Coach Marks - I greatly appreciate your ideas and concern over the current sectional assignments. I can also empathize because 10 years ago I was also concerned and frustrated with the sectional situation. Wisco is in the same D2 sectional with Port Washington and Shorewood and there was a stretch of several years that all 3 teams were ranked in the top 3-5 going into the Sectional Meet. For a few years, we finished 3rd at Sectionals with no chance to run for a State trophy. It just didn't make sense to me when the WIAA could have done a simple switch, such as move Port north to a different sectional. All 3 programs and coaches talked about this and we raised our concern to the XC advisory board and to the WIAA. Nothing was ever changed. Sorry for my cynicism but I don't think sectional assignments are going to get changed and improved by the WIAA until a larger group of coaches is convinced that something needs to be changed. Outside of a few programs, like Verona currently, probably care very little to fight for a sectional assignment change. The traditionally strong programs that make it to State year after year won't be that vested in fighting for change. There are many many programs that never make it to State that probably won't fight that hard for change. Those programs in an easier sectional aren't going to want to see sectional assignments change. My suggestion would be to figure out what programs and coaches would want to fight for this change and have them promote their idea to the WCCCA and the coaching community in their area. A few programs that come to mind would be Verona, Milwaukee King, Homestead, Port Washington, Menomonee Falls, and Marquette. What other XC programs across all 3 divisions would be willing to fight for this sectional assignment change?

So here is an angle that I haven't heard discussed with this sectional proposal: Would coaches be willing (especially in Div. 1) to see the automatic qualifying teams be reduced to 16 and then add extra qualifiers, based upon the plan? I understand that it took some work to convince the WIAA to add teams to the State Meet but I know that there are some coaches that believe we "water-downed" the field by adding more teams. I don't remember all of the arguments that went into adding more teams to the State Meet, but I'm guessing it was based upon qualifying numbers in other sports. But an argument could be made that an extra qualifying team in Chad's proposal may be a more competitive team at the State Meet. Thoughts?