IHSA announces plan for modified postseason
Naperville North girls cross country coach Dan Iverson saw this coming weeks ago.
"Our hope is we could have a state series but I don't want us hinging our hopes on things we can't control," Iverson said.
The IHSA board of directors late Monday approved a plan to conduct modified postseason state series tournaments in boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, girls swimming and diving, and girls tennis this fall - one that doesn't include a state tournament.
That means for defending state champions, like Iverson's Class 3A cross country team, they will have to wait until 2021 to repeat.
It's why Iverson and other coaches have put a different emphasis on this unique season.
"I try to transition into whatever the season will give us we will take," he said.
Other local state championship teams that won't get a chance to repeat this fall include Neuqua Valley's girls swim team, St. Charles East and Kaneland in boys cross country, Benet in Class 2A girls cross country, and Stevenson in Class 2A girls golf.
"We anticipated this would be the decision and given the circumstances that the state, schools and families are experiencing, we are taking it one day at a time," Kaneland boys cross country coach Chad Clarey said. "We hope to get to Oct. 24 healthy and intact as a team, and will be happy to get any kind of race in with our 2A friends in the COVID region.
"While we are disappointed to not have the opportunity to try to advance through a state series with this team, we recognize that other programs and teams had their seasons cut short or had no season at all in the last six months. We don't feel sorry for ourselves and we can only put our best efforts forward and keep everything in perspective."
The approved plan will allow for a single round of regional geographic competition to be conducted the week of Oct. 19-25, with the majority of the events expected to be held Oct. 24.
"Certainly it's disappointing in the sense that a lot of kids look forward to being able to play competition from other parts of the state," Batavia girls tennis coach Brad Nelson said. "That's part of the fun of being at the state tournament, and the whole experience of the tournament itself going up on Wednesday and trying to make it to Friday and if you are an elite player making it to Saturday. That's part of what the kids work hard for in the offseason to achieve.
"But the flip side is we are playing. We have an opportunity to have some kind of tournament at the end of the season which will still give us something to look forward to and work toward. It's disappointing but reassuring we will still have something to end our season with."
Barrington girls golf coach Tim Martin also chose to focus on the positive.
"We are excited that we are going to have a postseason state series event," Martin said. "It's great news."
The IHSA will be finalizing and releasing details for each fall state series tournament in the coming weeks, including dates, schedules, awards, structure, and additional safety precautions.
"Throughout the spring and summer, we looked for ways to reengage student-athletes with their peers and coaches, and our membership has shared countless positive experiences from that initial return to play period," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "We have found similar value in being able to conduct fall sports, and believe the participants deserve a culminating experience if we can offer it safely."
In conjunction with the modified fall state series, the board also approved a $100 state series entry fee for any school entering a team or individual in any of the fall sports.
The board will continue to look at the postseason options by sport and season as the school year progresses, so they can accurately gauge the allowable IDPH options and most current COVID-19 data.
"Interscholastic sports, like the IHSA and IESA, have rightfully followed stricter return to play guidance than nonschool events since the start of the summer," said Anderson. "While we understand and appreciate the frustration felt by high school coaches due to the stricter guidance, we also recognize the need for that added guidance, even though it may create more challenges for us. There is a responsibility that exists within the school setting to create a safer environment for the community as a whole, while nonschool competitions are often conducted without any standardized safety protocols."