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Ohio High School Athletic Association

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Ohio High School Athletic Association
AbbreviationOHSAA
Formation1907
Legal statusAssociation
PurposeAthletic/Educational
Headquarters4080 Roselea Pl.
Columbus, Ohio U.S.
Region served
Ohio
Official language
English
Executive Director
Doug Ute
AffiliationsNational Federation of State High School Associations
Staff
22
Websiteohsaa.org
Remarks(614) 267-2502

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of competition by divisional separation of schools according to attendance population, and conducts state championship competitions in all the OHSAA-sanctioned sports.

Membership

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There are approximately 820 member high schools and 850 more schools in the 7th-8th grade division of the OHSAA. Most public and private high schools in Ohio belong to the OHSAA.[1]

Structure

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Districts

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The Association is divided into six districts, each with its own District Athletic Board, including the Central District, East District, Northeast District, Northwest District, Southeast District, and Southwest District.

The District boards conduct Sectional and District tournaments. The main OHSAA board conducts Regional and State tournaments.[2]

Classifications and divisions

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Member high schools are divided into three classifications (A, AA, AAA). Prior to 1989 many sports held tournaments based on these classifications. Since then, each sport individually divides into numbered divisions based on enrollment, taking into account the total number of schools offering that varsity sport and placing an equal number of schools in each division.

The classifications (A being the smallest schools, AAA the largest) are still used to fill spots on the six District Athletic Boards (two representatives from each class).

The number of divisions varies based on how many schools offer that sport. Football has the most, with seven divisions (Division I being the largest schools). Three sports have a single division: Boys' Ice Hockey, Girls' Field Hockey, and Gymnastics.[2]

History

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OHSAA's 100th Anniversary logo.

The OHSAA is an unincorporated, non-profit organization founded in 1907. Members of the Western Ohio Superintendents' Round Table had frequently discussed the need of a central organization for high school athletics. In 1906 they passed a resolution to appoint a committee, headed by George R. Eastman, the first President of the Board of Control.

The first OHSAA-sponsored state tournament, Track and Field, was held on May 23, 1908, at Denison University. Columbus North became the first state champions, finishing ahead of Dayton Steele.[1]

The OHSAA is currently headed by a commissioner.[3] Prior to 1925, the Board of Control officers handled duties now associated with the Commissioner.

In 1979, OHSAA adopted a bylaw prohibiting out-of-state students from competing in OHSAA-sponsored activities. This rule was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1985 case Alerding v. Ohio High School Athletic Association, regarding St. Xavier High School students from Northern Kentucky.

Commissioners since 1925

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  • H.R. Townsend (1925–1944)
  • Harold Emswiler (1944–1958)
  • W.J. McConnell (1958–1963)
  • Paul E. Landis (1963–1969)
  • Harold A. Meyer (1969–1977)
  • George D. Bates (1977–1980)
  • Richard L. Armstrong (1980–1989)
  • Clair Muscaro (1990–2004)
  • Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D. (2004–2018)
  • Jerry Snodgrass (2018–2020)
  • Doug Ute (2020–present)

OHSAA–sponsored sports tournaments

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[3]

Boys

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Season Sport Tournament Structure # of Divisions 1st Tournament 2024-25 State Tournament Location
Fall Cross Country District, Regional, & State 3 1928 Fortress Obetz, Obetz
Memorial Park, Obetz
Fall Football Regional & State 7 1972 Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
Fall Golf Sectional, District & State 3 1927
(Spring sport 1927–1974)		 NCR Country Club, Dayton (Div I)
Firestone Country Club, Akron (Div II)
North Star Golf Resort, Sunbury (Div III)
Fall Soccer Sectional, District, Regional & State 3 1976 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Winter Basketball Sectional, District, Regional, & State 4 1923 UD Arena, University of Dayton, Dayton
Winter Bowling Sectional, District, & State 2 2007 HP Lanes, Columbus
Winter Ice Hockey District & State 1 1978 Nationwide Arena, Columbus
Winter Swimming and Diving Sectional, District, & State 2 1928 C. T. Branin Natatorium, Canton
Winter Wrestling Sectional, District, & State 3 1938 Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
Winter Wrestling-Dual Meet Regional & State 3 2013–2020 (discontinued)
Winter Gymnastics Sectional, District, & State 1 1926–1937; 1965–1993 (discontinued)
Spring Baseball Sectional, District, Regional, & State 4 1928 Canal Park, Akron
Spring Track and Field District, Regional, & State 3 1908 Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Tennis Sectional, District, & State 2** 1922 College of Wooster, Wooster
Spring Lacrosse State 2 2017 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Spring Volleyball State 2 2023 Wittenberg University, Springfield

Girls

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Season Sport Tournament Structure # of Divisions 1st Tournament 2024-25 State Tournament Location
Fall Cross Country District, Regional, & State 3 1978 Fortress Obetz, Obetz
Memorial Park, Obetz
Fall Field Hockey State Qualifying & State 1 1979 Thomas Worthington High School, Worthington
Fall Golf Sectional, District & State 2 1993 NCR Country Club, Dayton (Div I)
Firestone Country Club, Akron (Div II)
Fall Soccer Sectional, District, Regional & State 3 1985 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
Fall Tennis Sectional, District, & State 2** 1976 College of Wooster, Wooster
Fall Volleyball Sectional, District, Regional, & State 4 1975 Nutter Center, Wright State University, Dayton
Winter Basketball Sectional, District, Regional, & State 4 1976 UD Arena, University of Dayton, Dayton
Winter Bowling Sectional, District, & State 2 2007 HP Lanes, Columbus
Winter Gymnastics Sectional, District, & State 1 1977 Hilliard Bradley High School, Hilliard
Winter Swimming and Diving Sectional, District, & State 2 1977 C.T. Branin Natatorium, Canton
Winter Wrestling Sectional, District, & State 1 2023 Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Softball Sectional, District, Regional, & State 4 1978 Firestone Stadium, Akron
Spring Track and Field District, Regional, & State 3 1975 Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Ohio State University, Columbus
Spring Lacrosse State 2 2017 Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus
**(Individual/Doubles only, no Team championships)

Past team state champions

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Main article: List of Ohio High School Athletic Association championships

Schools with most team titles

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[3]

Rank # of
Titles 		School City # of
Boys'
Titles 		# of
Girls'
Titles 		Year of
First
Title 		Year of
Last
Title
1 67 St. Edward Lakewood 67 X* 1978 2024
2 64 St. Xavier Cincinnati 64 X* 1957 2024
3 53 Upper Arlington Upper Arlington 27 26 1937 2024
4 47 St. Ignatius Cleveland 47 X* 1988 2024
5 42 Hawken Gates Mills 7 35 1977 2022
6 41 Minster Minster 8 33 1976 2023
7 40 Walsh Jesuit Cuyahoga Falls 22 18 1982 2023
8 35 Columbus Academy Gahanna 20 15 1977 2024
9t 34 St. Vincent – St. Mary Akron 23 11 1927 2022
9t 34 Graham St. Paris 34 0 1930 2024
11 33 St. Francis DeSales Columbus 25 8 1971 2024
12 32 Thomas Worthington Worthington 12 20 1938 2023
13 31 Brecksville-Broadview Heights Broadview Heights 5 26 1981 2024
14 30 Archbishop Alter Kettering 19 11 1978 2024
15 28 Coldwater Coldwater 18 10 1983 2021
16t 27 Canton McKinley Canton 23 4 1937 2010
16t 27 Newark Catholic Newark 17 10 1978 2016
18 26 Archbishop Moeller Cincinnati 26 X* 1972 2023
19 25 Marion Local Maria Stein 19 6 1975 2024
20t 24 Archbishop Hoban Akron 12 12 1980 2024
20t 24 East Tech Cleveland 23 1 1920 2002
20t 24 Beaumont School Cleveland Heights X* 24 1986 2012
23 22 Elder Cincinnati 22 X* 1943 2005
* X = single-gender school

Schools with most team titles in one sport

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Rank # of
Titles 		School City Sport First Last
1 44 St. Xavier Cincinnati Boys' Swimming 1970 2024
2 37 St. Edward Lakewood Wrestling 1978 2024
3 32 Hawken Gates Mills Girls' Swimming 1984 2022
4 25 Graham St. Paris Wrestling 1982 2024
5 24 Brecksville-Broadview Heights Broadview Heights Girls' Gymnastics 1994 2024
6 18 Glenville Cleveland Boys' Track 1959 2023
7 17 Upper Arlington Upper Arlington Boys' Golf 1941 2006
8t 16 Beaumont School Cleveland Heights Girls' Track 1986 2008
8t 16 Minster Minster Girls' Cross Country 1982 2023
10 14 Marion Local Maria Stein Football 2000 2023
11t 13 St. Ignatius Cleveland Soccer 2004 2023
11t 13 Upper Arlington Upper Arlington Girls' Swimming 2003 2024
11t 13 Canton McKinley Canton Boys' Swimming 1937 1961
11t 13 East Technical Cleveland Boys' Track 1920 1955
11t 13 Minster Minster Girls' Track 1976 2018
16t 12 Columbus Academy Gahanna Field Hockey 1994 2019
16t 12 Columbus Academy Gahanna Boys' Golf 1983 2021
16t 12 Elder Cincinnati Baseball 1943 2005
19t 11 St. Edward Lakewood Ice Hockey 1985 2008
19t 11 St. Ignatius Cleveland Football 1988 2011
19t 11 Walsh Jesuit Cuyahoga Falls Girls' Soccer 2000 2023
22t 10 Strasburg-Franklin Strasburg Girls Softball 1987 2024
22t 10 Maple Heights Maple Heights Wrestling 1956 1974
22t 10 Magnificat Rocky River Girls' Gymnastics 1990 2003
22t 10 Dunbar Dayton Boys' Track 1948 2017
22t 10 Woodridge Peninsula Boys' Cross Country 2006 2020
22t 10 Mount Notre Dame Cincinnati Girls' Volleyball 1995 2020
22t 10 St. Vincent–St. Mary Akron Boys' Basketball 1984 2022

Schools with most consecutive team titles in each sport

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[3]

Season Sport School # of consecutive state titles Years
Fall Boys' Cross Country Caldwell 8 1985–1992
Fall Girls' Cross Country Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary 5 2009–2013
Fall Field Hockey Gahanna Columbus Academy 3 1999–2001
Fall Field Hockey Thomas Worthington 3 2015–2017
Fall Football Cleveland St. Ignatius 5 1991–1995
Fall Boys' Golf Gahanna Columbus Academy 5 2017–2021
Fall Girls' Golf Dublin Jerome 5 2011–2015
Fall Boys' Soccer Cleveland St. Ignatius 5 *2019–2023
Fall Girls' Soccer Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 5 2012–2016
Fall Volleyball Cincinnati St Ursula Academy 6 1993–1998
Winter Boys' Basketball Cincinnati North College Hill 3 2005–2007
Winter Boys' Basketball Columbus Wehrle 3 1988–1990
Winter Boys' Basketball Richmond Heights 3 *2022-2024
Winter Boys' Basketball Dayton Stivers 3 1928–1930
Winter Girls' Basketball Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 5 2009–2013
Winter Boys' Bowling Springfield Kenton Ridge 2 2009–2010
Winter Boys' Bowling Mechanicsburg 2 2021–2022
Winter Boys' Bowling Beavercreek 2 *2023–2024
Winter Girls' Bowling Coldwater 2 2012–2013
Winter Girls' Bowling Gahanna Lincoln 2 2020–2021
Winter Boys' Gymnastics Cleveland East Tech 5 1933–1937
Winter Girls' Gymnastics Brecksville-Broadview Heights 21 *2004–2024
Winter Ice Hockey Cleveland St. Ignatius 4 2016–2019
Winter Boys' Swimming and Diving Cincinnati St. Xavier 13 2009–2021
Winter Girls' Swimming and Diving Gates Mills Hawken 24 1999–2022
Winter Wrestling-Individual St. Paris Graham 23 *2001–2019, 2021-2024
Winter Wrestling-Dual Team St. Paris Graham 7 2013–2019
Spring Baseball Newark Catholic 3 2002–2004
Spring Baseball Cincinnati Elder 3 1958–1960
Spring Girls' Lacrosse Upper Arlington 3 2017–2019
Spring Softball North Canton Hoover 4 2011–2014
Spring Softball Springfield 4 1992–1995
Spring Boys' Track and Field Cleveland East Tech 6 1939–1944
Spring Girls' Track and Field Cleveland Heights Beaumont 7 1986–1992

* active streak

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Fred Dafler. "The History of the OHSAA". Archived from the original on 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  2. ^ a b OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site". Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e OHSAA. "Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
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