Lakeland Conference
The Lakeland Conference is an athletic conference for high schools in southwest Michigan in the United States. Founded in 2022 with the inaugural season of play in 2022-2023, the conference is a reboot of the old Lakeland Athletic Conference to which it shares a similar geographic footprint, school membership and historic rivalries.[2][3]
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| Conference | Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)[1] |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| No. of teams | 4 Class B, 1 Class C |
| Region | Southwest Michigan |
Sponsored sports
The league offers competition in nine boys' and eight girls' sports.
Boys
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling
Sports by school
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field | Wrestling |
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| Benton Harbor |  |
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| Berrien Springs | |
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| Buchanan | |
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| Dowagiac | |
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| Niles Brandywine | |
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Girls
Basketball, Competitive Cheerleading, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Sports by school
| School | Basketball | Competitive Cheer | Cross Country | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field | Volleyball |
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| Benton Harbor | |
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| Berrien Springs | |
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| Dowagiac | |
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| Niles Brandywine | |
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Member schools
There are currently five member schools. The geographic footprint of the league includes Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan.
Current members
School data in the table below is current for the 2023-24 season according to the MHSAA website.[4]
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Enrollment | Class | Affiliation | Joined | Previous Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor | Benton Harbor | Tigers | Orange & Black | 528 | B | Public | 2022 | Independent |
| Berrien Springs | Berrien Springs | Shamrocks | Green & White | 554 | B | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Buchanan | Buchanan | Bucks | Maroon & White | 398 | B | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Niles Brandywine | Niles Township | Bobcats | Maroon & Gold | 348 | C | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Dowagiac | Dowagiac | Chieftains | Orange & Black | 517 | B | Public | 2022 | Wolverine Conference |
Former members
| School | Location | Joined | Previous Conference | Departed | Successive Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Membership Timeline
Conference championships
Baseball
| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
Boys Basketball
| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Benton Harbor | 7-1[5] |
Girls Basketball
| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Buchanan | 8-0[6] |
Boys Cross Country
| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2022 | Berrien Springs[7] | 4-0 |
Girls Cross Country
| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Buchanan[7] | 4-0 |
Boys Soccer
| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Dowagiac[10] | 3-0 |
Girls Soccer
| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2023 | Berrien Springs[11] | 4-0 |
Softball
| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2023 | Buchanan[12] | 8-0 |
Volleyball
| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2022 | Buchanan[13] | 4-0 |
Wrestling
| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2023 | Niles Brandywine | 5-0[14] |
State championships
Schools that have participated in MHSAA state championship finals while being members of the Lakeland Conference.
| TBD | |||
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| Finish | Year | School | Division |
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
References
- "About". Michigan High School Athletic Association.
- "New athletic conference gets the go-ahead from school boards". 17 December 2021.
- Walkden, Jack. "Dowagiac to leave Wolverine Conference". South Bend Tribune.
- https://www.mhsaa.com/sites/default/files/Enrollment%20and%20Classification/2324enroll.pdf
- https://www.leaderpub.com/2023/02/19/benton-harbor-edges-brandywine-bobcat-girls-rout-tigers/
- https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/sports/2023/02/03/michigan-high-school-girls-basketball-buchanan-beats-niles-brandywine-mhsaa-faith-carson/69868774007/
- Staff Report (October 23, 2022). "Buchanan, Berrien wins Lakeland crowns". Leader Publications.
- STAFF, HP. "High school football: Buchanan tops Benton Harbor, clinches Lakeland title". The Herald Palladium.
- Staff Report (October 15, 2022). "Roundup: Bucks win Lakeland Conference title; Bobcats fall to Shamrocks". Leader Publications.
- Novak, Scott (October 6, 2022). "UPDATED: Roundup: Dowagiac, Edwardsburg wins conference championships". Leader Publications.
- https://www.leaderpub.com/2023/05/05/roundup-chieftains-eddies-fall-in-conference-matches/
- https://www.leaderpub.com/2023/05/05/roundup-bucks-win-lakeland-championship-baseball-falls-in-11-innings/
- Novak, Scott (October 24, 2022). "Buchanan tops Dowagiac for Lakeland crown". Leader Publications.
- https://www.leaderpub.com/2023/02/06/roundup-bobcats-win-lakeland-title-eddies-have-pair-of-wolverine-champs/