OHSAA Officially Cancels Winter Sports Tournaments

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced today that the remaining winter sports tournaments have been canceled.

 

Member schools were notified by email from Director Jerry Snodgrass, who said there are a great deal of unknowns when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic which create logistical challenges that make the option of rescheduling impossible.

 

He noted that he and the entire staff are unspeakably disappointed for student-athletes, coaches and parents who have worked so hard to earn the opportunity to participate in this event.

 

This impacts Noah Eikenbary and his chance at a state wrestling championship.

 

Kenton Athletics sent out a tweet saying they are heartbroken for him.

 

Eikenbary finished his high school career winning a District Title and becoming one of Kenton’s best ever.

 

Officials are saying that they are still hoping to have a spring season even if it’s shortened.

 

The following release came from the OHSAA:

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that the winter sports tournaments of wrestling, basketball and ice hockey, which were postponed indefinitely on March 12, are now cancelled due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. It is anticipated that schools will not be able to reopen for many weeks, which prevents interscholastic athletics from taking place.

 

The start of the OHSAA’s spring sports of softball, lacrosse, baseball, track and field and boys tennis is still postponed, which coincides with schools not being open.

 

Earlier Thursday, OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass and his staff communicated with the schools that were still competing in those winter tournaments to announce the decision.

 

“We are just devastated that the tournaments cannot be completed,” said Snodgrass. “But our priority is the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, communities and officials. Governor Mike DeWine is asking all Ohioans to do everything they can to stop the spread of this virus. That request, along with our schools not being able to reopen for weeks, means that school sports cannot happen at this time. Even if our schools reopen this spring, it will be difficult to find facilities willing to host the tournaments. Most campus are shut down until mid to late summer.

 

“We are already planning for ways that these student-athletes will be honored at next year’s state tournament,” said Snodgrass.

 

The 16 schools that qualified for the girls basketball state tournament and the four teams that qualified for the ice hockey state tournament will all receive state tournament programs. The 672 student-athletes who qualified for the wrestling state tournament will all receive a program, certificate and their weigh-in card.

 

These four winter state tournaments and a few events during World War 2 (1941-45) are the only sports cancellations in the history of the OHSAA, which was founded in 1907.

 

No state champions will be listed for these four sports in 2020. The OHSAA does not use state polls from the media or coaches associations to determine state champions.

 

A reminder that OHSAA coaches can communicate electronically with their student-athletes, but no practices, scrimmages or contests of any kind are permitted until further notice.

 

On March 13, Snodgrass sent this memo to member schools: https://www.ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/ohsaa-winter-and-spring-sports-update

 

More information regarding spring sports will be provided when available.