Six Sycamore Lady Spartans may jump ship to swim for the DeKalb Barbs this fall if the the Illinois High School Association approves the move.

The girls, who have been swimming with the DeKalb County swim team, were unable to compete at the high school level because Sycamore High School does not have a swim team. DeKalb High School, on the other hand, has a swim team and a pool. The two schools are hoping to get approved by the IHSA to form a co-op swim team.

Final approval from the IHSA, which is expected any day, marks the end of the paperwork process for both athletic directors.

There’s a bunch of hoops to jump through, said Art Rohlman, DeKalb High School Athletic Director, about the co-opping process.

After reaching an agreement between the two schools, DeKalb and Sycamore high schools had to get approval from their own conferences in order to allow Sycamore students to compete as DeKalb athletes.

Once administrators got the ok from their respective conferences, they had to petition the IHSA to certify the co-opping.

Generally, the IHSA approves these requests, said Tim Carlson, Sycamore High School Athletic Director .

“I think it’s great for our kids to get this opportunity,” Carlson said.

Despite the bitter rivalry between the schools in the past, they really are great friends, Carlson said.

If the Sycamore students are allowed to join the DeKalb team, they will shed their own school identity to compete and must follow DeKalb’s eligibility rules in order to swim.

“DeKalb was very gracious and open [to the co-opping],” Carlson said. “DeKalb is providing us a great opportunity.”