Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
CHENEY - Wrestlers may lose a regional tournament and qualify directly for the state Mat Classic tournament.
The proposal is to be determined by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), according to WIAA spokesman Casey Johnson.
"The board is looking to make the decision this week," Johnson said. "The proposal is to eliminate regionals."
Eliminating regional tournaments would mean that wrestlers would qualify for state at their district or sub-regional tournament.
Unlike the previous time the WIAA canceled regionals, the Mat Classic would be set for 16-man or 12-man brackets.
East district's allocation would be determined following a board decision to cancel regionals and give wrestlers a two-week window to help alleviate coronavirus shutdowns.
Johnson's mirror a Wrestling Coaches Association (WCA) proposal to give athletes a better window to recover before the state Mat Classic tournament occurs in the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 18-19.
The Mat Classic brings all school classifications from B to 4A and girls under one roof for the state's largest wrestling tournament each year.
"As I understand it, the Wrestling Coaches Association has made a proposal to alter the timing of the qualifying tournaments to hopefully minimize the effect of COVID on wrestlers going to state," Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Athletic Director Greg Whitmore said. "We are gathering more information in the next couple days before taking official action."
Whitmore is a director on the WIAA executive board.
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