The Pioneer Conference in Indiana

The Pioneer Conference is an IHSAA-sanctioned athletic conference formed in 2009. It is made up of ten small private, military, laboratory, and/or charter schools from Delaware, Hamilton, Johnson, Madison, Marion, and Wayne counties. All schools are Class 1A or 2A IHSAA members, aside from the much larger Indianapolis Shortridge Charter School, which is a 4A member.

Members

SchoolLocationMascotColorsCountySize 20–21IHSAA ClassYear joinedPrevious conference affiliation
Anderson PrepAndersonJets48 Madison241A2015Independents
Bethesda ChristianBrownsburgPatriots31 Hendricks107A2018Independents
HerronIndianapolsAchaeans49 Marion998AAA2025Independents
Indianapolis ShortridgeIndianapolisBlue Devils49 Marion1,025AAA2010none (reopened 2009)
InternationalIndianapolisGryphons49 Marion138A2009Independent
Liberty ChristianAndersonLions48 Madison126A2009Independent
Muncie BurrisMuncieOwls18 Delaware423AA2015Independents (MEC 2014)
Indianapolis Park TudorIndianapolisPanthers49 Marion378AA2019Indiana Crossroads
Seton CatholicRichmondCardinals89 Wayne78A2015Independents
UniversityCarmelTrailblazers29 Hamilton343AA2015Independents

Former members

SchoolCityMascotColorsCountyYear joinedPrevious conferenceYear leftConference joined
Indianapolis Crispus AttucksIndianapolisTigers49 Marion2009Indianapolis2018Independents
Central ChristianIndianapolisChargers49 Marion2009Central Indiana Christian Conference2021Greater Indianapolis
Greenwood ChristianGreenwoodCougars41 Johnson20092025Indiana Crossroads

History

The conference was formed in 2009, with four Indianapolis-area private schools (Baptist, Greenwood Christian, International, Liberty Christian) joining with recently reopened IPS school Attucks, whose medical focus causes the school to be smaller than its public counterparts. The 2010–11 school year also brought another small IPS school into the fold, Shortridge. The Conference expanded outside of the immediate Indianapolis area in 2015, adding three Independent schools (Anderson Prep, Seton Catholic, and University), as well as Muncie Burris, who had been voted out of the Mid-Eastern Conference the year before. Indianapolis Attucks left in 2018, and was replaced by Bethesda Christian. Park Tudor would also join the conference in 2019. In 2025 Herron joined the conference as its 10th member.

Membership timeline

Conference championships

Boys basketball

#TeamSeasons
3Greenwood Christian2011, 2012, 2014*
2Attucks2015, 2017
2Liberty Christian2013*, 2016
2Shortridge2013*, 2014*
1Baptist2010
4University2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
0Anderson Prep
0Burris
0International
0Seton Catholic

Girls basketball

#TeamSeasons
4Attucks2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 (W)
3Shortridge2012, 2013, 2014
2Greenwood Christian2010 2021
1Liberty Christian2017 (E)
0Baptist
0International
0Anderson Prep
0Burris
0Seton Catholic
2University2019 2020-1Bethesda Christian2018

Baseball

#TeamSeasons
1Greenwood Christian2016*
1Seton Catholic2016*
3University2016* 2018 2019
1Liberty Christian2017
1Park Tudor2021

Boys' Tennis

#TeamSeasons
2University2016, 2025
0Shortridge
0Baptist
0Liberty Christian
0Attucks
0International

All-Conference Teams

Baseball

2016

NameClassSchool
Tristan WilliamsFr.Anderson Prep
Krae SparksSr.Greenwood Christian
Joel StinnettSo.Greenwood Christian
Nate WeemsSr.Greenwood Christian
Isaiah BreesSo.Liberty Christian
Peyton QuinnJr.Liberty Christian
Matt ArmstrongSr.Muncie Burris
Cliff DickmanSr.Seton Catholic
Nick MatthewsSeton Catholic
Vince MoseyJr.Seton Catholic
Colten PippengerSr.Seton Catholic
Hudson BeboSo.University
Dawson EstepFr.University
John LawickiJr.University
Zach NerneySr.University

External links