No distance for cross country?

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Friday the fall sports season will move forward as scheduled. That means practices for those sports can begin Saturday morning. But the status of contact sports such as cross country, football and soccer remains unclear. What type of season that may be facing area cross country runners might have seen the first domino fall on Wednesday. That is when Columbian High School athletic director Dan Hartsel announced for the first time in more than 50 years, the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival will not take place. Contested at Hedges-Boyer Park since 1969, the event was scheduled for Sept. 12. One of the biggest meets in the U.S., last year it hosted approximately 7,500 runners as it draws schools from all over the state and beyond. Hartsel said the cross country and athletic department staffs met with Seneca County Health Commissioner Beth Schweitzer to discuss the Carnival. "With the runners that we had last year, and you probably quadruple that (number) for spectators and staff," Hartsel said. "We just can't have that number into Seneca County right now." Hartsel said Columbian, which hosts the Carnival, is hoping to host a smaller cross country meet Sept. 12. "We're gonna invite the surrounding conferences — the N10, the BVC and the NBC &sbquo; to participate," he said. Locally, New London cross country coach Keith Landis believes that many other large scale meets and invitationals were waiting to hear what the Carnival was going to do first. "I would not be surprised to hear similar statements and meet managers in the near future now," Landis said. "On our end, the (Dan Olien) Invite is late in the season and we have the luxury to do it on property that is our own. A little less organization time is needed for that, and we don't have to make that decision right now." As things stand with the calendar turning to August, Landis does not believe any Saturday Invites will take place this season. "I'm hoping we can get some small meets together until later this fall," he said. "If things begin to go in a positive direction, maybe we can get together for tournament time. Maybe they can let us do something up to 10 teams or a certain number of runners? But I don't see how the Galion (Festival) or Tiffin races can operate with those numbers. "Quite frankly, when you talk about space and social distancing for fans, it's awfully hard," Landis added. "Fans don't spread out all throughout the course. They either stay at the starting line and finish line. I don't think it's fair for athletic departments to have to police that." In Friday's memo, the OHSAA said if contact sports are not approved by Sept. 4, they will move to a condensed schedule that will take place between mid-December and the end of June. There has been much debate among those involved in athletics on the classification of cross country as a contact sport. In Friday's memo, the OHSAA also noted conversations with Gov. Mike DeWine's office and the Ohio Department of Health continue regarding the status of cross country being placed into the low/non‐contact category. However, the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis already considers cross country a low-risk sport. "Depending on your definition, I understand where both organizations are coming from," Landis said. "But from competitive running in a traditional cross country setting, for those first 200 or 300 meters after the gun goes off — no matter the size of the field of runners — you have a mass of humanity. It's one of the coolest things to watch." "But those people who tell you there won't be contact in that mass of kids are wrong," he added. "The other challenge is as the races get more competitive, the field gets tighter." Landis pointed to the state championships as an example. There are typically 150 kids who finish within just a couple minutes of each other. He also said the OHSAA guidelines and recommendations released on July 22 suggest clearing the area around the finish line to have minimal staff inside that area, so kids can disperse rapidly. "Which is fine for kids who finish under their own power," he said. "But these kids also give everything they have … there is an element of danger if a kid goes down at the finish line. We have to get them out of harm's way. "Yes, this isn't wrestling, and we're not hitting each other like in football practice or even a slide like in baseball or soccer," Landis added. "But there is certainly a close proximity of kids who are jockeying for position. I understand the contact side. I was a little baffled by the term contact, because I think they ought to do it by proximity." At New London, the sport of cross country is a way of life. The boys program has been to four straight Div. III state meets as a team, placing seventh twice. The Wildcat girls have also advanced to three straight state championship races as a team. In the Firelands Conference, the boys have 25 conference championships, including 11 in the past 14 years. The girls have 13 FC titles, with five coming in the last seven years. "I certainly can't speak for every school district, but I know at New London the kids want to keep working," Landis said. "This spring was real hard on these kids. We've had a good, consistent turnout. I wear a mask every day at practice unless I'm also running. "Some of the kids ask me why I'm doing it, and I tell them it's because I want to keep getting together and being able to work with them," he added. "If things don't make a marked improvement, whether you think it's the right or wrong decision, the powers that be can't let that number of kids get together like that. But hopefully we can get moving and get these kids some sort of normalcy. All I know is they want to be outside somewhere in the morning running with me … what more can I ask for?"