Pennsylvania has confirmed dates and a new host site for its high school state swimming & diving championships after last year’s meet was truncated amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2020 PIAA Swimming & Diving Championships were among the first swim meets in the U.S. to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s 3A (big schools) championship meet featured a national high school record on day 1, but was truncated halfway through the event order as the pandemic rapidly grabbed headlines across the world. The 2A meet for smaller schools was ultimately canceled.
Now, almost a year later, the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) has set dates and a host site for its 2021 state championships.
The meet will move to Cumberland Valley High School, according to Penn Live. In previous years, the state meet has been hosted at Bucknell University. But the Erie Times-News reports that Bucknell could only host a maximum capacity of 110 people this year under pandemic restrictions. That wouldn’t cover all swimming qualifiers and necessary meet workers.
So the PIAA meet will move to Cumberland Valley, about 70 miles to the south, though that’s contingent on an agreement between the PIAA and Bucknell to release the PIAA from a contract it had to host the meet at the university.
The diving competition will take place on March 13, with swimming happening on March 19 and 20. It’s not clear yet how the 2A and 3A classes will be split up across those competition days.
The picture on their website seems like a good amount of water
Good shot of the pool in this video. Deck space is okay but a lot of space for spectators which can be used in place.
https://youtu.be/nCxHPEKK1lU
Much better views of the pool if you actually look at the swim Utopia channel
70 miles is nothing. The Arkansas 1A-4A (very smallest schools) meet is being held in Texas.
Is the meet going to be timed finals now that 2a and 3a are on the same days? Nevertheless, still really awesome that there is a state meet though!
Hope there is enough lodging around this high school to accomadate everyone at this late notice?? Does high school have extra warmup/cooldown pool??
https://images.app.goo.gl/b9Sqk4HMgmSsUgU17
High schools have really nice pools in some parts of the country.
It’s certainly a nice high school pool, but nowhere near the level of Bucknell. The pool deck space will be legitimately be 1/3rd of Bucknell (if that). I understand this decision is a result of Bucknell no longer wanting that many people in it’s facilities, but this situation is 10x worse for the swimmers. Given the fact that you are supposed to have MORE space to allow people to social distance this decision is very counterintuitive. Again, I understand it is because of Bucknell not wanting an influx of people, but the result isn’t great.
I swam at Cumberland valley 20+ times as a young swimmer and loved it, but for a meet as large as PIAA States it… Read more »
Cumberland Valley has spruced up the pool in the last few years, for what it’s worth – https://www.valleybreeze.com/2019-03-20/cumberland-lincoln-area/renovated-chs-pool-rededicated-coach-calvert#.YBM4_uhKiUk
Doesn’t look like they made the deck space any bigger, but, if they cut spectators (which seems likely), the stands offer an expansion of “deck space” for athletes and officials.
Your link points to a Cumberland High School in Rhode Island, not the one named Cumberland Valley HS in PA.
Whoops, you’re right.
Braden, this article is about a different pool in a different state. CV will do a fine job hosting the state meet.
Not too shabby. Looks like a college facility?
They hosted a lot of College conference meets there. Great facility.
I have districts every year here. They have a aux gym which we usually use they also have a cafeteria and they have a warm down pool which is 5ish lanes.
Plenty of lodging in the area. Meet is scaled down and probably no spectators.
The high school is between Carlisle and Mechanicsburg and close to Harrisburg. The area is a major transportation hub in the Northeast region. There should be plenty of hotels and motels in the surrounding cities and towns.