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WIAA Board Approves Basketball Shot Clock, Two Divisions in Boys Hockey Published on 06/23/2017 under Sports

STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control reviewed and approved a number of committee recommendations impacting winter sports, gave initial review and consideration of a newly conceived divisional placement plan for basketball, and engaged in robust membership-related discussions at its June meeting today.

Following a lengthy discussion, the Board voted to implement the use of a 35-second shot clock in basketball for varsity games only to begin with the 2019-20 season.

In other basketball-related action, coaches qualifying for the Sate Tournament will determine the seeds for the four qualifying teams in each of the five divisions with a Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association representative breaking any ties that may occur beginning in 2017-18.

Three other basketball recommendations received approval from the Board. If schools choose to play only one half of a junior varsity game and a full varsity game, players will be allowed to play in only two halves. Also approved was extending the coaching box to 28 feet from 14 feet for all levels. In addition, the number of players per team allowed to dress during the Tournament Series will increase to 18 while maintaining the maximum party limit of 22.

The Board also voted to convene the basketball coaches advisory committee following the 2017 Area Meetings to discuss the merits of a newly created basketball tournament placement model. Details of the plan will be shared and discussed at the Area Meetings and at each level of the committee process to be presented to the Board at its Jan. 31, 2018 meeting. General details of the plan is provided below.

The Board supported an amended recommendation for a two-year experiment on sponsoring two divisions in boys hockey beginning with the 2020 State Tournament. The tournament format will feature four teams in Division 1 and four in Division 2 with the smallest 32 programs by enrollment assigned to Division 2.

Another action item in hockey was the approval of the procedure for seeding the State Tournament. The WIAA will conduct a conference call with coaches of qualifying teams to determine the top four seeds, and the remaining four teams will be randomly drawn as opponents of the seeded teams in the brackets. The guidelines for seeding will replicate those for the regional and sectional levels.

Beginning next season, the State Tournament in team wrestling will also be seeded by coaches of qualifying teams. The process will replicate the procedure approved in boys hockey. Another wrestling recommendation approved for 2017-18 increases the total number of medals awarded to 28 at the State Team Tournament, which equals the number of eligible athletes. In other wrestling-related discussions, the Board was informed of a change in the Feb. 1, one-pound growth allowance to take effect on the date of the first regional competition.

The lone gymnastics coaches' recommendation received approval. It requires the final average score of a routine to be posted during meets throughout the season.

The Board also ratified spring cooperative programs for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, general fund financial statements and payments and a spending resolution during development of the 2017-18 operational budget.

Among the additional discussions were a review of the 2017 spring State Tournaments, updates on Assembly Bill 260/Senate Bill 232, the 2017 New Athletic Director Workshop, possible 2017 Area Meeting topics, and potential Constitution items for the 2018 Annual Meeting.

The Board also received liaison reports from John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Peggy Seegers-Braun of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

The WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 511 senior high schools and 41 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It sponsors 27 championship tournament series. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.

In Other News

Northwoods Six-County Lakes Meeting Focuses on All Things Water

Published on 07/10/2025 under News From small, quiet fishing holes to large lakes buzzing with activity, Northwoods waterways remain popular for residents and visitors alike. That's why it's important to protect the resources. Coming up on Friday, local lake groups will team up with experts to discuss all things water here in the Northwoods. It's all part of the annual Northwoods Six-County Lakes meeting, those six counties in the partnership are Oneida, Vilas, Iron, Forest, Langlade and Lincoln Counties. Organizers anticipate more than 200 people will attend. This year's theme is "Quakes to our Lakes: What's Shakin'?" They'll focusing on areas of concern in and on local waterways, as well as potential solutions. Specific segments include: wake boats, algae blooms, and of course aquatic invasive species, even a segment on grants to address these issues. They'll also have exhibits and county breakout sessions. The seminar is free and gets underway at 8:30am at the Nicolet Lakeside Center in Rhinelander. Registration is available on-site or pre-register online.

Published on 07/10/2025 under News The Rhinelander community is going a little bit country this weekend for one of the largest music festivals in the region. Now entering year 47, the Hodag Country Music Festival in Rhinelander continues to draw top country artists to the Northwoods. This year's lineup includes: Jordan Davis, LoCash, Carly Pierce, and Gretchen Wilson, even Three Dog Night. Tonight's headliner is Mitchell Tenpenny. With big names comes big crowds, as people travel from across the Midwest, many camping right on site for the four day party. More than 30,000 people attend the festival each year. The Wisconsin Department of Tourism estimates the event has more than a $10 million economic impact on the Rhinelander area. In addition to the business benefit, many local groups and organizations take advantage with fundraising opportunities from the visitors. Many of those concertgoers were on hand last night for the modified 'chair line.' The Wednesday night tradition has evolved over the years, and allows people to set up their chairs in their favorite location based on a random drawing. Though many would argue there are no bad seats on the festival grounds. Music gets underway Thursday afternoon and will continue through Sunday evening.

Published on 07/10/2025 under News A pair of major drug busts were announced in Northern Wisconsin yesterday. Between the two investigations, sixteen people have been arrested. Seven Arrested in Oneida County InvestigationIn Oneida County, according to the Sheriff's Office, seven individuals were arrested and charged with conspiracy to manufacture or deliver fentanyl. The five men and two women range in age from 22 to 41 years old. The Sheriff's Office says the individuals were involved in an effort to transport the opioid to the area for local distribution. They noted recent trends have shown that fentanyl is being mixed with other illicit drugs to increase the potency, resulting in fatal and non-fatal overdosing. The individuals have been making initial appearances in Oneida County Court this week. Nine Arrested in Price County InvestigationMeanwhile, in an unrelated case, the Price County Sheriff's Office and the Phillips Police Department jointly announced the arrest of 9 people who will face drug-related charges related to the sale of marijuana and methamphetamine. The investigation began earlier this year and included the execution of search warrants at several homes. The suspects ranged in age from 34 to 57 years old.

Published on 07/10/2025 under News A program aimed at addressing youth food insecurity is returning to the Rhinelander community today. Now in its 5th year, the Hodag Food Wagon provides nutritional support when children are on summer break and food insecurity can rise. The Rhinelander Food Pantry coordinates with UW-Extension Food Wise, and this year they'll receive funding through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Summer Food Service Program. The goal is to give families with kids a little boost during the summer by providing kid-friendly food as well as nutritional education and recipes. Each bag features five breakfast meals and five lunch meals. With 150 bags available each week, they'll prepare around 1,200 bags during the eight-week period, around 12,000 meals in all. During some of the pick-up events, they'll also have other activities, tonight it's a pizza party. They'll be set up at the Food Pantry from 4pm to 6pm on Thursdays through the end of August.

Published on 07/10/2025 under News The Hodag Country Music Festival in Rhinelander isn't the only Northwoods concert series kicking off today. The Merrill community bringing back Gazebo Nights for a 14th year. The Thursday night concerts fill up Normal Park in Merrill. Earlier this year, organizers unveiled the line-up which will once again feature a variety of styles and plenty of talent. It all begins this evening with Hip Pocket. Then weekly, six more concerts will follow with a one-week pause for the Lincoln County Fair in August. While the focus is on the music and the concerts are free, local non-profits also benefit through food, concessions and weekly 50/50 raffles. Last year, sixteen Merrill-area groups and organizations raised more than $16,000. The full line up is available on the Gazebo Nights Facebook and the WJJQ Community Calendar.

Published on 07/09/2025 under News After a special Fourth holiday show last week, Tomahawk Music on the River returns this evening with band with local ties. Kicking off the second half of the summer concert series will be the Tamaracks. The show is a bit of a homecoming for two members of the trio, Drew Bolder and Seth Ploeckelman are Tomahawk natives. They play a mix of rock, blues, country, and Americana; their playlist a blend of familiar favorites as well as original music from their debut album. A relatively new band, they've been busy here in the Northwoods this summer. You can check out the Tamaracks at Music on the River tonight in Veteran's Memorial Park in Tomahawk. As always the concerts are free with music set to begin at 6pm.

Published on 07/09/2025 under News While the Tomahawk chapter of the Jaycees isn't around anymore, they have a long history in the community. Coming up this weekend, the Tomahawk Area Historical Society is planning a special exhibit and celebration of the civic organization. The program will be an open-house style format where people can come and go as they please. Board member Kathy Tobin says they have decades of scrap books, photos and minutes from meetings compiled for viewing. She even teased a video of the 1984 Jaycette Talent Show that they'll play on loop. They're encouraging any former members of the Jaycees or Jaycettes or family members to stop by for this trip down memory lane. The Jaycees event will be held on Saturday from 1-4pm at the Old Kindergarten Museum. And if you need a bite to eat and also want to support the Historical Society, they'll also have a brat/hamburger fry at the Trigs Hut on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Published on 07/09/2025 under News A little more than two months ago, a thunderstorm crossed the Tomahawk area. One of the lightning strikes actually hit our radio tower. It initially knocked us off air for a few hours, until a temporary fix restored our broadcast. Now the time has come for a more permanent fix. We'll begin that project this morning. The repair work will include a replacement of our FM antenna and transmission line. That requires some members of the tower crew to climb hundreds of feet in the sky. And to protect those workers, we will have to reduce power or turn it off entirely at times. While that will affect our traditional, over-the-air signal for short periods of time; modern technology means you can stay connected to the broadcast via streaming on our website at WJJQ.com; or use your smart phones or other smart devices with the WJJQ app. We'll communicate with the repair crews and our listeners as to when those interruptions may happen, allowing time to switch to streaming. They anticipate the work will take place Wednesday, and possibly Thursday as well.

Published on 07/08/2025 under News Often described as a hidden gem in the Northwoods, the Tomahawk Public Library continues to be a popular destination. The numbers bear that out. At the July meeting, the Tomahawk City Council heard a brief report from Library Director Heidi O'Hare, which included some additional data. According to O'Hare, they had more than 28,000 visits last year. The report came at the start of summer and the Fourth/Powwow Days holiday, and O'Hare noted that they had been especially busy with both locals and out-of-town guests in recent weeks. Circulation includes around 55,000 items. Books make up a majority of library items, but they continue to add other resources like audio and visual materials and a section for games, puzzles and activity kits to be checked out by patrons. They added more than 2,500 new items last year alone. Their WiFi service has also been especially popular, with around 9,000 patrons taking advantage including nearly 2,000 using the computers. Speaking of digital, they've also got nearly 19,000 e-books, e-serials, and e-audio. And the summer schedule is a good example of the more than 300 programs they offer throughout the year such as Tinker Tuesdays, story time, wildlife programs, and reading challenges. They often take advantage of the scenic setting along the shores of Lake Mohawksin to host these activities. Last year more than 5,500 people attended. You can visit their website or Facebook for a schedule._____ And there's a chance to support the library on Wednesday, July 9. The Friends of the Tomahawk Library are hosting their second of three planned summer book sales tomorrow. It's from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm in the library basement.

Published on 07/08/2025 under News The Tomahawk Area Interfaith Volunteers provide a valuable service for those in need, and they are looking to grow their pool of volunteers. Known as TAIV, the organization serves seniors and those with disabilities in the community. We were recently joined by new TAIV director Gloria Quinn and assistant Bob Schmidtbauer to talk about the non-profit. Most of their outreach is through transportation services. It's essentially a volunteer Uber, providing rides to appointments. This includes not only local rides in the Tomahawk area, but to appointments in nearby communities like Wausau, Merrill, Rhinelander, and Minocqua. And they stay busy, Schmidtbauer noted they average from 6 to 8 rides a day. The month of May included 148 trips, where the volunteer drivers put on more than 3,000 miles. And while those receiving rides benefits, it can also rewarding for the volunteers through the conversations and connection. Quinn noted that they do have two transport vans, or in some cases, drivers can use their own vehicles. It's not a big commitment, and they are flexible with their hours. Some voluteers pledge one day a month, while others drive a few times a week. Those interested can contact TAIV, they've got an office in the Senior Center; call 715-453-8200; or email: taivdirector@gmail.com

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