Baron Varsity Basketball and Varsity Lacrosse will be in Division I of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association after the biennial adjustments were announced this summer. VISAA reshuffles its divisions every two years based on enrollment and the number of schools playing each sport. Following this year’s assessment, Blue Ridge School became Division II for all sports except for varsity basketball and varsity lacrosse. 

Athletic Director Parker Kirwan says, “In the past we have been a mix of DI and DII, depending on the sport. We have been DI in lacrosse all along because our enrollment was right around the cut off. Since we dropped below that line, we are now DII by our size, but we requested to stay at DI because we wanted to compete against similar-minded schools when it comes to lacrosse.”

Baron Varsity Basketball has been DII for many years and the School’s enrollment would keep the team in that division; however, Blue Ridge School requested to move up to DI in order to compete against different schools during the state playoffs. These new opponents could include schools such as Paul VI, Bishop O’Connell, and cross-town rival St. Anne’s-Belfield.  However, Varsity Basketball will remain in its current conference, so the Barons will continue to play traditional opponents such as Virginia Episcopal, Miller, and Hargrave.

This a good change for the basketball program as it comes off a fourth consecutive DII state championship, according to Kirwan. He says, “Now we have stiffer competition come state tournament time and we won’t be playing schools for the third or fourth time in one season.”

Three Blue Ridge School sports – soccer, cross country, and track & field – moved from DI to DII. Kirwan says this is a good move for these sports as well, as they will now be in a better position to compete for a state championship in their division.

The new VISAA divisions go into effect this coming 2022-2023 academic year.