Josh Carney / Post Independent
The Colorado High School Activities Association is extending its current suspension of spring sports through April 18, in the ongoing response to slow the advance of the COVID-19 virus in Colorado.
The decision comes after Gov. Jared Polis announced Monday the state would be narrowing the minimum standards for public gatherings and extending the time frame to 30 days, unless otherwise revised.
Spring sports had already been suspended through April 6. The moratorium is now extended through April 18.
“CHSAA encourages schools to set stricter standards on student gatherings outside of the high school,” according to a Tuesday afternoon press release from CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green.
In addition, all CHSAA music events and the April 14 CHSAA Hall of Fame are canceled. The CHSAA Legislative Council meeting, the state speech tournament and the Student Leadership Advisor U have been postponed indefinitely.
The CHSAA office in Denver will also remain closed until March 30, with staff working remotely from home.
In Garfield County, that means baseball, girls soccer, boys and girls lacrosse, track and field and girls golf seasons will remain suspended. It also impacts the Glenwood Demon Invitational Track and Field meet that had been scheduled for April 18, the last day of the current moratorium.
Teams are also not allowed to have formal practices during this time, and the question still remains whether schools will be allowed back in session after the current extended spring break for the Roaring Fork and Garfield Re-2 school districts, which ends March 29.
Meanwhile, CHSAA officials said they will recognize individual participants from the CHSAA State Basketball Championships last weekend, with a memento in the coming weeks “to recognize their leadership and resolve during that week.” The state basketball tournaments for all classifications were halted after last Thursday’s games had concluded.
“National and state decisions related to the COVID-19 virus are changing daily, even hourly, so new updates will be posted on CHSAANow.com and communicated via email to schools and media,” CHSAA said in the Tuesday news release.