IHSA releases 2-Year Classifications for Fall Sports including Cross Country

By Michael Newman

The IHSA on December 21 released their changes for the next two years starting with the 2023-2024 school years. There were a number of changes for Cross Country starting next fall. This is the most drastic of changes with more schools flipping between classifications.

You can look at the classifications for Cross-Country on this IHSA page.

Most of that had to do with a change of enrollment cutoff in schools between classifications.

The cutoff between Class 1A and Class 2A changed from 678 students in 2021-2022 to 574 students beginning in 2023-2024.

The cutoff between Class 2A and Class 3A changed from 1665 students in 2021-2022 to 1470 students beginning in 2023-2024.

The number of high quality teams and individuals that will be moving up to Class 3A next fall. Defending 2A Boys State Champion Riverside-Brookfield will move up a class along with perennial 2A powers Vernon Hills, Crystal Lake Central, Deerfield, and Cary-Grove.

St. Ignatius Prep’s Boys team will move down from 3A to 2A. Their Girls team will stay in the same classification. Payton Prep’s Boys team will move up from 2A to 3A.

Latin School’s Boys and Girls Teams will switch classes. The Boys team will now be in Class 2A. The Girls team will now be in Class 1A. DePaul Prep, after winning the 1A Boys State title last fall will move up to Class 2A along with their Girls program.

Here is a list of some of the notable changes that were made for the next two year cycle.

Class 3A

Cary-Grove (from 2A)

Chicago Kennedy (from 2A)

Chicago Marist (from 2A)

Chicago Mather (from 2A)

Chicago Payton Prep BOYS (from 2A)

Chicago Washington (from 2A)

Crystal Lake Central (from 2A)

Deerfield (from 2A)

Normal Community West (from 2A)

Oak Lawn Richards (from 2A)

Oak Park Fenwick BOYS (from 2A)

Riverside-Brookfield (from 2A)

Rock Island (from 2A)

Vernon Hills (from 2A)

Class 2A

Aurora Rosary (from 1A)

Breese Central (from 1A)

Chicago DePaul Prep (from 1A)

Chicago Latin School BOYS (from 1A)

Chicago St. Ignatius Prep BOYS (from 3A)

Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central (from 1A)

Columbia (from 1A)

Decatur MacArthur COOP (from 3A) – could change

Joliet Catholic (from 1A)

Lake Forest (from 3A)

Lisle Benet Academy (from 3A)

Macomb (from 1A)

Normal University BOYS (from 1A)

Pontiac (from 1A)

Salem (from 1A)

West Chicago Wheaton Academy (from 1A)

Class 1A

Chicago Latin School GIRLS (from 2A)

Peoria Notre Dame (from 2A)