Mid State Conference

Defunct American high-school athletic conference

For the conference in Indiana, see Mid-State Conference.

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Mid State ConferenceConference| IHSA

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Founded| 1949
Ceased| 2006
No. of teams| 15 (total)
Region| Central Illinois (Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, McLean, Tazewell, and Woodford counties)

The Mid State Conference was a high school conference in central Illinois. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprised 15 small public high schools, with enrollments between 60 and 340 students in Iroquois, LaSalle, Livingston, McLean, Tazewell, and Woodford counties.

## History

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The first year of competition for the Mid State was 1949 with eight charter schools: Chenoa, Cornell, El Paso, Fairbury, Flanagan, Gridley, Lexington and Minonk-Dana. In 1951, Fairbury merged with Cropsey High School and remained in the conference as Fairbury-Cropsey High School. Additionally, in 1955, Minonk-Dana consolidated with Rutland High School, again, maintaining a league with eight school. Unfortunately, in 1957, Fairbury-Cropsey left for the short-lived United Conference. For seven years the conference maintained seven schools, however in 1964, Streator Woodland joined the league. Cornell dropped football in 1971, but Deer Creek-Mackinaw was added in 1972 to round out the league again with eight. Gridley dropped football briefly in 1984, but resumed the program in 1986. Cornell would consolidate their enrollment into Flanagan High School in 1987, reducing the number of schools to seven, again. In 1992, Minonk-Dana-Rutland consolidated with a neighboring districts Toluca, and Wenona to become known as Fieldcrest, but remained in the Mid State.

For over 40 years the Mid State Conference maintained seven or eight schools with very few exceptions, however in 1995, Cullom Tri-Point and Tremont joined the league taking the total to 10. Additionally, Colfax Ridgeview and Heyworth would join in 1997, taking the total number of schools to 12. The league would remain at 12 until 2004 when El Paso and Gridley consolidated and Chenoa High School consolidated with Prairie Central. Prairie Central already included a former league member, Fairbury-Cropsey, who in 1985 consolidated with Forrest-Strawn-Wing High School and Chatsworth High Schools.

In the early 2000s, talks began to join forces with the Sangamon Valley Conference in order to create a league with divisions based on enrollment. This conference would be known as the Heart of Illinois and was formed in 2006, thus ending the 56 year old run for the Mid State.[1]

14km
8.7miles

Fieldcrest

Heyworth

Ridgeview

Tremont

Tri-Point

Mackinaw

Woodland

Minonk-Dana-Rutland

Lexington

Gridley

Flanagan

Fairbury-Cropsey

El Paso

Cornell

Chenoa

Locations of Mid State Conference Schools

## All-time membership

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School  | Location  | Mascot  | Colors  | County  | Year Joined  | Year Left  | Still Open  | Consolidated / School  | Conference Joined

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Chenoa High School  | Chenoa, Illinois | Redbirds  |  | McLean | 1949  | 2004  | Yes  | Yes / Prairie Central | Corn Belt
Cornell High School  | Cornell, Illinois | Cardinals  |  | Livingston | 1949  | 1987  | No  | Yes / Flanagan-Cornell | —
Flanagan High School  | Flanagan, Illinois | Falcons  |  | Livingston  | 1949  | 1987  | Yes  | Yes / Flanagan-Cornell  | —
Flanagan-Cornell High School  | Flanagan, Illinois  | Falcons  |  | Livingston  | 1987  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
El Paso High School  | El Paso, Illinois | Red Comets  |  | McLean  | 1949  | 2004  | Yes  | Yes / El Paso-Gridley | Heart of Illinois
Gridley High School  | Gridley, Illinois | Redskins  |  | McLean  | 1949  | 2004  | No  | Yes / El Paso-Gridley  | Heart of Illinois
Fairbury High School  | Fairbury, Illinois | Tartars  |  | Livingston  | 1949  | 1951  | Yes  | Yes / Fairbury-Cropsey  | —
Fairbury-Cropsey High School  | Fairbury, Illinois  | Tartars  |  | Livingston  | 1951  | 1957  | Yes  | Yes / Prairie Central  | United
Lexington High School | Lexington, Illinois | Minutemen  |  | McLean  | 1949  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
Minonk-Dana High School  | Minonk, Illinois | Mohawks  |  | Woodford | 1949  | 1955  | Yes  | Yes / Minonk-Dana-Rutland  | Heart of Illinois
Minonk-Dana-Rutland High School  | Minonk, Illinois  | Mohawks  |  | Woodford  | 1955  | 1992  | Yes  | Yes / Fieldcrest | Heart of Illinois
Fieldcrest High School | Minonk, Illinois  | Knights  |  | Woodford  | 1992  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
Woodland High School  | Streator, Illinois | Warriors  |  | Livingston  | 1964  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Tri-County
Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School  | Mackinaw, Illinois | Chiefs  |  | Tazewell | 1972  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
Tri-Point High School | Cullom, Illinois | Warriors  |  | Livingston  | 1995  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Sangamon Valley
Tremont High School | Tremont, Illinois | Turks  |  | Tazewell  | 1995  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
Ridgeview High School | Colfax, Illinois | Mustangs  |  | McLean  | 1997  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois
Heyworth High School | Heyworth, Illinois | Hornets  |  | McLean  | 1997  | 2006  | Yes  | No  | Heart of Illinois

Sources:IHSA Conferences,[2] and IHSA Member Schools Directory[3] A History of Minonk Schools[4]

### Membership timeline

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Full members Sources:Illinois High School Glory Days,[5][6]

## References

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1. ^ Randy, Sharer (August 20, 2006). "Schedulers take common sense approach; League tourneys to use 'McLean County' moniker". Pantagraph. Pantagraph Publishing Co. ProQuest 252630359.
2. ^ "IHSA.org Conferences". www.ihsa.org.
3. ^ "Schools - IHSA". www.ihsa.org.
4. ^ "A History of Minonk Schools".
5. ^ "The Great Conferences of Illinois".
6. ^ "Illinois High School Glory Days".

## External links

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* Flanagan-Cornell High School
* El Paso-Gridley High School
* Prairie Central High School
* Lexington High School
* Fieldcrest High School
* Woodland High School
* Deer-Creek Mackinaw High School
* Tri-Point High School
* Tremont High School
* Ridgeview High School
* Heyworth High School

* v
* t
* e

Illinois High School Association

Boys' sports|

* Baseball
* Basketball (championship)
* Bowling
* Cross Country
* Football
* Golf
* Gymnastics
* Soccer
* Swimming and Diving
* Tennis
* Track and field
* Volleyball
* Water polo
* Wrestling

Girls' sports|

* Badminton
* Basketball
* Bowling
* Competitive Cheerleading
* Cross Country
* Golf
* Gymnastics
* Soccer
* Softball
* Swimming and Diving
* Tennis
* Track and field
* Volleyball
* Water polo

Activities|

* Bass fishing
* Chess
* Debate
* Drama and Group Interpretation
* Journalism
* Music
* Scholastic Bowl
* Individual Events

Special co-ed activities|

* Wheelchair basketball
* Three-Point Showdown
* Spirit

Emerging sports|

* Boys' and Girls' Lacrosse
* Dance Team

Athletic conferences|

* Apollo
* Big Northern
* Big Twelve
* Black Diamond
* Cahokia
* Central Illinois
* Central State Eight
* Central Suburban
* Chicago Catholic
* Chicago Prairie
* Chicago Prep
* Chicago Public
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* DuKane
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* East Central Illinois
* East Suburban Catholic
* Egyptian Illini
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* Greater Egyptian
* Heart of Illinois
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* Illinois Central Eight
* Independent School
* Inter County
* Interstate Eight
* Kishwaukee River
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* Little Illini
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* Mid-Suburban
* Midland Trail
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* North Suburban
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* Northern Lake County
* Northwest Upstate Illini
* Pike County
* Prairieland
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* Sangamo
* South Central
* South Egyptian
* South Seven
* South Suburban
* Southern Illinois River-to-River
* Southland
* Southwest Prairie
* Southwest Suburban
* Southwestern
* Three Rivers
* Tomahawk
* Tri-County
* Upstate Eight
* Vermilion Valley
* West Central
* West Suburban
* Western Big 6
* Western Illinois Valley

Former conferences|

* Ambraw Valley
* Bi-County
* Big 8
* Big Rivers
* Blackhawk
* B.L.P.
* Bureau Valley
* Capitol
* Cenois
* Chartres
* Central Egyptian Conference
* Coal Belt
* Coal Valley
* Corn Belt
* Cook County
* Des Plaines
* East Okaw
* Eastern Illinois
* Four Rivers
* Heart of Illinois (1970s)
* Illini 8
* Illini Central
* Illini Valley
* Indian Valley
* Kankakee Valley
* La Moine Valley
* Little 6
* Little 7
* Little 8
* Metro Suburban
* Mid-Northern
* Mid State
* Mid-State Six
* Midwest
* Midwestern
* New Salem
* North Central Illinois
* North Egypt
* Northern Illinois Big 12
* Northwest 8
* Northwestern Illinois
* Northwest Suburban
* Okaw Valley
* Olympic
* Quad Cities Metro
* Private School League
* Rock River Valley
* Route 72
* Sangamon Valley
* SHARK
* South Inter-Athletic
* Southern Illini
* Southwest Egyptian
* Spoon River
* Stephenson County
* Suburban
* Suburban Christian
* Suburban Prairie
* SWANI
* SWISS
* Tollway
* Upstate Illini
* US Grant
* Wauseca
* West Prairie Trail
* Western Area
* Western Sun
* Wilco

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