WaMaC Conference

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. 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.

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, Beckman Catholic of Dyersville is 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

West

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 DeWitt, 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 DeWitt 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 2013, Waterloo Columbus left the WaMaC for the NICL Conference with South Tama joining back in the WaMaC at the start of the 2014 season.

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 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 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. Independence has also participated in the wrestling State Duals in 1997, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2014. Independence won the State Title at the State Duals in 1997, and placed 3rd in 2014. Independence also has had success at the Traditional State Wrestling Tournament with a Championship in 1996 and placing 3rd in 2005. The Independence volleyball team participated at the State Tournament in 2013, and the football team made the playoffs in 2014.

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 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 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 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 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.

WaMaC Honor Band and Honor Choir

The WaMaC Conference also holds events for students involved in band and choir. These events are the WaMaC Honor Band and WaMaC Honor Choir. These events have been held at various venues throughout eastern Iowa and take place in November with Honor Choir taking place on the first or second Tuesday and Honor Band takes place a week later. The students involved in these events will arrive at the certain venue usually in the early afternoon. Then, the students rehearse together with the songs they'll either play or sing together. This rehearsal usually lasts about two-and-a-half to three hours with a break and dinner in-between. Finally, a concert is held that night.

Honor Band and Honor Choir have taken place at various venues throughout the years. Some places at Honor Choir have been Hawkeye Community College (2009), Maquoketa High School (2010), and Independence High School (2011). Some places at Honor Band have been Center Point-Urbana High School (2009), Benton Community High School (2010), and Clear Creek Amana High School (2011). The 2012 Honor Choir and Honor Band will take place November 6 and 13 respectively, and the places have yet to be determined.

External links

• Official site

References