The Atlantic 10 canceled the men’s and women’s indoor track and field championship and postponed the men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships to April, according to a release Tuesday.
A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said in the release that the decision was “not made lightly,” and athletic officials weighed the health and safety of coaches, staff and student-athletes as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
“The health and well-being of A-10 student-athletes is paramount in all discussions and actions, and the member institutions deliberated deeply before coming to this conclusion,” McGlade said in the release.
McGlade added that the A-10 still plans to hold its cross country championship and outdoor track and field championships in the spring when the COVID-19 conditions are “more favorable.” At GW, athletes who compete in indoor track and field also compete in cross country and outdoor track and field.
In July, the University announced that the men’s indoor track and field team would be cut at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, making the 2019 indoor track and field championship the last tournament for the squad. With a small roster unable to field every event, the men’s squad finished No. 10 of 10 teams.
The women’s side tabbed a No. 9 of 13 finish on the back of two first place wins in the 3,000M and 5,000M from 2020-graduate runner Suzanne Dannheim.
Men’s and women’s swimming and diving have dominated the A-10 championships the last four years. The women’s squad nabbed its first title last season, and the men’s squad won three of the last four A-10 crowns.
The release states that winter and spring sport schedules will be flexible and allow for games to be rescheduled. Alternate travel plans will also be encouraged to reduce “unnecessary travel,” the release states. Men’s basketball’s conference schedules include two bye weeks between Jan. 13 and Feb. 24, and the final weekend of the regular season, March 5 through March 7, will also be open for rescheduled games.
The men’s and women’s basketball championship is expected to host the regular number of programs “if pandemic conditions allow,” the release states.
Men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball and softball schedules will remain regionalized, and championship formats will include the highest regular season seed hosting the top-four teams, the release states.
