WPIAL approves section alignments for winter sports, basketball must wait

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, February 18, 2020 | 12:12 AM

The WPIAL released updated sections for some winter sports, but basketball won’t be ready for awhile.

The WPIAL board approved alignments for gymnastics, rifle and wrestling at Monday’s meeting. However, the WPIAL can’t finalize new basketball sections until after the PIAA decides which teams must move up under its competitive-balance formula, associate executive director Amy Scheuneman told the board.

The PIAA won’t know that until after the state semifinals.

Teams forced to play in a higher classification have a chance to appeal, so there could be uncertainty beyond mid-March.

The WPIAL board did approve new wrestling sections based more on geography and less on competitive balance.

Rifle has the same number of teams as this season (16) but will divide them into four sections rather than three.

The gymnastics sections remained the same, but Hampton will not field a team next season.

GYMNASTICS

Section 1

Baldwin, Burrell, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Thomas Jefferson

Section 2

Central Valley, Chartiers Valley, Hopewell, Moon, Montour, South Side, West Allegheny

RIFLE

Section 1

McGuffey, Upper St. Clair, Waynesburg, West Greene

Section 2

Avella, Bethel Park, Trinity, Washington

Section 3

Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Penn-Trafford, Woodland Hills

Section 4

Armstrong, Butler, Indiana, Plum

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.