SHARK Conference
The SHARK Conference was a high school conference in north central Illinois and south central Wisconsin. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). The conference included private and public high schools with enrollments between 75-2,000 students in Boone, DeKalb, Lee, McHenry, Stephenson and Winnebago counties in Illinois and Rock in Wisconsin.[1]
| SHARK Conference | |
|---|---|
| The Shark | |
| Established | 1946 |
| Dissolved | 1981 |
| Association | IHSA WIAA |
| Members | 17 |
| Region | North-central Illinois and South-central Wisconsin (Boone, DeKalb, Lee, McHenry, Stephenson and Winnebago counties in Illinois and Rock in Wisconsin) |
| Locations | |
 The SHARK Conference within Illinois and Wisconsin | |
History
The name SHARK is an acronym representing the first letter of its 5 charter members. (South Beloit, Harlem, Aquin, Rockton Hononegah and Kirkland-Hiawatha) The SHARK originated as a collection of schools in northern Illinois based primarily on proximity and not on enrollment. However, by 1952, Kirkland-Hiawatha left the conference, leaving it with only four teams. That situation only lasted one year, though as Harvard and Marengo High Schools joined the league, taking the total number of teams to six. In 1955 Freeport Aquin left the conference, however Rockford St. Thomas High School took their place. The conference continued to morph as the 1950s came to a close with North Boone High School joining in 1957 and Richmond-Burton in 1958. Also in 1958, based on the completion of Boylan Catholic High School, St. Thomas dropped out of the conference as their students began transitioning toward a new high school, and Harlem left the league in order to join the Big 8 Conference with the intent of playing competition with similar enrollments.
As the 1960s began, Alden-Hebron High School joined, however, it quickly left in 1964 along with Richmond-Burton. The following season, Winnebago High School and two Beloit, Wisconsin schools joined the conference. The two schools from Wisconsin included; Beloit Catholic High School and Turner High School. Winnebago remained a member of the league until 1972 but left for the Mid Northern Conference. Amboy High School quickly replaced them in 1973, but left after the 1975 season, heading to the newly formed Three Rivers Conference. In 1978, Johnsburg High School joined the league and in 1981, the conference's final season, Woodstock Marian would be added. This made the final number of teams eight.[2]
All-Time Membership
The SHARK Conference had various teams throughout its history, this list of schools encompasses all of the schools which were once a part of the conference.
| School | Location | County | Mascot | Colors | Year Joined | Year Left | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alden-Hebron High School |
Hebron, IL | McHenry | Giants | Green, White, Black |
1960 | 1964 | Yes |
| Amboy High School |
Amboy, IL | Lee | Clippers | Red, White, Black |
1973 | 1975 | Yes |
| Aquin Catholic High School |
Freeport, IL | Stephenson | Bulldogs | Navy Blue, Gold |
1946 | 1955 | Yes |
| Beloit Catholic High School |
Beloit, WI | Rock | Crusaders | Green, Gold |
1964 | 1981 | No* |
| Harlem High School |
Machesney Park | Winnebago | Huskies | Black, Orange |
1946 | 1958 | Yes |
| Harvard High School |
Harvard | McHenry | Hornets | Black, Gold |
1953 | 1981 | Yes |
| Hononegah High School |
Rockton | Winnebago | Indians | Purple, Gold |
1946 | 1981 | Yes |
| Johnsburg High School |
Johnsburg | McHenry | Skyhawks | Blue, Gold |
1978 | 1981 | Yes |
| Kirkland-Hiawatha High School |
Kirkland, IL | DeKalb | Hawks | Navy Blue, Gold |
1946 | 1952 | Yes |
| Marengo High School |
Marengo | McHenry | Indians | Maroon, White |
1953 | 1981 | Yes |
| Marian Central Catholic High School |
Woodstock | McHenry | Hurricanes | Columbia Blue, White, Red |
1980 | 1981 | Yes |
| North Boone High School |
Poplar Grove, IL | Boone | Vikings | Green, White |
1957 | 1981 | Yes |
| Richmond-Burton High School |
Richmond | McHenry | Rockets | Maroon, Gold |
1958 | 1964 | Yes |
| St. Thomas Catholic High School[3] |
Rockford, IL | Winnebago | Tommies | Purple, White |
1955 | 1958 | No** |
| South Beloit High School |
South Beloit, IL | Winnebago | Sobos | Scarlet Red, White |
1946 | 1981 | Yes |
| Turner High School |
Beloit, WI | Rock | Trojans | Blue, Gold |
1965 | 1968 | Yes |
| Winnebago High School |
Winnebago, IL | Winnebago | Indians | Orange, Black |
1964 | 1972 | Yes |
*Beloit Catholic High School would close in 2000.
**St. Thomas Catholic High School would close in 1962.
Sources:IHSA Conferences,[4] IHSA Coop Teams[5] ,and IHSA Member Schools Directory[6]
Membership timeline
Full members