Southeast Iowa athletes will not have the opportunity to hit the track, golf course, or soccer pitch this year, as the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union made the tough decision on Friday to cancel the 2020 spring sports season.
The decision followed Governor Kim Reynolds’ recommendation to keep schools closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year due to the continued spread of COVID-19. The initial spring suspension set last month halted the start of activities until April 12th, then April 30th, before having to cancel altogether. According to the IHSAA and IGHSAU, over 45,000 student-athletes across the state competed in a spring sport in 2018-2019.
Summer sports that include baseball and softball are suspended at this time and will be reevaluated by state officials before June.