Less than 24 hours since the Virginia High School League elected to move all of Saturday's rescheduled winter sports championships to Sunday or Monday, the organization announced Thursday afternoon it is postponing all championships slated to take place this weekend.
Wrestling, swim and dive and gymnastics championships are being pushed to next week, with specific dates, locations and schedules to be announced.
The decision comes in light of the winter storm sweeping through the commonwealth, bringing snow and ice, and led to Gov. Glenn Younkin issuing a state of emergency, urging people to stay home.
"I want to thank the VHSL staff, venues and tournament directors who worked hard to accommodate these events this weekend," VHSL Executive Director Billy Haun said in a statement. "Safety always has to be a priority for any school event. We cannot ensure that asking school divisions to have students travel on Saturday would be safe."
As part of the rescheduling, six high schools will host one-day championships for state wrestling, according to Haun, as the original sites that host three classes each, such as the Salem Civic Center, are not available next week.
"Again, we appreciate your patience as we work through this situation. Since we have no control over the weather, we must deal with the elements Mother Nature has provided. Fortunately, educators are flexible and deal with change often," Haun said in the statement. "We understand the uncertainty of schedule changes and appreciate your patience and understanding. Our goal is to allow all our athletes and schools to compete in state competitions."
The VHSL said it is working to finalize plans as soon as possible.
