Due to continuing concerns about COVID-19, there will be no spring sports season for the state’s prep athletes, the Wyoming High School Activities Association announced Tuesday.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here.
If you already have a web account, but need to reset it, you can do so by clicking here.
If you would like to purchase a subscription click here.
Please log in to continue |
|
Due to continuing concerns about COVID-19, there will be no spring sports season for the state’s prep athletes, the Wyoming High School Activities Association announced Tuesday afternoon.
“This was not an easy decision to make,” WHSAA Commissioner Ron Laird said in a note to activities directors around the state. “However, ... not only is it difficult to predict when it will be safe to return, there are no assurances any of our communities would be allowed to host our events.”
Laird called it “a sad day” for the organization. In a statement, WHSAA’s board members said they made the decision to cancel the spring season “with deep regret” — and that they understand “the overwhelming disappointment this decision is for our student athletes, especially our seniors.”
“As we all continue to adapt to the pandemic, academics need to be the focus of our students and schools to be able to complete a successful school year,” the board said in a news release. “Please realize that our highest priority, as always, is ensuring the health and safety of our students, schools and communities during this challenging time.”
Powell High School Activities Director Scott McKenzie said the news was an “absolute bummer” for student-athletes.
“My heart just breaks for these seniors and these kids that they can’t compete — and those teams that had some dreams and could make some noise at the end of May for a trophy,” McKenzie said. “And it’s just not going to happen this year.”
Tuesday’s cancellation of the spring sports season represents the culmination of a chain of events that began on March 12, when Natrona County health officials abruptly called off the Class 3A and 4A state basketball tournaments. That decision immediately followed Wyoming’s first confirmed case of the new coronavirus — and as major sports organizations began shutting down due to rising concerns about the spread of the disease across the country.