It’s official. The 2A Greater St. Helens League won’t play any high school sports until January.
Washougal athletic director Gary McGarvie, the 2A GSHL league president, released a statement Friday morning that remaining fall sports will be moved to March and April of the revised 2020-21 athletic calendar in the state.
“Although we recognize this decision has negative impacts for our participants, the safety of all our student-athletes, coaches, fans and family members are our No. 1 priority,” McGarvie said in the statement.
The sports of cross country, slowpitch softball, boys golf and boys tennis will join other traditional fall sports of football, volleyball, girls soccer and girls swimming in Season 3 of the WIAA’s revised athletic calendar.
The 2A GSHL consists of Columbia River, Fort Vancouver, Hockinson, Hudson’s Bay, Mark Morris, R.A. Long, Ridgefield, Washougal and Woodland.
“Coaches and league leadership weighed the many benefits of athletic participation against risks involved, and feel strongly that this is the best decision that could be made for our students,” McGarvie said. “All of us look forward to having all our student-athletes on campus and competing in the future.”
The 4A and 3A GSHLs announced Thursday they would be pushing all fall sports to Season 3. The Trico League pushed boys golf to season 3, but some of its members are still hoping to have some form of their cross country season this fall.
With the Friday’s announcement, the 2020-21 high school sports year for the Greater St. Helens Leagues is now scheduled to start in late December when Season 2, consisting of traditional winter sports like basketball and wrestling, is tentatively slated to begin practices.
