The MHSA Holds April Meeting, Approves Several Changes

The Montana High School Association held their April Executive Meeting, and a few changes occurred that will affect athletics in the Northern B Division as well as wrestling in the state of Montana.

The 2B District will possibly see a familiar team in the Plentywood Wildcats starting in the 2025-26 school year, who will move from Class C to Class B. The Wildcats are tentatively assigned to District 2B for basketball, volleyball, and track and field. They will also compete in Class B Cross Country and in the southeast division for golf. Plentywood will remain in 8-man football and in the Eastern B/C Division for wrestling.

Also in 2025-26, Fort Benton will also make the jump from Class C to Class B, but will compete in District 1B for basketball, volleyball and track and field. They will remain in 8-man football and in the Eastern B/C Division for wrestling.

The MHSA will meet in November to finalize the aforementioned changes.

The MHSA approved changes to the State Wrestling Tournament. The 2025 State Wrestling Tournament will be scheduled as a 3-day event. The tournament will start on a Thursday with weigh-ins at 2 p.m. followed by the boys’ first round and girls’ first round starting at 4 p.m. The girls’ second round will continue that night.

The Board also approved changes to the weight classes in wrestling weight classes for the 2024-25 season. The classes are as follows: Girls’ Weight Classes – 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, and 235. Boys’ Weight Classes – 103, 110, 118, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, and 285.

Schools in co-ops will no longer need to apply for renewal of their co-op every three years. The co-op will now be continuous unless an application for dissolution is submitted to the MHSA.

The MHSA will also now accept an official name different than a combination of school names the example given was “(Ex: Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale could officially be called North Country in the MHSA Handbook and on tournament brackets).”