Folders |
FSU, Florida Drop High School Portions Of March RelaysPublished by
Florida State Relays, Pepsi Florida Relays Won't Be On Schedule For High School Athletes In 2021 By Todd Grasley for DyeStat With the new year comes new hope for a revitalized track and field season, but high school athletes have already lost a couple of big opportunities on the 2021 calendar. The Pepsi Florida Relays and Florida State Relays, two of the largest events of the season in Florida, both announced this week that there will not be any high school competition in March due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "The format for the 2021 meet will be determined at a later date," a University of Florida statement said. The Florida State Relays, which are typically held the week prior to the Pepsi Florida Relays in the third week of March, followed suit with a similar statement. The high school portion of the meet has been canceled due to safety concerns.
Both decisions come down to safety for athletes and the testing protocols that differ between the NCAA and high school levels. The two events annually bring thousands of track and field athletes to the campuses in Tallahassee (FSU) and Gainesville (Florida).
Big events of the same type across the country -- from Penn Relays to Texas Relays to Mt. SAC Relays -- could face the same dilemmas.
The Florida High School Athletic Association lists Jan. 25 as the first date that high school track and field teams can practice, with preseason classics allowed Feb. 8-13 and the regular start of the season following Feb. 15.
More news |
