Texas’ University Interscholastic League (UIL), the governing body for most high school sports in the state, has released their realignments from the 2018-2019 season. While the realignments released to this point only show the districting for football, basketball, and volleyball, there is still valuable information to be gleaned for swim programs: which schools have been moved between classifications (though the specific reclassification information was released in December).
In Texas, there are two state championship meets: one for Class 6A, the state’s biggest schools, and one for Classes 5A & under. While schools can, by policy or request, move up the classification table, the enrollment separation is 2190-and-above compete in 6A, while 2189-and-below compete in the 5A and under meet.
To see all of the realignments, click here. A document summarizing all classification changes can be seen here.
Key Changes relating to swim programs:
- Tomball – Memorial High School, in suburban Houston, will move from Class 5A to Class 6A. The Tomball Memorial boys finished 3rd at last year’s 5A & under meet, while the Tomball girls placed 8th.
- Bryan High School, located in Bryan high School (twinned cities with College Station, home to Texas A&M university), is moving from 5A to 6A. Last year, the Bryan girls finished 6th at the 5A State Championship meet.
- Austin High School, whose boys’ team was 7th and girls’ team was 23rd at last year’s state championship meet, moves from 5A to 6A.
- Mansfield Lake Ridge, whose boys were 21st and girls were 41st at last year’s 5A meet, have moved to 6A.
- Prosper High School, whose girls finished 20th at last year’s state meet behind Colorado State commit Hope Jestes, will move from 5A to 6A.
- Waxahachie, whose boys were 14th at last year’s 5A state meet, moves from 5A to 6A. Then-senior Levi David won the 2017 5A state title in the 50 free (20.61).
- El Paso – Eastwood and El Paso – El Dorado both drop from 6A to 5A, where they’ll join El Paso High School, meaning that there will now be 7 El Paso schools in 5A and 6 in 6A. El Paso schools scored 68 points at last year’s 5A girls’ meet and 40.5 points at last year’s 5A boys’ meet. El Paso Eastwood scored 4 boys’ points at last year’s 6A meet, but that total would’ve been much higher in the 5A meet.
- Montgomery High, near the swimming mecca in the Woodlands-Magnolia area of north Houston, becomes a new contender after dropping from 6A to 5A.
- New schools will open in several big swimming areas have been assigned classifications. 2 new schools in Cy-Fair ISD, Cypress Park and Bridgeland High Schools, will start as 6A schools, while Klein Cain also jumps immediately in 6A. Meanwhile, Conroe Grand Oaks, Frisco Lebanon Trail, Frisco Memorial, Katy Paetow, Montgomery Lake Creek, Northside Harlin, and Pflugerville Weiss are new schools in big swimming areas jumping into 5A. Several of those 5A schools are expected to move to 6A in the near future as the schools near capacity (this year, for example, Katy Paetow opened without team varsity athletics and only freshmen and sophomores.
I still see no alignment on your links?
It’s funny, I was expecting to see something along the lines of “swim coaches vote to combine schools to give Southlake Carroll a run for their money”. Not a whole lot changes when they keep topping the podium at the end of the year.
Kingwood High School will rise again
Are the alleged schools allegedly doing this for swimming or for other sports?
Hi Dan, the class changes are across-the-board. The districts will be different for swimming than other sports – those haven’t been announced yet.
FYI, Bridgeland, Cypress Park and Klein Cain also opened with only freshman and sophomores, yet they have higher initial enrollment numbers than Katy Paetow so will be going straight to 6A. The Region II 6A District with Bridgeland, Cy Ranch, Cy Woods and Tomball Memorial will be a packed swimming district. Very, very competitive and tough due to the strength of swimming out here in this area. Go Bridgeland Bears!
This will finally put an end to schools purposely staying small to avoid tougher competition (lookin at you Frisco ISD)
Agree with you but we should put Highland Park in that group that wants to stay “small” to avoid those tough schools. They’ve had to go up to 6A a few times in the past (which results in “whuppins” for them) & then “magically” lose enrollment & drop back down to 5A where they can dominate. Been going on for decades!!