Coronavirus concerns canceling Mid-Columbia sporting events
What a whirlwind of news there’s been in the past two days in the sports world regarding COVID-19.
Major professional sports are shutting down. College conference basketball tournaments have been stopped, even with no fans in the stands.
Spring sports among a number of colleges and universities are canceled.
School districts around this state are putting a hold on spring sports and extracurricular activities for at least six weeks.
Meetings and events around the Mid-Columbia are also being canceled.
So is the SWX All-Star Classic, which was scheduled for Sunday, March 15, at Kamiakin High School.
The two games, one boys and one girls, were to pit 15 of the Yakima region’s top players going up against 15 of the Tri-Cities’ best.
The series began in the early 1990s when it was started by the Yakima Herald Republic and Tri-City Herald.
SWX now coordinates the event, that’s in its 25th year — including a few years when there were four games to accommodate small-school players.
Yakima has dominated the boys game, with a record of 22-6.
Tri-Cities has dominated the girls series, holding a 20-8 record.
The TV station plans to hold the game next March.
These were the rosters of all four teams:
YAKIMA GIRLS: Brinley Hagemeier, Ellensburg; Karina Hibbitt, East Valley-Yakima; Lochlyn Hoberg, Davis; Trista Hull, La Salle; Gillyan Landis, West Valley-Yakima; Dylan Philip, Ellensburg; Kameran Rodriguez, Sunnyside; Mia Rodriguez, Eisenhower; Kylie Sherman, Selah; Kaelynn Smith, Ellensburg; Ashlynn Sylve, East Valley-Yakima; Brynn Widner, Zillah; Ariel Winslow, West Valley-Yakima; Kiana Yesiki, Eisenhower.
TRI-CITY GIRLS: Alyssa Agundis, Chiawana; Jayda Clark, Richland; Rian Clear, Walla Walla; Amani Davis, Kamiakin; Aislin Fiander, Kennewick; Madeline Gebers, Kennewick; A’niyah Heavens, Pasco; Jadyn Johnson, Columbia-Burbank; MeiLani McBee, Kennewick; Iliana Moran, Hanford; Delaney Pink, Chiawana; Jazlyn Romero, Hermiston; Madison Smith, Connell; Nikole Thomas, Kamiakin; Talia von Oelhoffen, Chiawana.
YAKIMA BOYS: Malachy Caffrey, La Salle; Ethan Copeland, Sunnyside; Caleb Deaton, Naches Valley; Clay Delp, Zillah; Jace Durand, East Valley-Yakima; Kieran Kershaw, La Salle; Logan Kinloch, West Valley-Yakima; Mason Landdeck, Zillah; Earl Lee, Davis; Isaac McDonald, Eisenhower; Noah Pepper, Selah; Isaac Perez, Toppenish; Jose Reyes, Davis; Bryce Strom, Yakama Tribal; Conner Turner, West Valley-Yakima.
TRI-CITY BOYS: Andrew Albrecht, Richland; Dylan Ashbeck, Walla Walla; William Bailey III, River View; Ayoni Benavidez, Kennewick; Michael Cornia, Walla Walla; Cooper DeWitt, Chiawana; Chase Elliott, Hermiston; Messiah Jones, Kamiakin; Jayden Martinez, Chiawana; Grant McClure, Liberty Christian; Connor Mendez, Chiawana; Taylor Perez, Chiawana; Kyson Rose, Kamiakin; Tristan Smith, Southridge; Steven Westermeyer, Kamiakin.
Other notes
• The Western Hockey League has “paused” play for the season. The Tri-City Americans had five games left to play in the year, which ends March 21.
• Walla Walla Public Schools announced Thursday morning that it was suspending all school-sponsored out-of-district events effective immediately. That also includes sports teams hosting games or events with teams coming in from out-of-district.
As of Thursday afternoon, Walla Walla becomes the first Mid-Columbia Conference school district to make this move.
• Mercer Island’s baseball team was scheduled to play one game at Hanford and one at Richland this Saturday, but canceled its road trip.
• The Boston Marathon, which was scheduled for April 20, will now be run in the fall, according to race officials. A number of Mid-Columbians compete in the annual event.
• With Major League Baseball shutting down spring training on Thursday, and the regular-season being pushed back to April 9, the Mariners players will likely stay in Peoria, Ariz., at the team’s complex and continue working out, with no fans allowed.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 6:27 PM.