WIAA 4A Scholastic Cup Preview for 2020-2024 cycle

In the (Fall) 2020 - (Spring) 2024 cycle, it looks like there will be 51 schools competing in the 4A classification.

Here's a breakdown of the schools by League (and District), their 2016-2020 Scholastic Cup (athletics scores only) ranking, and a projection as to how many state allocations each district/region will get.

District 1:
5 teams in 1 league; 1.5 spots to state

WESCO (5):
4A#9 Henry Jackson
4A#12 Lake Stevens
4A#13 Glacier Peak
4A#22 Kamiak
4A#63 Mariner


District 2:
10 teams in 1 league; 3 spots to state

KingCo (10):
4A#3 Issaquah
4A#4 Skyline
4A#11 Newport (Bellevue)
4A#16 Redmond
4A#21 Woodinville
4A#26 Eastlake
4A#36 Mount Si
4A#40 Bothell
4A#46 Inglemoor
4A#47 North Creek


District 3:
17 teams in 2 leagues; 7 spots to state (combines with District 4)

North Puget Sound League (8):
4A#2 Tahoma
4A#20 Kentwood
4A#25 Sumner
4A#31 Federal Way
4A#32 Kentridge
4A#45 Kennedy Catholic
4A#53 Decatur
4A#61 Mount Rainier

South Puget Sound League (9):
4A#7 Curtis
4A#8 Puyallup
4A#10 Bellarmine Prep
4A#29 Rogers (Puyallup)
4A#33 Olympia
4A#33 South Kitsap
4A#41 Emerald Ridge
3A#33 Bethel
4A#50 Graham-Kapowsin


District 4:
4 teams in 1 leagues; 7 spots to state (combines w/ District 3)

Greater St. Helens League (4):
4A#1 Camas
4A#6 Union
4A#19 Skyview
4A#55 Battle Ground


District 6:
7 teams in 1 league; 2 spots to state

Columbia Basin Big Nine (7):
4A#16 Wenatchee
4A#28 Moses Lake
4A#35 Eastmont
4A#37 West Valley (Yakima)
4A#39 Sunnyside
4A#52 Eisenhower
4A#58 A.C. Davis

District 8:
8 teams in 2 leagues; 2.5 spots to state

Greater Spokane League (3):
4A#5 Central Valley
4A#13 Lewis & Clark
4A#24 Gonzaga Prep

Mid-Columbia Conference (5):
3A#2 Kamiakin
4A#18 Richland
4A#23 Chiawana
4A#30 Hanford
4A#38 Pasco


Side note: if the Eastern Regional was restored with full participation from both CBBN and GSL/MCC, then they might get 5 full allocations rather than 2+2.5 unless WESCO and KingCo also restored the Northwest Regional (which they really should), in which case they might potentially remain at 4.5 allocations. Not to mention, it would greatly improve the competitive balance and make the state field all that much stronger. Only reason I say "might" is because I'm not 100% sure how the WIAA proceeds with the idea of districts combining for a regional: if the # of teams from both districts are combined together prior to determining allocations, or after, would be the key difference... there are pros and cons to either order, because if it is done prior to combining then it doesn't ensure that the regional is always properly represented at state but it protects from the scenario of the districts not combining the second year of allocations, and visa versa if calculations are done after combining. The simple fix for that issue is for the WIAA to have stricter rules in place to create competitive balance by enforcing regional qualifiers - or, in other words, making sure districts combine for both years of an agreement rather than only once - when it is deemed necessary, which along with enforcing equitable representation at regional qualifiers would go a long ways towards establishing a better competitive balance within the state - no more unfair/unbalanced regional qualifiers due to one district being able to outvote the other and ensure greater representation, and the state being able to ensure that no state qualifier is too small to ensure the highest quality state field reasonably possible (e.g. a rule in place where any district that qualifies less than 3 teams to state MUST be combined with the nearest district and both districts MUST have representation proportional to their size at the regional tournament; in 4A for the next 2 years, that would mean that the NW, SW and Eastern Regionals would have to exist with each district getting proportional representation such as 4/5 WESCO + 8/10 KingCo in the NW, 6/8 NPSL + 7/9 SPSL + 3/4 GSHL in the SW, and 2/3 GSL + 4/5 MCC + 6/7 CBBN in the ER for 12/16/12 team fields in cases where all teams cannot be included in the qualifier).

p.s., here is the hypothetical XC District Meet merge from last year using the new realignment ...

New 4A Top-20 Boys:

1. 51 - Kamiakin - 4A-8 #1/2.5 - Qualify
2. 102 - Camas - 4A SW #1/7 - Qualify
3. 132 - Lewis and Clark - 4A-8 #2/2.5 - Qualify
4. 160 - Central Valley - 4A-8 #3/2.5 - ????? (would only qualify every other year)
5. 185 - Tahoma - 4A SW #2/7 - Qualify
6. 213 - Henry Jackson - 4A-1 #1/1.5 - Qualify
7. 259 - Gonzaga Prep - 4A-8 #4/2.5 - DNQ
8. 269 - Newport (Bellevue) - 4A-2 #1/3 - Qualify
9. 269 - Olympia - 4A SW #3/7 - Qualify
10. 283 - Puyallup - 4A SW #4/7 - Qualify
11. 316 - Eisenhower - 4A-6 #1/2 - Qualify
12. 318 - Curtis - 4A SW #5/7 - Qualify
13. 321 - Mt Si - 4A-2 #2/3 - Qualify
14. 323 - Woodinville - 4A-2 #3/3 - Qualify
15. 328 - Kamiak - 4A-1 #2/1.5 - ????? (would only qualify every other year)
16. 338 - West Valley (Yakima) - 4A-6 #2/2 - Qualify
17. 340 - Sumner - 4A SW #6/7 - Qualify
18. 393 - Eastlake - 4A-2 #4/3 - DNQ
19. 404 - Issaquah - 4A-2 #5/3 - DNQ
20. 405 - Lake Stevens - 4A-1 #3/1.5 - DNQ

On the boys side, potentially missing #4 Central Valley last year as well as certainly missing #7 Gonzaga Prep. Luckily, those are the only Top-17 that would be missing (either Kamiak and Central Valley would qualify and the other left home), though I'm not sure that makes up for a potential podium finisher sitting it out. The last qualifier would be #22 Rogers (Puyallup) out of the Southwest.

Notable that #1 Kamiakin is moving up from 3A.

New 4A Top-20 Girls:

1. 111 - Camas - 4A SW #1/7 - Qualify
2. 135 - Redmond - 4A-2 #1/3 - Qualify
3. 148 - Lewis and Clark - 4A-8 #1/2.5 - Qualify
4. 166 - Richland - 4A-8 #2/2.5 - Qualify
5. 174 - Tahoma - 4A SW #2/7 - Qualify
6. 204 - Bellarmine Prep - 4A SW #3/7 - Qualify
7. 235 - Central Valley - 4A-8 #3/2.5 - ????
8. 252 - Glacier Peak - 4A-1 #1/1.5 - Qualify
9. 266 - Eastlake - 4A-2 #2/3 - Qualify
10. 295 - Lake Stevens - 4A-1 #2/1.5 - ????
11. 306 - Emerald Ridge - 4A SW #4/7 - Qualify
12. 313 - Hanford - 4A-8 #4/2.5 - DNQ
13. 326 - Bothell - 4A-2 #3/3 - Qualify
14. 331 - Kamiakin - 4A-8 #5/2.5 - DNQ
15. 332 - Eisenhower - 4A-6 #1/2 - Qualify
16. 358 - Issaquah - 4A-2 #4/3 - DNQ
17. 367 - Newport (Bellevue) - 4A-2 #5/3 - DNQ
18. 376 - Henry Jackson - 4A-1 #3/1.5 - DNQ
19. 385 - South Kitsap - 4A SW #5/7 - Qualify
20. 417 - Wenatchee - 4A-6 #2/2 - Qualify

Just like with the boys, Central Valley is the first one that might not qualify - but this time at least they aren't a Top-5 team! #7 Central Valley and #10 Lake Stevens would be splitting a spot, so one of them would be sitting at home one year and the other the next. That's a Top-10 team missing from the field, but it could be worse... #12 Hanford and #14 Kamiakin from the GSL/MCC meet wouldn't qualify, nor would #16 Issaquah and #17 Newport (Bellevue) from KingCo or #18 Henry Jackson from WESCO. The two Southwest teams that didn't make the Top-20 cut here but would qualify are #22 Skyview and #26 Rogers (Puyallup).

Notable that #14 Kamiakin is moving up from 3A.

Although I obviously used different ratings for this merge compared to the state preview (this was done by looking at how every runner ran at state vs. how they did at districts, while the state preview was purely based on my estimate on how the meets would compare), you can check this post to see how it compared to last year.