The NCAA and conference basketball tournaments have been canceled. The NBA, NHL and MLB are on hiatus. Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan have suspended their high school basketball tournaments.
For now, the two IHSAA winter sports championships yet to be decided are still on, but will have limited or no fans in attendance because of growing concerns over the COVID-19 epidemic.
Boys basketball regional games scheduled for Saturday will be played with restricted spectator access. Each of the 64 remaining schools at the 16 sites have been limited to 75 tickets — not including players — but including coaches, managers, team personnel and adminstrators. The rest will be given to players’ immediate families.
The Gymnastics State Finals will be held without fans Saturday at Ball State’s Worthen Arena. The nine schools whose teams qualified, including Columbus North, are limited to 16 gymnasts and two coaches. Judges, workers and meet officials make up most of the rest of the 250-person limit for gatherings recommended by Gov. Eric Holcomb.
“It’s a unique situation,” North co-coach Bob Arthur said. “It didn’t surprise me with all the press with what’s happening with the NCAA and then professional basketball, as well. I kind of wondered if this is going to be passed down to us eventually. We got our answer today.”
IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox outlined the new restrictions at a noon press conference on Thursday.
“We’re really disappointed not to be able to go and be there for their last meet,” said Trisha Heathcote, mother of one of four Bull Dog gymnasts slated to compete at state. “But we’re really thankful that they haven’t canceled.”
Heathcote’s and her husband Rob and Vince Moore are among the parents planning to drive some of the gymnasts to Muncie today. Moore’s daughter Emily finished third in the all-around competition last year, missing a state title by .075-point.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed because she does have an opportunity to win an event and compete in the all-around,” Vince Moore said. “But I want the kids to be safe. She’s a sophomore, so she’ll have to more years to either go with the team or go individually.”
Columbus East junior Taylen Lane qualified for state as an individual on vault and beam, and freshman teammate Makyna Mullins has been chosen as the base gymnast for bars.
Nancy Kirshman, who is in her 47th year as Olympians coach and has had gymnasts compete at state in all but a few of those years, has never seen anything like this.
“We almost knew it was coming once all the basketball things came out (Wednesday) night,” Kirshman said. “Then, (East athletics director) Pete Huse told us near the end of our practice this morning there was going to be a press conference, so we figured something was going to happen. It’s unfortunate. I feel bad for at least the parents. It’s just unfortunate that their teammates can’t be with them, but I understand. It’s what has to be done.”
In all her years of competing as a club and high school gymnast, Sami Heathcote can’t recall performing with no fans.
“I think it will still be a pretty good meet environment because there will still be the other gymnasts, and we can have 16 gymnasts, so there will be a little bit of a cheering section,” she said. “It will be kind of sad that none of my family can come to my last meet, but it will be OK.”
Meanwhile, South Decatur has enjoyed its best boys basketball season — and its largest following — in several years, but only a fraction of the 600 fans who had bought tickets for Saturday’s Greenfield-Central Regional will be able to attend.
South Decatur athletics director Willard Rice sold all 280 of the school’s allotted tickets for last week’s North Decatur Sectional.
Rice originally was given 900 tickets for the regional and had asked for 200 more. Those who had purchased regional tickets can return them from 1 to 6 p.m. today in school’s main foyer for a refund.
“It’s been unbelievable from last week,” Rice said. “We were unable to sell one ticket to our public after we did students, staff parents. Now, a lot of them found ways to get in. We were all set this week. We thought we would sell more, but with people going out of town and with the virus, we understood.”
The IHSAA is working to attempt to have all of the boys basketball regional games live streamed. The Gymnastics State Finals will be streamed live on ihsaatv.org
