstown rival, Regis. Tipton also left at this time to join the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference. South Tama would be added soon after. After Regis left to join the larger Mississippi Valley Conference in 1992, Columbus Catholic in Waterloo replaced them. Don Bosco joined the conference in 1998, as Regis closed its doors in order for Cedar Rapids to open a new, larger Catholic High School made up of the former populations of LaSalle and Regis.
The real expansion for the WaMaC began in 2003. Western Dubuque, Central Clinton, Maquoketa, and Beckman were added to the league this year. After originally being denied membership in the league, this expansion only occurred because the four schools petitioned to the state for inclusion in the WaMaC following the collapse of their former conference, the Big Bend. Three other teams that made up the Big Bend had agreed to leave the conference for the Tri-Rivers Conference, while Camanche (the other remaining team) applied to the Big East Conference. The WaMaC opposed the addition of the teams because there was little tradition with the other league schools and the increased travel distance appeared to threaten South Tama's membership in the league, while the addition of more big schools like Central Clinton and Western Dubuque threatened the membership of Don Bosco, which was by far the league's smallest school. It turned out that both fears proved valid. Don Bosco left the league for the Iowa Star Conference in 2005 and South Tama joined the Little Hawkeye Conference for 2006.
In 2007, the league added two Tri-River Conference members, Anamosa (who had been a member of the conference in its early days and had recently been in the Big Bend conference with the other 4 schools that had joined the conference in 2003), and Center Point-Urbana. In 2008, the league expanded to add four of the larger schools in the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference, all of which were also rapidly growing schools. These four were Clear Creek-Amana, Mount Vernon, Solon, and Williamsburg.
The new 16 team league has gained much credibility in recent years due to the success of its schools. In the 2009-2010 academic year, the WaMaC fielded many state championship teams and participants in boys' sports. Clear Creek-Amana, Williamsburg, Maquoketa, West Delaware, Marion, and Vinton-Shellsburg represented the conference in the 3A state football playoffs; Center Point-Urbana and Solon were participants in 2A, with Solon winning the 2009 2A State Football Championship. Solon, Central Clinton of DeWitt, and Marion represented the conference at the 2009 State Cross Country Meet. Western Dubuque, Epworth participated in the 2009 3A State Basketball tournament; Solon was the 2009 2A State Basketball Runners-Up. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo and Beckman, Dyersville, competed in the Class 2A State Golf meet, with Columbus claiming 3rd. Williamsburg participated in the 3A meet. Beckman, Dyersville was the conference's lone State participant in soccer. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo claimed the 1A State Tennis Championship in June, 2010 and Solon claimed the 2A State Championship in Track & Field. Independence & Central Clinton, Dewitt participated in the 3A State Baseball tournament. Solon and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A State Baseball tournament, with Solon claiming the state title.
In girls' sports in the 2009-2010 academic year, Williamsburg and Marion participated in the 3A State Volleyball tournament; Mount Vernon claimed the 2A state championship. Marion participated in the 3A State Basketball tournament and Mount Vernon won the 2A State Championship. Williamsburg participated in the 3A State Golf meet. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo placed 3rd at the State Tennis meet. Mount Vernon repeated this in the 3A State Track & Field Meet; Benton Community, Van Horne placed 5th. Solon won the 2A Championship and Beckman, Dyersville placed 10th. Mount Vernon placed 4th in the 2A State Softball tournament; Clear Creek-Amana placed 4th in the 3A State tournament.
In the 2010-2011 school year, the conference has enjoyed much of the same success. Clear Creek-Amana, Williamsburg, Maquoketa, Central Clinton, DeWitt, Marion, and Solon participated in the 3A state football playoffs, with Solon claiming the State Championship after moving up a class. Beckman, Dyersville and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A state football playoffs. Western Dubuque, Epworth participated in the 4A State Golf meet, placing t-4th. Marion and Central Clinton, DeWitt participated in the 3A State Cross Country meet. Marion qualified for the 3A State Basketball tournament. Independence took 6th at the 2A state wrestling tournament. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo participated in the 2A State Golf meet, claiming 2nd and Williamsburg participated in the 3A meet. Clear Creek-Amana, Solon, and Columbus Catholic, Waterloo qualified for the State Soccer Tournament. Central Clinton, Dewitt took 2nd at the State Track & Field meet, with Clear Creek-Amana and Solon finishing in the top ten. Solon won the 3A State Baseball tournament, defeating Marion in the semifinals. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo qualified for the 2A tournament.
In girls' sports, Solon, Benton Community, Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon participated in the State Cross Country meet. Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and West Delaware were State Volleyball qualifiers in 3A. Mount Vernon defeated West Delaware to capture the 3A State Championship and cap a perfect season. Mount Vernon, Central Clinton, DeWitt, and Benton Community qualified for the 3A State Basketball tournament. Beckman, Dyersville qualified for the 2A Girls' State Golf meet. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo, Center Point-Urbana, and Independence-East Buchanan all qualified for the Girls' State Soccer tournament. Columbus Catholic, Waterloo claimed the 1A State Girls Tennis Championship. Solon, Mount Vernon, and Benton Community, Van Horne all finished in the top ten at the Girls' State Track & Field meet. Clear Creek-Amana won the 2011 Softball tournament. Solon and West Delaware also qualified.
In 2010-11, the league fielded its first ever 4A school, as Western Dubuque moved into the uppermost echelon for high school athletics in the state, although they still compete at the 3A level for football.