The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has cancelled all remaining spring high school sports for the 2019-2020 academic year, including the state’s swimming & diving championships.
Announcement, signed by Executive Director Ron Nocetti:
Based on the recent statements issued by Governor Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, regarding schools turning to distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) does not see an avenue for the spring sports season to continue. As such, in consultation today with the 10 Section Commissioners, the decision has been made to cancel spring Section, Regional, and State Championship events.
We understand this is disappointing for everyone involved in education-based athletics and empathize with our student-athletes and all who are impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. As always, our top priority is everyone’s ongoing health and safety during this challenging time, and we all look forward to the day when education-based athletics resumes.
California was one of the few states that still had high school swimming & diving championships on the schedule for this season. The California State meet, which has only existed in its current form since 2015, is among the last in the country annually every season. This year’s meet was scheduled to be hosted at Clovis West High School from May 15th-16th.
Two other states, Nevada and Colorado (boys), still have state championship meets on the schedule, though both states have announced school closures and athletics cancellations through at least April 30th.
Also of note, Pennsylvania says that their high schools swimming state championship meets, which were ongoing when the plug was pulled over coronavirus concerns, are still ‘suspended’ and not cancelled. The likelihood of those meets being completed seems dim at this point.
Nevada Updates
Nevada says that they plan to resume interscholastic competition on Thursday or Friday, May 7th or 8th, depending on the situation at the time. A handful of schools that compete in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) are located in California, and those schools will be out of the classroom for the remainder of the season.
While the NIAA says that they anticipate no state championship tournaments for sprint sports, that regional competitions may still happen.
In the individual sports of Swimming & Diving and Track & Field, schools would be able to compete in competition they arrange beginning May 7, 2020. Entry directly into the Region Meet for a maximum number of entries per event per school would make up the Region Meet.
Nevada has reported at least 1,836 positive tests for coronavirus along with 46 deaths. This weekend saw the state’s first death outside of its most populous Clark and Washoe counties, home to Las Vegas and Reno, respectively.
Colorado Updates
The Colorado boys’ high school state championship meets (4A/5A) are tentatively scheduled for May 21st-23rd. Like Nevada, Colorado says activities are cancelled until at least April 30th. Colorado has not set target dates for returns to competition, nor much of a plan for when that happens, but did say that the resumption of athletics is dependent upon a return to in-person instruction.
As of Monday morning, Colorado Public Radio reports 4,950 positive tests for coronavirus in the state and 140 deaths. The number of new daily cases in the state has fallen in each of the last 2 days, however, showing signs of hope that the pandemic may have peaked there.
I really mourn for these high school swimmers…. especially the upperclassmen who will have no or maybe one more opportunity to swim like this again. I was a senior in 2001, and even in the crazy uncertainty around 9/11 we still had sports to fall back on and a certain normalcy around daily life (at least outside of NYC, etc.).
*I fully recognize the importance of social distancing , and that human life is worth more than any activity.
Who you kiddin? Most of the boys are rejoicing! Most of them only swim because they have to in order to play polo.
My son has been swimming because he loves the sport and it effected him greatly. He has been dry landing nonstop just started back in the pool but nothing like competing amongst his times and friends. California
The majority of the Denver area public school districts have announced that there will be no in-person instruction for the rest of the year, so it doesn’t bode well for any spring sports returning to action in Colorado
Can I get an F in the chat please