UPDATE, 6 PM: MISSOULA -- Montana High School Association director Mark Beckman confirmed with MTN Sports that Missoula Sentinel High School was placed on probation by the MHSA on Monday.
Beckman said the two major issues resulting in the Executive Board taking action was a recruiting violation Sentinel was found guilty of back in April of 2019 and most recently an entry violation at the divisional track and field meet back in the spring earlier this year.
According to Beckman, the Board looked at those violations and heard comment from officials at Sentinel and determined probation would be issued to the school.
The season will go on as normal for Sentinel with probation ending at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year. Beckman said the school is required to send a program, or correct of actions, on what they've done, what they will do and will continue to do to make sure these violations don't happen again.
Initial probation is the first step in probation for schools that the MHSA can give out. The second step is strong probation which could happen if Sentinel were found guilt of violating more rules while under current probation. Depending on the violation, strong probation could lead to suspensions if Sentinel were found in violation of certain rules.
ORIGINAL, 3:45 PM: MISSOULA -- At a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, the Montana High School Association placed Missoula Sentinel High School on probation through the 2021-2022 school year, according to an email from the governing body.
The email, written by MHSA executive director Mark Beckman, says "The Executive Board approved the probation status based upon the violations by Sentinel High School during the past two years."
The email did not specify the violations, but said that Missoula Sentinel is on conditional membership with the MHSA. The email says that Sentinel can still engage in its regular season schedule and postseason play, but the school must file a "program indicating the measures they are taking and will be taking to address the issues that caused Sentinel to be placed on probation by the Board, including actions to prevent any future violations."
In other notes, the email also mentioned that the MHSA approved a traveling trophy for divisional golf tournaments and approved brackets for the 1C District volleyball tournament and for the Eastern C divisional boys and girls basketball tournaments. The MHSA also reviewed reports of state championships held in the spring including track and field, softball, tennis, and golf.
