MHSAA Cancels Winter, Spring Sports Seasons
The MHSAA made the decision to cancel the remainder of the winter postseason tournaments and the entire spring sports season due to concerns of COVID-19. It marks the first time since 1943 that there will not be any state finals in multiple sports. No champions were crowned that year due to World War II.
This follows Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order to close all K-12 school buildings for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year on Thursday.
“We are heartbroken to not be able to provide these opportunities for Michigan’s student-athletes, and especially seniors. We continue to hear from dozens asking us to hold out hope. But safety always must come first, and Governor Whitmer is making courageous decisions to safeguard the people of our state,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said in their statement. “We understand as much as anyone how much school sports mean to athletes and their communities. We had ideas and hopes for finishing Winter and Spring and helping bring some sort of normalcy after this long break. But this is the correct decision, and we will play our part in bringing schools and communities together again when the time is right.”
The MHSAA said that they will provide guidelines and other information for the offseason as their attention turns to the fall sports.
The postseason tournaments had been indefinitely suspended since March 12, and the following day, the MHSAA suspended all sports activities.
Here is a list of local basketball games that will now be canceled due to the suspension of the rest of the 2019-20 school year.
Local Girls Basketball Regional Finals
Division 2
Newaygo vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic
Cadillac vs. Sault Ste. Marie
Division 3
Charlevoix vs. Ishpeming Westwood
Manton vs. Glen Lake
Division 4
McBain NMC vs. Bellaire
St. Ignace vs. Engadine
Local Boys Basketball District Finals
Division 1
Marquette at Traverse City Central
Mt. Pleasant vs. Midland Dow
Division 2
Boyne City vs. Kingsley
Cadillac vs. Ludington
Clare vs. Tawas
Fremont vs. Comstock Park
Division 3
Charlevoix vs. East Jordan
Rogers City vs. Oscoda
Glen Lake vs. Traverse City St. Francis
Beal City vs. Sanford Meridian
Shelby vs. Pine River
Manton vs. McBain
Morley Stanwood vs. Carson City-Crystal
Division 4
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart vs. Fulton
Mio vs. Hale
Cedarville vs. Pickford
Onaway vs. Posen
Engadine vs. Rudyard
Pellston vs. Alanson
Leland vs. Lake Leelanau St. Mary
Pentwater vs. McBain NMC
Gaylord St. Mary vs. Ellsworth
Frankfort vs. Brethren