Westlake Schools Joining Great Lakes Conference

WESTLAKE, OH — The Westlake Schools will join the Great Lakes Conference starting in 2021. The Board of Education unanimously approved the move during its meeting this week.

"We believe this move will positively impact the sustainability of our current programs while providing a better experience for our students and, in particular, our student-athletes," said Superintendent Scott Goggin.

The Great Lake Conference currently includes Elyria Catholic, Fairview Park, Parma, Normandy, Valley Forge, Holy Name, Rocky River and Bay. Lakewood is set to join the conference in 2020. North Olmsted and Westlake will join in 2021.

"We truly feel that with the renewal of some of our traditional rivals that this will foster a deeper pride in our schools," said Westlake High School Principal Paul Wilson. "And I hope that pride will also be contagious in our community as a whole."

Westlake, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Rocky River, Bay Village and Fairview Park have left or will leave the Southwestern Conference in favor of the Great Lakes Conference. The other schools in the Southwestern Conference include: Amherst Steele, Avon, Avon Lake, Berea-Midpark, Midview, North Ridgeville and Olmsted Falls.

"The flexibility of scheduling for all of our teams, along with how we fit within the enrollment numbers of the GLC and the ability to renew traditional rivalries, should make for an exciting time within our student body, within the community and with our student-athletes," said Director of Athletics Tony Cipollone.