While basketball was the winter sport that dominated the discussion at Wednesday’s KHSAA Board of Control meeting, the news regarding the swim season was troubling as teams struggle to get time in the pool.
The high school swim season was originally scheduled to begin this week, but the combination of schools’ limited extracurricular activity due to COVID-19 concerns and Wednesday’s action by the KHSAA has pushed the start to Jan. 4.
Hopkinsville High was scheduled to host its annual Rick Cohn Invitational Saturday. Coach Keith Marquess is unsure if it can be rescheduled due to the uncertainty of the season. That is one of five early-season meets that will be lost due to the new January start date.
The KHSAA board is slated to meet on Dec. 10 and further define the 2021 swim season and possibly set postseason dates. Assistant Commissioner Butch Cope told the board Wednesday that schools that do not have their own pool are having a hard time finding a private facility that will let them into their water.
Cope said one facility in Owensboro is afraid that if a COVID outbreak comes from allowing school swimmers to use their pool, a subsequent shutdown would hurt their business.
The region meet was originally scheduled for mid-February with the state meet to follow in late February or early March. However, the KHSAA is having trouble finding venues that would agree to host region and state meets due to high COVID-19 incidence rates throughout the state. The KHSAA moved the state volleyball tournament from Louisville to Clark County High School and the state cross country meet from Lexington to Paris due to COVID-19 issues.
If swimming has a full season that begins Jan. 4, the conclusion would be in late March or early April which is the same time as the basketball Sweet 16 tournaments and possibly the wrestling state tournament if that season is extended. The first week of April is traditionally spring break time for Kentucky schools.
Cope and KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett said limiting the number of state meet qualifiers could happen if they have trouble nailing down a venue to host the state meet.
If Christian County Schools allows sports facilities to be used starting Dec. 14, Hopkinsville is scheduled to host its first meet on Jan. 7 against Henderson County. If the KHSAA does vote next month to extend the swim season into March, a new date for the Rick Cohn Invitational could be added to the Hopkinsville swim schedule.
The KHSAA has sent COVID-19 swimming protocol to each school, who must then decide how many people will be allowed to attend swim meets. The Kentucky Department for Public Health has recommended a 15-percent attendance cap for all winter sports which the KHSAA has seconded. Most schools have already announced the 15-percent rule for basketball games this winter.
