MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE
REGION 7AA COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday January 9, 2017, Valentinis Restaurant, Duluth, MN
Members Present
Beth Clark
Steve Battaglia
Mike Cunningham
Tom Lenarz
Eric Johnson
Kelly Fahrni
Tonya Sconiers
David Law
Joe Thimm
Jerry Upton
Pat Medure
Absent: Dr. Steve Massey
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 a.m. by Chair Cunningham. The following business was conducted.
Upton moved, seconded by Sconiers to accept the meeting agenda. Motion passed.
Sconiers moved, second by Lenarz to approve September 28, 2016 meeting minutes. Motion passed.
Clark moved, second by Law to approve the January 9, 2017 treasurer’s report. Motion Passed.
Region Secretaries Report/Correspondence
 Live Video Webcast, Boy Hockey 7AA Semis & Final. The Committee voted 10-0 to not allow the
request for the 2017 tournament.
Region 7AA Handbook.
 Appendix K, Manager Stipend. Moved by Law, seconded by Johnson to approve and increase for
football site manager to $125 for Quarterfinal and $200 for Semifinal & Final. Passed 9-1.
Fall 2016 Tournament Suggestions/Recommendations
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Issues identified are referred to Tournament Coordinators, no discussion needed by Committee.
FALL 2015 TOURNAMENT SECTION CHAMPION/RUNNER-UP RECOGNITION
Activity
Champion
Runner-up
Activity
Champion
Runner-up
CC Boys 7AA
CC Girls 7AA
Football 7AAAA
Football 7AAAAA
Soccer Boys 7AA
Soccer Girls 7AA
Cloquet
Forest Lake
Cloquet
Andover
Andover
Andover
Forest Lake
Andover
Princeton
St. Francis
Blaine
Blaine
Soccer Boys 7A
Soccer Girls 7A
Swim Girls 5A
Tennis Girls 7AA
Volleyball 7AAA
Duluth Denfeld
North Branch
Monticello
Duluth East
Grand Rapids
Chisago Lakes
Princeton
Foley
Elk River
Cambridge
2016 Winter/Spring Tournament Recommended Additions/Changes (Appendix M)
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Moved by Lenarz, seconded by Thimm to approve the Baseball 7AAAA tournament site change.
A revised copy of 2017 Winter/Spring Appendix M is updated on the Region 7AA tab of the MSHSL website.
Appendix M, Tournament Scheduling, Fall Activities 2017. Document included with minutes.
 Moved by Thimm, seconded by Upton to approve all recommendations from the Region 7AA A.D.s for
dates/sites/managers for all tournaments that our region administers. Motion passed. The document is
included with these minutes and will be posted to the website in the spring of 2017.
MSHSL Board of Directors Report
 The December 2016 Board synopsis was previously sent. Any questions, please contact Eric Lehtola.
Advisory Committee Recommendations
 No recommendations to consider at this time.
AAA Discussion & Requests
 Request that the League add Speech Captain to the nomination form.
 Request that the League add One Act Student Director to the nomination form.
 Nine nomination forms had no signature from a school official to verify the information was accurate.
2016-2017 AAA Selections.
The committee selected and congratulates the following students for earning this award.
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7AA Boys Recipient is Michael Sullivan, Hibbing High School
7AA Girls Recipient is Anja Maijala, Cloquet High School
Next Meeting. Monday, May 1, 2017, 10:00 a.m. @ Tobies Restaurant, Hinckley, MN.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:55 a.m.
Submitted by:
Mac
Doug MacIver
Executive Secretary/Treasurer
Representative Assembly – Vote & Comments
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Non-School Competition – Changes to Baseball, Softball, Skiers, & 9th Graders. 11-0 Do Not Support. The
High School season lasts into June and would shorten the option for summer programs for Baseball & Softball.
The school coach provides the best option to supervise players during the summer waiver time. I skiers were not
permitted to participated in amateur schedule during the season, they would drop out of the school program and
leave that program with only beginning skiers. Adding the 9th graders to this bylaw be detrimental to present
school programs. 8th and 9th graders now may play on community teams also.
Non-School Competition – Delete Captains’ Practice. 11-0 Support. There are problems defining open gym
vs captains practice. Question of liability to schools with the term Captains practice. It is better managed by
Community Ed programs meeting the rental & other requirements similar to non-school groups. It should
streamline the involvement and help out school activities department. The words “Captains Practice” may be out
but will the perception be gone?
Non-School Competition. – Allowing auditions or tryouts. 10-1 Support. If a player goes for a tryout and
gets injured the school team could be hurt. Tryouts are already happening at this time. Students should have the
opportunity as they decide on a school to attend or pursue scholarships. It encroaches on the high school season,
why not wait till the school season is over. Loyalty should stay with school team till season is over.
Tennis – permit an extra event. 10-1 Support. It is allowed for other sports at this time, why not tennis. It
favors scheduling for those schools with easier access to indoor facilities. It is a short season to try get a regular
season schedule in before tournaments begin.
Baseball – Add a conditioning week to begin practice. 11-0 Do Not Support. Looks like a backdoor attempt
to just add more, there is not a need for additional week inside. This is a suggestion that did not receive support
some years ago. It says there may be limitations, but in reality it will be misused with the entire team being
identified as pitchers or catchers. There is enough time for throwing now and the additional time may be a
significant risk. Overlap of season encourages specialization which schools and MSHSL do not endorse.
Wrestling – Add Girls Wrestling. 11-0 Do Not Support. Girls could then compete against other girls instead
of on the boys’ teams. There has not been requests or interest on surveys at our school levels for the addition of
the program. There are girls’ club programs available for the limited number of participants. It is a good sport
teaching hard work, responsibility, and dedication. If it is good for boys it should be for girls also.
Wrestling – Changes to event and competition limits. 11-0 Support. With the present policy, schools run out
of participants at the end of season and must forfeit in some weight classes. This eliminates an opportunity for a
participant from the other school to compete. The change is needed because the emphasis has moved more to
invitational than dual events. It is in line with other state limitations. It is a good first step rather that a previous
proposal that requested unlimited instead of the 45 competitions.
Cooperative Sponsorship – Change to the process. 11-0 Do Not Support. A big issue to any cooperative is
the potential loss of enrollment at the sponsoring school. The cooperative results in students from the host school
being cut from the team. Does the school making the request have a viable team. It does help the smaller school
to request a cooperative knowing that there may not be a resulting change in the competitive section.
APPENDIX M
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING REGION 7AA MSHSL 2017-2018 (Approved, January 9, 2017)
If Region 7AA has an appropriate site to host a tournament, the tournament will be held in our administrative region.
FALL SEASON (# means confirmed)
#Girls’ Tennis 7AA (State, October 24-27, 2017) Latest Section Date (October 17)
Andover, Big Lake, Cambridge-Isanti, Chisago Lakes, Duluth Denfeld, Duluth East, Forest Lake, Hermantown, North Branch, Princeton, St. Francis,
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Elk River/Zimmerman, Chisholm/Hibbing, Grand Rapids/Greenway
Coordinators: Aaron Forsythe
Team Play in & Quarters
Individuals Rounds 1 - 3
Team Semis
Team Final
Individual Semi & Final
SITE
Home Site
Arrowhead/ER or Daytona
High Seed
Arrowhead
Arrowhead
MANAGER
Activities Director
Roed & Forsythe
Activities Director
Aaron Forsythe
Aaron Forsythe
DATES
Wed & Thu Oct 4, Oct 5
Tue Oct 10
Thu Oct 12
Sat Oct 14
Mon Oct 16
#Boys’ & Girls’ Soccer 7A (State, October 24-26, 30-31, November 2, 2017) Latest Section Date (October 20)
Chisago Lakes, Cloquet(girls), Duluth Denfeld, Gr. Rapids, Hermantown, Legacy(B), North Branch, North Lakes Acad., Princeton, Proctor, Spectrum, Two Harbors,
Esko (G), Coop. Cloquet/Carlton/Esko(B), Coop. Hibbing/Chis, Coop. Evel-Gilb/Mesabi East/MIB/Virginia, Coop: Marshall/Lakeview, Zimmerman (G), Pact(B)
Coordinator: Tom Pearson
Play In
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final Girls
Final Boys
SITE
Home Site
Home Site
Home Site
Chisago Lakes
Duluth Denfeld
MANAGER
Activities Director
Activities Director
Activities Director
Activities Director
Tom Pearson
DATES
Thu Oct 12
Sat Oct 14
Tue Oct 17
Thu Oct 19
Thu Oct 19
#Boys’ & Girls’ Soccer 7AA (State, October 24-26, 30-31 November 2, 2017) Latest Section Date (October 20)
Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Cambridge-Isanti, Coon Rapids (boys), Duluth East, Forest Lake, St. Francis
Coordinator: Eric Lehtola
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
SITE
Home Site
Home Site
Home Site
MANAGER
Activities Director
Activities Director
Activities Director
DATES
Tue Oct 10
Thu Oct 12
Tue Oct 17
#Boys’ & Girls’ Cross Country 7AA (State, November 4, 2017) Latest Section Date (October 28)
Andover, Big Lake, Cambridge-Isanti, Chisago Lakes, Cloquet, Duluth Denfeld, Duluth East, Elk River, Forest Lake, Hermantown, Hibbing, North Branch, Princeton,
St. Francis, Coop.Grand Rapids/Bigfork, Zimmerman
Coordinator:
Section Finals
Darin Laabs
SITE
Cloquet Country Club
MANAGER
Jerimy Halsten
DATES
Thu Oct 26
#Football 7AAAA (State, November 9-11, November 16-18, & 24-25, 2017) Latest Section Date (November 4)
Cloquet, Duluth Denfeld, Hermantown, Hibbing, North Branch, Princeton
Coordinator: Tom Lenarz
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
SITE
Home Site
Home Site
Duluth Denfeld
MANAGER
Activities Director
Activities Director
Tom Pearson
DATES
Tue Oct 24
Sat Oct 28
Fri Nov 3
#Football 7AAAAA (State, November 9-11, Nov. 16-18, & 24-25, 2017) Latest Section Date (November 4)
Andover, Cambridge-Isanti, Chisago Lakes, Duluth East, Grand Rapids, St. Francis
Coordinator: Mark Solberg
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
SITE
Home Site
Home Site
Home Site
MANAGER
Activities Director
Activities Director
Activities Director
DATES
Tue Oct 24
Sat Oct 28
Fri Nov 3
#Girls’ Swimming 5A (State, November 16-18, 2017) Latest Section Date (November 11)
Becker, Big Lake, Foley, Fridley, Milaca, Monticello, Ogilvie, Princeton, Sauk Rapids, Totino-Grace, Zimmerman,
Coordinator: Logan Midthun
Swim Preliminaries
Dive Preliminaries
Swim & Dive Finals
SITE
Sauk Rapids
Sauk Rapids
Sauk Rapids
MANAGER
NaDean Schroeder & Midthun
NaDean Schroeder & Midthun
NaDean Schroeder & Midthun
DATES
Thu Nov 9
Fri Nov 10
Sat Nov 11
#Volleyball 7AAA (State, November 9-11, 2017) Latest Section Date (November 4)
Andover, Anoka, Cambridge-Isanti, Chisago Lakes, Duluth Denfeld, Duluth East, Elk River, Forest Lake, Grand Rapids, North Branch, Princeton, St. Francis
Coordinator: Mike Cunningham
Subsection
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
SITE
Home Site
Home Site
Home Site
Princeton
MANAGER
Activities Director
Activities Director
Activities Director
Darin Laabs
DATES
Wed Oct 25
Fri Oct 27
Wed Nov 1
Sat Nov 4