Hawaii Cancels Winter High School State Championships

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association has shut down March state championships just as the winter prep seasons are set to begin.

With winter sports slated to begin Monday, the HHSAA announced Saturday that it’s forgoing all March 2021 state championships due to the modified schedule created by the COVID-19 pandemic. High school sports will go on, but the HHSAA decided to cancel the annual championships due to logistical changes and travel restrictions.

“Our intent for cancelling the first set of state tournaments was to allow our member schools the opportunity to participate in a longer league season, rather than a truncated one with regional and state tournament play for only a limited number of schools,” HHSAA executive director Chris Chun said in Saturday’s press release. “Although the state tournaments are cancelled, leagues are not restricted in conducting their seasons if it is deemed safe to do so. We will continue to work with the Department of Health and government officials for the possibility to hold state tournaments for the remaining sports in late May.”

Sports impacted by the HHSAA’s decision include air riflery, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, outrigger canoe paddling, soccer, swimming and diving, and wrestling,

According to West Hawaii Today, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation “has yet to release schedules in any of those sports, and it’s unlikely there will be BIIF championships.”