Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

Updated on Dec 22, 2023

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Established 1907 Website www.wpial.org		Region Western Pennsylvania
Association Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Commissioner Tim O'Malley, Executive Director

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.

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.

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.

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:

Ligonier Valley School District in Westmoreland County participates in District 6.

Slippery Rock Area School District and Moniteau School District in Butler County participate in District 10 and District 9 respectively.

Wilmington Area School District in Lawrence and Mercer counties participates in District 10.

Since 2012, four high schools from Pittsburgh Public Schools in Allegheny County, which makes up PIAA District 8, compete in the WPIAL for baseball, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, golf, and cross country.

Altoona Area High School and Hollidaysburg Area High School in Blair County were granted "conditional membership" for football and began competing in District 7 in 2013. The condition stated: If the PIAA does approve an expansion from four to six classifications in football, the WPIAL will look at its alignments to see if the schools' inclusion will benefit the WPIAL's scheduling." Such an expansion was approved to take effect for the 2016-17 school year. Hollidaysburg intended to leave District 7 after the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.

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): Central Catholic

Class AAAAA (5A): West Allegheny

Class AAAA (4A): Thomas Jefferson

Class AAA (3A): Beaver Falls

Class AA (2A): Steel Valley

Class A (1A): Clairton

2000–present boys' basketball champions

Class AAAA:

2016: Pine-Richland

2015: Chartiers Valley

2014: New Castle

2013: New Castle

2012: Gateway

2011: Gateway

2010: Mt. Lebanon

2009: Peters Township

2008: Pittsburgh Central Catholic

2007: Bethel Park

2006: Mt. Lebanon

2005: Upper St. Clair

2004: Chartiers Valley

2003: Penn Hills

2002: Uniontown

2001: Chartiers Valley

2000: Penn Hills

Class AAA:

2016: Beaver Falls

2015: Indiana

2014: Central Valley

2013: Montour

2012: New Castle

2011: Montour

2010: Chartiers Valley

2009: Hampton Township

2008: Blackhawk

2007: West Allegheny

2006: Moon

2005: Moon

2004: Moon

2003: Blackhawk

2002: Steel Valley

2001: Brownsville

2000: Blackhawk

Class AA:

2016: Aliquippa

2015: Aliquippa

2014: Seton-LaSalle

2013: Beaver Falls

2012: Beaver Falls

2011: Monessen

2010: North Catholic

2009: North Catholic

2008: Jeannette

2007: Aliquippa

2006: Aliquippa

2005: Beaver Falls

2004: Aliquippa

2003: Aliquippa

2002: Sto-Rox

2001: Sto-Rox

2000: Aliquippa

Class A:

2016: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

2015: Monessen

2014: Lincoln Park

2013: Vincentian Academy

2012: Lincoln Park

2011: Vincentian Academy

2010: Sewickley Academy

2009: Sewickley Academy

2008: Serra Catholic

2007: Leechburg

2006: Clairton

2005: Duquesne

2004: Sewickley Academy

2003: Union Township

2002: Monessen

2001: Monessen

2000: Cornell

References

Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Wikipedia

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