The KSHSAA 2012-13 classifications came out last week and the powerhouse of St. James Academy moved up to 5A, meaning a lot of state championship caliber teams left 4A classifications.

“St. James has some very good programs,” athletics director Gary Stevanus said, “Volleyball being the top of the list. Their nationally ranked. You wouldn’t find it easy to find a volleyball coach in 4A that is disappointed.”

The Thunder joins the other private school powerhouses such as Bishop Miege, Bishop Carroll, Kapuan Mt. Carmel and St. Thomas Aquinas.

These schools, including SJA, have won 285 state championships. The absence of SJA will make state championships easier to win, but players and coaches will miss SJA from a competitive standpoint. The overwhelming amount of state championships won by private schools leads to the question on how private schools should be classified.

“I know the state has looked on how to classify private schools,” Stevanus said, “I would support some kind of movement. Would they weight their enrollment? Possibly. Would it bother me? Not in the least bit.”

Meanwhile, Maize-South moved up to 5A also, effecting fall sports like cross country and soccer. The Mavericks were a state championship contender with Baldwin in cross country, and a perennial powerhouse in soccer as well.

“It definitely helped that they moved up to 5A,” BHS cross country coach Mike Spielman said, “Because they had a good girls team and they had a lot of kids to choose from.”

SJA moving to 5A even effected sports like cross-country too.

“They have a decent girls team that we’ve been fortunate enough to beat a few times,” Spielman said, “But it does effect cross country in 4A.”

The movement of SJA to 5A is the end of an era of domination since 2005, and will change the landscape of high school sports in Kansas for many years to come.