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Ignacio junior guard Charlize Valdez glances away as father – and IHS boys’ head coach – Chris Valdez loads bags of gear into their homeward-bound vehicle outside the Residence Inn by Marriott in Loveland on a gloomy Friday morning, March 13. Both the State Championships-qualifying girls’ and boys’ squads had their seasons abruptly ended after the previous night’s play due to precautions taken against the spread of/exposure to the global coronavirus outbreak.
Colorado High School Activities Association Assistant Commissioner Justin Saylor commences removing event-specific chair-back covers late Thursday night, March 12, inside the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, following CHSAA’s decision to terminate the State Basketball Championships – not just in Class 2A, but all classifications – due to precautions taken against the spread of/exposure to the global coronavirus outbreak.
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
Photo Credit: Joel Priest | Special to the Drum
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Prep sports paused until at least mid-April

Saturday - March 28, 2020 by Joel Priest | Special to the Drum

CHSAA extends coronavirus cancelations

With the worldwide coronavirus’ spread aggressive enough to warrant canceling NCAA ‘March Madness’ on basketball courts and Major League Baseball Spring Training games on diamonds throughout the United States, as well as potentially jeopardize the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the Colorado High School Activities Association initially took a wait-and-see approach.

Originally hoping to re-start sanctioned sports and other events around April 6, CHSAA released an update Tuesday, March 17, just five days after the State Basketball Championships were suddenly terminated as a precaution against spread of and exposure to the COVID-19 scourge – stating the stall will continue even longer.

“In light of Governor Jared Polis’ announcement Monday, March 16, where new restrictions were mandated to slow the advance of the virus, narrowing the minimum standards for public gatherings, we are announcing that the Association will follow the guidelines that went into effect at 8 a.m. today and will remain in effect for 30 days,” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green was quoted in the e-mailed update as saying.

“This media and school advisory is to keep the membership apprised of the latest decisions from the CHSAA office.”

These updates include extending CHSAA’s Spring Sports moratorium through April 18, and the Association encourages schools to set stricter standards on student gatherings outside of its member high schools.

Additionally: all CHSAA Music events have been canceled for the remainder of the 2019-20 calendar; the 4/14 CHSAA Hall of Fame induction ceremony has been canceled; the 4/15 CHSAA Legislative Council meeting has been postponed pending changes in the public-gathering restrictions; the State Speech Tournament and Student Leadership Advisor U. events have been postponed, also pending changes to public-gathering limitations.

Located in Aurora, the CHSAA office will also remain closed until March 30, with staff working remotely from home. The Association will, according to the e-mailed bulletin, recognize individual State Basketball Championships participants with a memento in the coming weeks to recognize their leadership and resolve during that ill-fated week.

As most sports fans know, national and state decisions related to COVID-19 are changing daily, sometimes hourly. Further updates can be found online at CHSAANow.com and will also be communicated via e-mail to schools and media.

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