WESTFIELD – While the unbeaten Westfield swim program had big plans to dominate the headlines this weekend at the Western Massachusetts sectional championships, Winter Storm Nemo is the only thing now set to make a big splash.
Late Thursday, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Conference announced on its website (and e-mails to athletic directors throughout the state) that the swim championships would be cancelled, and not made up.
“Due to the impending storm, all Boys’ and Girls’ Sectional Swimming and Diving Championships, scheduled for this weekend have been CANCELLED,” the message stated on the MIAA website. “We regret that facility and time constraints prohibit the re-scheduling of these events.”
The message went on to say that “all state qualifiers will move forward to the State Championships on the weekend of 16-17 February.”
The National Weather Service is forecasting upwards of 18-24 inches of snow, or more, with blizzard-like conditions for Friday and Saturday.
The decision by the MIAA will now prohibit the entire boys’ and girls’ teams from competing in the postseason, despite the fact that both squads finished the season as unbeaten league champs (10-0). Only individual state qualifiers will be allowed to compete in next weekend’s state competition.
The diving portion is still being held this evening.
“It’s very disappointing,” Westfield athletic director Karen Gomez said of the MIAA’s decision. “With (our) boys and girls begin undefeated, we thought we had a really good shot at Western Mass. …It’s a shame for the kids.”
Also, the MIAA has postponed the Western Mass. D1 wrestling championship – and all the other sectionals scheduled throughout the state – until next Saturday (Feb. 16). The move will push the divisional state and all-state tournaments back a week.
The Western Mass. indoor track championship, originally scheduled for Friday, has been postponed, and will be held Monday at Smith College in Northampton, beginning at 6 p.m.
With several schools already cancelling classes for Friday, it is also anticipated that all local high school sporting events will be postponed. The Westfield and Longmeadow hockey teams are also scheduled to play Saturday night at the Olympia in West Springfield at 6 p.m. That game has yet to be postponed.
