When Kuhlmann and his committee looked at the numbers, there just weren't a lot of programs that had the type of sustained success over the six-year period.

“If it was just over a four-year period, then one group of kids could move you up,” Kuhlmann said. “If you look at the overall points, most remained in their class based on their enrollment.”

That had Stoecklin excited. Visitation's soccer team has been among one of the most competitive in the state for the better part of 15 years. Its other activities have not and Stoecklin believes some of that is due in part to the Vivettes competing against bigger schools because of the 1.35 multiplier.

With that now wiped away, Visitation's other sports will be classified with schools with similar enrollments.

“What I love about this is it goes sport by sport,” Stoecklin said. “We'll be able to play schools with enrollments our size. We'll have a fighting chance.”

The other big change comes with the passing of Proposal 9, which will reshape how MSHSAA determines classifications for its activities. The goal of the amended by-law is to balance classifications more evenly and avoid the smallest team in a class competing against a team twice its size in the same class.

With that now part of MSHSAA by-laws, it is highly likely several sports will add new classifications. The one most commonly mentioned was basketball, which would add a sixth class. Proposal 9 passed 376-51.

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