The Minnesota High School League released section realignments for the next two school years 2021-22 and 2022-23 Friday, April 16. Changes were widespread throughout the multiple classes Detroit Lakes competes in Section 8.

MSHSL enrollment is determined by the school's Minnesota Department of Education enrollment in year one in grades 9 – 12 minus 40 percent of their educational benefit. (free and reduced lunch).

The class member schools are placed to perform and compete during the postseason. A member school’s MSHSL enrollment determines classification. Schools have the option to both appeal, if they qualify, down in team sports and or opt up every two years. Classification is determined on odd-numbered years every two years.

Member schools are placed by enrollment and geographic location in sports and activities where they compete for postseason play.

Detroit Lakes enrollments jumped from 775 to 825 for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, according to the MSHSL.

Fall Sports

Soccer

Boys and girls soccer got a big shakeup. Soccer expands from two to three classes.

Detroit Lakes leaves 8A to 8AA. The Lakers will compete against seven other teams, rather than 17 in the old section, 18 on the girls side.

Staying: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Little Falls, ROCORI, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo.

Out: Bemidji, Crookston, Fergus Falls, Hillcrest, Lake Region Christian, Melrose, Minnewaska, Pelican Rapids, Sartell-St. Stephen, St. John's Prep, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

Cross-Country

Boys and girls cross country in 8AA dropped from 16 teams to a dozen. XC also expanded to three classes, along with soccer, volleyball and track and field starting in 2021-22.

Staying: Detroit Lakes, Alexandria, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, ROCORI, Willmar.

New: Albany, East Grand Forks, Melrose, New London-Spicer, Pequot Lakes, Thief River Falls.

Out: Becker, Bemidji, Brainerd, Foley, Monticello, Moorhead, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo.

Football

Football remains a five-team section in 8AAAA with two new teams.

Detroit Lakes, ROCORI and Little Falls remain. Grand Rapids and Willmar are out; Becker and St. Cloud Apollo are the replacements.

Girls Swimming

Girls Swimming 8A loses its two biggest schools: Bemidji and Grand Rapids. Bemidji was over the limit to compete in Class A by one student, according to a report by the Pioneer's Micah Friez.

Crookston, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Fosston-Bagley, Park Rapids, Perham-NY Mills, BGMR/Roseau/Warroad and Thief River Falls remain.

Girls Tennis

Girls tennis 8AA goes from 16 to 18 teams.

Staying: Alexandria, Becker, Bemidji, Big Lake, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Foley, Little Falls, Moorhead, ROCORI, Sartell, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo.

New: Annandale, East Grand Forks, Perham/ NY Mills, Thief River Falls.

Out: Brainerd, Pillager.

Volleyball

Section 8AAA volleyball remains the same 12 teams: Alexandria, Becker, Bemidji, Big Lake, Brainerd, Detroit Lakes, Monticello, Moorhead, Sartell, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo.

Winter Sports

Basketball

Boys and Girls basketball Section 8AAA switches two teams, ROCORI and Willmar are in; Bemidji and Sartell-St. Stephen are out.

Staying: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Little Falls, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo.

New: ROCORI, Willmar

Out: Bemidji, Sartell-St. Stephen

Dance

Dance - no changes listed.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics 8A drops from eight to seven teams.

Staying: Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, LPGE-Browerville, Melrose, Park Rapids Area, Perham/NY Mills

New: None

Out: Morris Area-Hancock Area

Hockey

Boys hockey 8A - no changes.

Girls hockey 8A drops from six to five teams.

Staying: Crookston, Detroit Lakes, East Grand Forks, Thief River Falls, Warroad

New: None

Out: International Falls

Nordic Ski

Boys and Girls Nordic Skiing adds two St. Cloud schools to expand to 14 teams.

Staying: Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, Moorhead, Pillager, Sartell-St. Cloud Cathedral, St. John’s Prep, Trek North, Willmar,

New: St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech

Boys Swimming

Boy Swimming and Diving loses two teams to drop to a section of eight.

Staying: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Melrose-Sauk Centre, Morris Area, Park Rapids, Perham-NY Mills, Thief River Falls.

Out: Bemidji, Sartell-St. Stephen

Wrestling

Wrestling 8AA expands from 11 teams to 12 with three new teams replacing Pierz and Roseau.

Staying: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Fergus Falls, United Clay Becker, Sauk Centre-Melrose, Perham, Pequot Lakes-Pine River-Backus, Thief River Falls

New: Albany, Park Rapids, Roseau

Out: Pierz, Roseau

Spring Sports

Baseball

Baseball 8AAA expands from six to eight teams with four teams remaining and four new clubs.

Staying: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Little Falls, ROCORI

New: Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar

Out: Bemidji, Sartell-St. Stephen

Golf

Boys Golf moves from a 16-team section 8AA to a 12-team 8AAA.

New: Alexandria, Becker, Bemidji, Brainerd, Buffalo, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo.

Girls Golf moved to 8AAA in 2019, the COVID-canceled season and are playing in 8AAA this year. They will remain there. The only change is ROCORI in and Monticello out.

Remaining: Alexandria, Becker, Bemidji, Brainerd, Buffalo, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo.

New: ROCORI

Out: Monticello

Softball

Softball 8AAA expanded from six to eight teams, four of those teams are new.

Remaining: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Little Falls, Sauk Rapids-Rice

New: ROCORI, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech

Out: Bemidji, Sartell-St. Stephen

Tennis

Boys Tennis 8AA drops Brainerd.

Remaining: Alexandria, Becker, Bemidji, Big Lake, Detroit Lakes, Monticello, Moorhead, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, Willmar, St. Cloud Apollo

Out: Brainerd

Track and Field

Girls and boys Track and Field expanded from two classes to three. The Lakers remain in 8AA with a lot of movement, mostly bigger schools leaving. As a whole, the section dropped from 16 teams to a dozen.

Remaining: Alexandria, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, ROCORI, Willmar

New: Albany, East Grand Forks, Melrose, New London-Spicer, Pequot Lakes, Thief River Falls

Out: Becker, Bemidji, Brainerd, Foley, Monticello, Moorhead, Sartell-St. Stephen, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo.

Current and future statewide competitive section lists can be found here .

Read more stories by Robert Williams here .