The Nebraska School Activities Association Board of Directors on Wednesday looked beyond the current COVID-19 crisis to award Lincoln’s Sun Valley Lanes the state high school bowling championships for the next five years.
Because of Lancaster County’s ban on youth and high school sports over the past three weeks, the NSAA was forced to move its unified bowling state championships Monday out of Sun Valley Lanes to Maplewood Lanes in Omaha.
But Sun Valley’s 32 lanes, which hosted the U.S. Open PBA Tour event in February, won out over a bid from Columbus, which had the event split between two sites — 16 lanes at Westbrook Lanes and 12 lanes at Boulevard Lanes.
The first-ever NSAA-sanctioned bowling championships are scheduled for Feb. 8-9.
“Being able to host everything at one site combined with all the improvements they’ve made there (at Sun Valley), we just felt like this was the best place for us long term,†NSAA executive director Jay Bellar said. “We want to be in the best facilities.â€
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If Lancaster County’s health directives will not allow the bowling championships to be in Lincoln in February, “we can go somewhere else if we need to,†Bellar said.
In the shadow of the most recent COVID-19 outbreak, winter high school sports are moving ahead in Nebraska under the protocols set by the NSAA.
But at the December Board of Directors meeting via Zoom, the organization said it is ready to implement a no-fan policy at activities statewide if COVID-related hospitalizations statewide reach 25% of total hospital beds in Nebraska.
At that number, Gov. Pete Ricketts’ current mandates state that all youth sports below the high school level would be suspended, but that high school sports could continue with restrictions on fan attendance similar to what schools are already implementing.
Most high school events are presently limiting attendance anywhere from two to four family members of the same household per participant, which includes players, coaches and cheerleaders.
After a lengthy discussion, the board decided not to take a formal vote on a proposal to ban fans at high school events if COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide surpass 1,060. There are currently 787 COVID patients in Nebraska hospitals.
But at any time, if the situation warrants, the board is prepared to call a Zoom meeting and cut off fans at events until the situation improves.
“We want to stay proactive on this,†Bellar said. “We all agree that we want to move forward with our kids participating, and I feel like we’re doing the right things and that we have a plan in place to make that happen.â€
Bellar said an important component right now is making sure fans are following the NSAA winter spectator protocols that call for masks and social distancing. He has not ruled out reprimands for schools where fans are in violation.
“We’re doing what we can to help the schools implement those (protocols), and we may need something to make sure they’re enforced,†he said.
Bellar said he’s heard from some that the NSAA should consider extending its five-day moratorium around Christmas into the middle of January, but he is resisting a move like that on a statewide basis.
“We left those decisions up to local school districts and health departments in the fall, and I think that’s the direction we should continue to go,†Bellar said.
Both of the District 1 board members, Lincoln Public Schools athletic director Kathi Wieskamp and Sutton Superintendent Dana Wiseman, want to see activities move ahead.
“Schools are a safe place for our kids to be in our programs,†Wieskamp said. “We have the daily oversight and the opportunities to talk with them. We have strong protocols in place that we are implementing and utilizing, so I think those are positive things.â€
In her area of south-central Nebraska, “Our health district has been super to work with,†Wiseman said. “They feel that it’s in the best interest of the kids to be in school and participating in activities with caution and protocols in place.â€
In other action, the board approved subdistricts for wrestling, which will divide the existing districts in half to avoid large contingents of athletes and fans cramming into a single gym. The subdistricts will be Feb. 5-6, meaning the state dual championships for this year are canceled.
The board also passed an adjustment to Class D-1 and D-2 boys and girls postseason basketball. This will allow the top-seeded team to host a district final if the schools are within 180 miles of each other. If the schools are more than 180 miles apart, it will be played at a neutral site.