Both the Sammamish and Interlake High School athletic programs will be on the move beginning with the next WIAA classification cycle, which starts during the 2012-13 school year.
The Totems, which have opted-up to compete as a 3A school despite 2A enrollment numbers previously, came in at fractions under 903 (numbers are an averaged based on full time enrollment numbers in grades 10-12), but this time will play where the numbers put them according to AD Pat McCarthy, in Class 2A.
Interlake, which has been in Class 2A since 2007, came in at nearly 1,207 this time around, well above the cutoff of 1,096.
Neither school will change conference affiliation and it seems likely Sammamish would follow a similar playoff route as its Crossroads Cup rivals through West Central District III. But WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said it is still far too early to tell how the postseason picture would shake out in both team and individual sports.
Lake Washington is the only other KingCo school that saw enrollment numbers move to the point where a classification move is in order and the Kangs will also compete as a 2A school beginning next school year.
Interlake has seen its athletic programs rejuvenated by the move and in many cases had teams make a trip to state for the fist time in decades.
The baseball program reached the state tournament for the first time since 1993 last season. The boys soccer team has made three straight state appearances after missing out every year since 1989. In football, the Saints have been to state in each of the past for seasons after a drought that began in 1995. Volleyball also returned from a decade-long state tournament hiatus in 2010 after not getting in since 1999.
The most evident success was of course with the 2A state champion girls soccer team, which brought home only the second team sport title to Interlake and the first since the 1986 baseball crown.
Sammamish no doubt hopes to have a similar shift in success, as only boys soccer, softball and girls soccer have made multiple trips to state since 2000. The boys basketball program reached the tournament in 2000 and is currently tied for the top spot in the conference.
