Owatonna’s Nemesis Moving Out of Section in Most Sports
One move is reshaping Section 1 for post season high school sports. The Minnesota State High School League announced realignment for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 on Thursday. Lakeville North is moving out of the section in many sports.
Many an Owatonna athlete has seen her or his season, if not prep career, end with a loss to the Panthers. The adjustment is not an across-the-board change, but rather a sport-by-sport change. South Suburban teams Lakeville South and Farmington remain in Section 1.
North moves out of the section in boys and girls basketball. The Panthers beat the Huskies in both sports this winter. Lakeville North has a long run of boys basketball section titles. This week's move comes one season too late for Rochester John Marshall's Matthew Hurt to get a crack at the state tournament. Northfield is the new team in 1AAAA, up from AAA.
In hockey, North remains in Section 1AA for the boys but moves elsewhere on the girls side. The OHS boys have lost to North in the section semifinals in each of the last three season. There is a change for the boys with Dodge County moving to 1A and Northfield moving into 1AA. For the girls, Northfield takes North's spot. Dodge County remains in AA.
Baseball sees the change with North out and Northfield in. But in softball, North stays in 1AAAA. The Panthers move out of Owatonna's section in boys and girls soccer.
Go to the high school league website to review the new section assignments.
In other news for the high school league meeting, a motion to advance boys volleyball to the Representative Assembly failed. The sport is played as a club activity at a number of schools.
Several proposals came to the board which could be acted on at the June meeting. Those suggestions include a shot clock in basketball, adding two weeks to the boys hockey season and adding another class in soccer, tennis and volleyball.
Section 1 teams
- Basketball/soccer/baseball: Owatonna, Lakeville South, Farmington, New Prague, Northfield, Rochester Mayo, Rochester John Marshall and Rochester Century
- Boys hockey: Owatonna, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Farmington, Hastings, Northfield, John Marshall, Mayo and Century
- Girls hockey: Owatonna, Lakeville South, Farmington, Dodge County, Northfield, John Marshall, Mayo and Century
- Softball: Owatonna, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Farmington, New Prague, Northfield, Mayo, John Marshall and Century
- Wrestling: Owatonna, Farmington, Albert Lea, Austin, Faribault, Northfield, Rochester JM, Mayo, Century and Winona
- Volleyball: Owatonna, Lakeville North, Lakeville South, Farmington, Albert Lea, Austin, Faribault, Northfield, John Marshall, Mayo, Century and Winona