The Coronavirus Shuts Down Wrestling, Pan Am Olympic Qualifier Still On
Photo credit: Everett Herald
by Derek Levendusky, AWW staff writer
On Thursday, March 12th, the wrestling community received the heartbreaking news that all major postseason events have been cancelled due to the ongoing crisis with the coronavirus. The NAIA and NCAA both announced the decision, nixing the men’s and women’s NAIA national championship events, and of course, the men’s D1, D2 & D3 NCAA National Championships. The women’s NCAA National Invitational happened last weekend.
Men’s D2 NCAA teams were already on site in Sioux Falls, SD last night, cutting weight at their hotels, getting ready for morning weigh-ins. Fans and family traveled hours for the event, settling in for an exciting weekend of wrestling, ready to watch dreams and goals put on the line. But it would never happen. The NCAA made the announcement that rocked the wrestling community across the country. Time to go home.
Similar news is coming from the youth and high school wrestling scene, as youth state championship events have been cancelled in Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin, while many other major youth tournaments have been postponed or cancelled. Though many state high school championships have already happened, Ohio’s has not. Yesterday, OHSAA announced that the boys’ Ohio state tournament has been cancelled. The NHSCA also announced that NHSCA Nationals, scheduled for the end of the month, has been postponed. This would the second year that NHSCA has a girls’ division.
Almost every sport and major event has been touched by the crisis. NCAA’s March Madness is cancelled. The NBA has cancelled the remainder of its season. The NHL, MLB, and the European Premier League have suspended activities. This could be the first time in 124 years that the Boston Marathon is postponed. In golf, The Players Championship was stopped after one round.
USA Wrestling put out a statement yesterday that they put together a “Coronavirus Advisory Committee.” This committee met with national staff on Wednesday, March 11th, to discuss a go-ahead plan. The statement says that “USA Wrestling will evaluate its events and activities based on those that are essential to our mission and responsibilities, and those that are non-essential.” It goes on to say, “USA Wrestling considers the qualifying and final trials events which select the U.S. Olympic Team, as well as the qualifying events and final trials events for U.S. age-group World Teams, as essential competitions. Most other events and activities may be considered non-essential.” Presumably, this means that the Last Chance Qualifier in PA, the Olympic Team Trials, Body Bar Women’s Nationals, and other age-level world team qualifiers are safe, at least for now.
The Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier, starting today, is still on in Ottawa, Canada. The event is a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, giving the United States an opportunity to qualify several weight classes in the men’s and women’s divisions.
On the world level, the European Qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games, originally set for March 19th-22nd in Budapest, has been postponed, along with the World "Last Chance" Qualifier in Bulgaria, an event originally scheduled for April 30th-May 3rd.
THE WRESTLING COMMUNITY REACTS
The reactions to the crisis have been sad and strong.
Menlo’s Precious Bell, after she found out the NAIA was cancelled, posted a picture of herself in a Team USA singlet on Instagram with the comments, “This is my future walking with God on Team USA…I cried so hard and so long when I found out I wouldn’t be able to win a national title as my last tournament as an OAK [Menlo’s mascot]. It’s sad that NAIA & NCAA nationals are cancelled but I am grateful that we are taking precaution. I am trusting God and continuing to work harder…Thank you Menlo!!”
Scott Headlee, father of North Carolina’s A.C. Headlee, tweeted out, “I thought I’d be spending this next weekend expressing how proud I was that my son AC had achieved his dream of becoming an All-American. It feels so unfinished. Goals are still out there and the dream is still alive just changed. My son is a 3x NCAA qualifier and I’m so proud.”
Rudis photographer and journalist McKenzie Pavacich posted, “Now more than ever athletic departments will need to step up and provide legitimate mental health resources across all sports. Having a career end on your own terms in itself causes an identity crisis in many, many athletes. I have no words for what I feel toward the seniors.” Pavacich is also a women’s wrestling coach at Arizona State.
Clarion wrestler Brock Zacherl posted, “If wrestling has taught me one thing it’s that you’re entitled to nothing. Life isn’t ever going to be fair but through it all you gotta pick yourself up and find the next goal to chase. Seniors extra year or not find your next dream and chase it like crazy.”
Wrestling journalist Mason Beckman, after hearing the NCAA’s ruling, said, “Nail in the coffin. Absolutely unthinkable, man. My heart breaks for every student-athlete and family affected. Life is certainly far bigger than sports, but having a childhood dream ripped away by otherworldly circumstances isn’t something I’d wish upon anyone.”
NJRTC coach Reece Humphrey posted, “Still having a hard time processing all of this…”
King coach, senior level wrestler, and Wrestle Like A Girl staffer Julia Salata posted, “Heartbroken for every college athlete right now. What a day.”
Others found playfully defied the cancellations, as Arizona State’s All-American Josh Shields posted, “Any 65 pounders wanna meet up and do this thing? It could be in my living room for all I care. Push the tables aside and let’s scrap.” Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph replied, “You know I’m game, always.”
The days ahead will show where all of this is going, though Dr. David Agus predicted on CBS This Morning, “There are going to be an enormous number of cases in the United States when we do more testing.”
The likely means that this is not going away soon, and the wrestling community will continue to feel its effects in the months to come.