COLUMBUS — There is still a chance that spring sports could continue for area athletes.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association released a proposed schedule this week for all spring, sports to be followed if the state’s schools are reopened after May 1.

After a mandatory time to get athletics re-acclimated — May 4-8 — an appreviated spring sports schedule will begin May 9 for all spring athletes. The season will extend beyond scheduled graduation dates for Ohio seniors.

If the governor and Ohio Department of Health deem it safe to reopen school facilities in early May, then we will have a shortened spring sports season that extends into June,” said OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass. “I commend our sports administration staff for putting the schedules together working on state tournament sites.”

SPRING SPORTS OVERVIEW

• If school facilities are closed for the remainder of the school year, spring sports will be cancelled.
• The dates below for each sport are tentative and are based on the Governor’s optimistic direction that schools will reopen May 4. We will adjust accordingly.
• The mandatory no-contact period remains in place through May 1. No practices or group workouts may occur through this date, but the OHSAA encourages coaches to maintain electronic correspondence with their student-athletes.
• With a current return on May 4, the schedules below have been adopted for spring sports. Specific information relative to sectional and district tournaments, playing dates, seeding procedures, game sites, will all be provided in communications from the respective six District Athletic Boards.
• State tournament venues listed below are subject to change.
• If for any reason specific sites are shut down due to Governor’s orders, ALL sites will be shut down and tournaments will not be held.

“We continue to applaud each of you for helping provide guidance and leadership to your coaches and your efforts to keep students engaged,” Snodgrass wrote to school administrators in the memo. “This crisis has heightened the awareness that students want to be back in the classroom. Teachers want students back in the classroom. In our solid belief that school-based athletic programs are an extension of the classroom, we hold that same belief for our student-athletes and coaches. Getting kids back with coaches is much more than winning and we feel it a vital part of returning life to normalcy.”

BASEBALL

1. State tournament dates determined by availability of Akron Canal Park.
2. Tournament Entry/Withdrawal – May 11
3. Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting – May 17
4. Sectional Tournaments – May 23-30
5. District Tournaments – June 1-6
6. Regional Tournaments – June 11-12
7. State Tournament at Akron Canal Park (subject to change) – June 19-21
8. Season Concludes (regular-season games can be played up until this date) – June 27

SOFTBALL

1. Tournament Entry/Withdrawal – May 18
2. Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting – May 24
3. Sectional Tournaments – May 30-June 6
4. District Tournaments – June 8-13
5. Regional Tournaments – June 15-20
6. State Tournament at Akron Firestone Stadium (subject to change) – June 25-27
7. Season Concludes (regular-season games can be played up until this date) – July 4

BOYS TENNIS

1. Tournament Entry/Withdrawal – May 18
2. Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting – May 24
3. Sectional Tournaments – May 30-June 6
4. District Tournaments – June 8-13
5. State Tournament at Hilliard Davidson High School (subject to change) – June 18-20
6. Season Concludes (regular-season contests can be played up until this date) – June 27

TRACK AND FIELD

Athletic facilities at The Ohio State University will not be available in June, so the state tournament will be split into three different sites, per division. Details are below.

1. Tournament Entry/Withdrawal – May 25
2. Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting – May 31
3. District Tournaments – June 9-13
4. Regional Tournaments – June 17-20
5. State Tournament – June 26-27
6. State Tournament Sites (subject to change): Division I at Hilliard Darby; Division II at Pickerington North; Division III at Westerville North
7. Season Concludes (regular-season meets can be held up until this date) – June 27

File photo Galion High School senior Kerrigan Myers, who won the state 100-meter hurdles, last year in Columbus, may yet get a chance to defend that championship. The OHSAA released a tentative sports sports schedule this week. All spring sports seasons would begin May 9 and extend well into June.

https://www.galioninquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2020/04/web1_Kerrign-Myers.jpgFile photo Galion High School senior Kerrigan Myers, who won the state 100-meter hurdles, last year in Columbus, may yet get a chance to defend that championship. The OHSAA released a tentative sports sports schedule this week. All spring sports seasons would begin May 9 and extend well into June.