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West Carrollton, Greenville to join GWOC

Size, geography of the schools make for a good fit, conference’s commissioner says.

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer 12:42 AM Thursday, November 5, 2009

West Carrollton High School had been close to new conference membership before.

“We’ve been to the altar, we almost exchanged rings, but we haven’t had someone say ‘I do,’ ” said Rusty Clifford, the West Carrollton schools superintendent. “It was kind of a runaway bride type of thing.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, two matches were made. Greater Western Ohio Conference principals approved West Carrollton and Greenville as new members beginning next year for some sports. Full membership will be completed by 2012.

Both are currently without a conference. Greenville schools Superintendent Susie Riegle received a text message from GWOC Commissioner Eric Spahr at 10:08 a.m. confirming the approval and the end to independent status, a difficult situation for any district.

“There’s a sense of excitement,” Riegle said. “You could almost feel the news spreading through the whole town, which was a really great feeling.”

West Carrollton will join the GWOC South Division, and Greenville will join the North Division, giving each division six members and boosting conference membership to 18 districts. The Central Division already had six members.

The conference desired to balance the North and South divisions, and both districts made geographic and size sense, Spahr said.

“These are two great communities with two great followings,” Spahr said. “They support the characteristics of the GWOC.”

The new members will begin conference competition next year in cross country, swimming, bowling, track, wrestling, cheerleading and academics, Spahr said. They will begin conference football competition in 2012, and the addition of the remaining sports will be determined later, he said.

“It’s like running a marathon and crossing the finish line, that sense of accomplishment,” Clifford said. “We made it. Someone finally said ‘I do.’ ”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

GWOC expansion

Here’s how the Greater Western Ohio Conference will look next year, after the approval of West Carrollton and Greenville as new members on Wednesday, Nov. 4:

*New members as of 2010-11

North

Greenville*

Piqua

Sidney

Troy

Trotwood-Madison

Vandalia Butler

Central

Beavercreek

Centerville

Fairmont

Northmont

Springfield

Wayne

South

Fairborn

Lebanon

Miamisburg

Springboro

West Carrollton*

Xenia

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why get rid of Miamisburg??? Miamisburg is a "big" school and bigger than many GWOC schools and is growing at a huge rate. The sports are very good to. Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Wresteling, and Cheerleading they do excellent at and give many schools a run for there money. They have been GWOC champs at Cheerleading, Soccer, Golf, and Wresteling for many many years. And why are we compared to Butler?? wtf Matt

wtfmatt
5:13 PM, 11/9/2009

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Greenville is in the middle of nowhere.....

Bad roads...
12:52 PM, 11/6/2009

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The MML lives on. This is a joke.

wank
7:04 PM, 11/5/2009

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The people in the wood, would like to welcome Greenville back in the GWOC. you should have never left before.

louis
3:15 PM, 11/5/2009

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The GWOC needs to keep those small teams out of the league. They only dilute the level of competition. They need to get rid of teams like Miamisburg and Butler. That's why the WOL became irrelevant - too many waste product teams ruined your schedule and caused you miss the playoffs because not enought computer points.

Matt
12:24 PM, 11/5/2009

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