BREAKING: WAC Cancels Thursday Finals after Huge Water Main Break in Houston

2020 WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 26 – Saturday, February 29
• CRWC Natatorium – Houston, TX
• Defending Champion: Northern Arizona women (6x), Grand Canyon men (1x)
• 2019 Results
• Estimated NCAA Invite Times
• NCAA ‘A’ Cuts
• Live Results
• Championship Central
• Day 1 Recap

Update: 6:17 Central Time: the WAC will score Thursday’s prelims session as a timed final and resume competition on Friday morning, presuming the University of Houston campus has reopened. Read more about the schedule adjustment here.

Update: 9:42 PM Central Time: the University of Houston will be closed again on Friday, and day 3 of the WAC meet will be held as a timed-finals session on Friday morning. No spectators will be allowed, because bathrooms aren’t working, and portable toilets and wash stations will be brought in for athletes and staff to use.

The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) has cancelled Thursday evening’s finals at the men’s and women’s swimming & diving championships after a massive water main broke near the University of Houston campus on Thursday afternoon.

UPDATE: A major water break which has closed the University of Houston campus has forced the WAC to cancel Thursday’s evening session of the 2020 WAC Swimming and Diving Championship. The WAC will provide more information regarding the remainder of the meet when made available.

— The Western Athletic Conference (@WACsports) February 27, 2020

The break on the 610 East Loop freeway in Houston was reported around 12 p.m. local time leading to the complete closure of the highway in both directions. The city has received reports of low water pressure across a large portion of the city. Houston Public Works has asked the community to conserve water in the area, and mayor Sylvester Turner has asked everyone in the city of Houston to boil their water for the next 24 hours.

The break has led to a number of business closures in the area, including the entire University of Houston campus, all Harris County and Houston Municipal Courts, the University of St. Thomas, and the Houston Zoo.

The University of Houston has no water, and with most restaurants in the area having to close as well, the school has asked food trucks to remain on campus later than usual. Nearby Texas Southern University has closed as well. The break is located less than 5 miles from campus.

UNDERWATER: Emergency crews responded to a massive water main break in Texas that flooded a Houston freeway, trapped some motorists in their vehicles and snarled traffic. https://t.co/pd6jYREmSl pic.twitter.com/r3vcdQnlrG

— ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2020

After day 1 of the WAC Championships, the Air Force men and Northern Arizona women are in the lead. The UNLV men broke the conference record on Wednesday evening in the 800 free relay by 4 seconds.

Conference officials and coaches are discussing all possible options, with another conference call scheduled for 5PM on Thursday. Among the options being discussed are swimming one session of the meet as timed finals, and moving the entire meet 30 miles north to the Conroe ISD Natatorium: another large natatorium in the suburb of Shenandoah, Texas that has hosted the NCAA Division III Championships, among other major meets, in recent years.

The conference was represented by 2 men’s teams, Grand Canyon and UNLV, at last year’s NCAA Division I National Championship meet.

While the University of Houston is not a member of the WAC, the school’s pool frequently plays host to conference championship meets for a number of mid-major conferences.