Starting in the 2024-25 season, Yelm High School athletics will be a member of the 4A South Puget Sound League classification. The move was made official by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board on Sunday, Jan. 21 and confirmed by Yelm Community Schools Superintendent Chris Woods.
YHS’s growing enrollment numbers are to thank for the reclassification, which Woods said has been in the works since last spring.
“I think it’s the best-case scenario. We landed in a really good spot in the South Puget Sound League,” he said. “As far as travel, I think it’s going to be very similar to the conference that we were in. We also know that we’re going to continue to grow.”
Yelm will join the 12-team league in the south division alongside Bethel, Emerald Ridge, Graham-Kapowsin, Olympia and Spanaway Lake. The north division will include Bonney Lake, Curtis, Puyallup, Rogers, South Kitsap and Sumner.
Woods said that YHS Principal Curtis Cleveringa and Athletic Director Rob Hill have already begun meeting with principals in the league.
“They’ve just welcomed us and have been very helpful in the process,” he said of the Tornados’ new conference mates.
As for the Tornados’ rivalries with South Sound Conference foes like Timberline and North Thurston, Woods said Yelm may still be able to schedule non-league games to keep those rivalries alive in future.
