TOPEKA — USD 495 Larned and USD 431 Hoisington learned Thursday that they would be placed in the Central Kansas League for 2014-15 after a hearing with the Kansas High School Activities Association Board.
“It was a good day,” said Joel Mason, USD 431 activities director.
Both Larned and Hoisington had been in the Mid Central Activities Association along with Ellinwood and TMP-Marian to form a four team league. After trying the four team league, the schools decided this was not working, and that they would apply for new leagues.
When Ellinwood was immediately accepted in the Central Prairie League for 2014-2015, that left only three teams.  
“With only three schools, the MCAA was not entitled to representation with KSHSAA,” Mason said last month. Each of the three remaining schools have applied to several associations, but have been told that it would include too much travel or that they are comfortable with the number of teams that they  currently have.
Thursday, Hoisington presented their case before the KSHAA executive board. Hoisington explained the leagues they had applied to and what leagues they preferred to be in.
Mason said that the CKL explained that they wanted more time to find a school on the east side of the league as their reason for not wanting Hoisington. Another league said that they had been a league since 1993 and didn’t want to add more teams and more travel.
Without an executive session, both Hoisington and Larned  were placed in the CKL that now includes Pratt, Nickerson, Lyons, Kingman, Smoky Valley, Sterling, Hillsboro, Hesston, Haven and Halstead. TMP was placed in the Mid-Continent League.
Hoisington was placed with the  CKL with a 7-0 vote, as was Larned. TMP was also placed.
Mason was pleased that the process went smoothly.