Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
WIAA Executive Board President and Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Athletic Director and football coach Greg Whitmore is pictured here breaking the news to athletes at his football summer camp the 2020-21 fall season has been pushed back two weeks to Sept. 5 and Sept. 7. The WIAA made the decision July 21 to postpone football, volleyball and boys' soccer to spring.
Coach Whitmore and his staff employ social distance practices during a summer training camp for football players earlier this month, in the hopes of being able to play in the fall.
Coach Cari Galbreath had her volleyball players work on their form while throwing tennis balls against a wall during a summer camp earlier this month. The girls were not allowed to pass a volleyball back and forth, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pictured is returning player and incoming freshman Meagan Melcher, who played for Lind-Ritzville/Sprague as an eighth-grader.
RENTON -- Fall is usually synonymous with prep football and volleyball in rural Eastern Washington.
Not this year.
Due to the coronavirus scare, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is moving those sports and boys soccer to 2021.
The scholastic sports group announced the change this evening, July 21.
The decision comes as school districts are trying to decide to open campuses this fall.
Middle and high school athletes will be still be allowed to compete in cross country, slowpitch softball and alternative seasons for golf and tennis in the fall; practices may begin Sept. 7.
A decision has yet to be made on girls swimming.
Instead of three seasons, there will be four shorter seasons.
The revised seasons are as follows:
Season 1 -- Cross country, slowpitch softball, golf (alternative season), tennis (alternative season) and possibly girls swimming and diving.
Season 2 -- Basketball, bowling, boys swimming and diving, gymnastics, cheerleading and wrestling.
Season 3 -- Volleyball, girls soccer, 1B/2B boys soccer and football.
Season 4 -- Tennis, fastpitch softball, track and field, baseball, golf, boys soccer, and dance/drill.
Roger Harnack is the co-owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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