Holy Angels will join the Tri-Metro Conference starting with the 2014-15 school year, the Minnesota State High School League has determined.

Holy Angels, a Catholic school in Richfield, is currently in the Missota Conference. But it is dissolving after four member schools announced last year they were departing.

The league also recently placed Benilde-St. Margaret's in the new Metro West Conference next school year. The Red Knights compete in most sports in the North Suburban now.

The Benilde-St. Margaret's placement came after its bid to join the Metro West had been rejected by member schools, whose athletic directors met Wednesday to discuss the situation. A decision on whether to appeal the Red Knights' placement, which must be made within 10 days, is expected to come from the Metro West's principals next week.

One other metro-area private school — St. Thomas Academy — is awaiting placement. The Cadets had been asked to leave the Classic Suburban Conference, which subsequently voted to dissolve.

All of the conference changes are driven primarily by a desire for more evenly matched competition.

Paul Klauda