OHSAA winter and spring tournament updates

COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors met Thursday and received a number of updates from the OHSAA staff, including winter and spring state tournament venues. There was also an initial discussion regarding charging school membership dues beginning with the 2021-22 school year. Details and discussion meetings regarding membership dues will be communicated with member schools in March. Sites for the upcoming regional basketball tournaments have been set. Of note, since most universities in Ohio are not currently allowing fans or outside groups to use their facilities because of COVID-19 campus protocols, most of the boys basketball regional tournaments will take place at member school gymnasiums. Ticketing details have been sent to member schools to comply with Ohio Department of Health regulations. "As we have seen throughout this pandemic, our member schools will do whatever it takes to provide participation opportunities for student-athletes," said OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute. "We thank our schools that have stepped up to host the regional basketball tournaments and all of our winter sports tournaments." As previously announced, the upcoming winter state tournament locations and dates include the swimming and diving championships on Feb. 24-27 at C..T. Branin Natatorium in Canton. State bowling will be held Feb. 26-27 and March 5-6 at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl, while the state wrestling championships will be held at three different sites at Hilliard Darby (Division I), Marengo Highland (Division II) and Marion Harding (Division III) from March 13-14. Regional hoops sites Norwalk is among the sites once again for Div. I regional basketball, as Norwalk High School will host the boys basketball regional semifinals and final for the Northwest portion of the state. Below are the sites for girls regional semifinals and final games: Div. I: Medina, Sandusky, Cincinnati Princeton, TBD Columbus; Div. II: Barberton, Mansfield Senior, Zanesville, Springfield; Div. III: Cuyahoga Falls, Lexington, Chillicothe Southeastern, Springfield; Div. IV: Massillon Perry, Elida, Pickerington North, Vandalia-Butler. Below are the sites for boys regional semifinals and final games: Div. I: Norwalk, Twinsburg, Cincinnati Princeton, TBD Columbus; Div. II: Barberton, Elida, Chillicothe Southeastern, Vandalia-Butler; Div. III: Twinsburg, Elida, Chillicothe Southeastern, Vandalia-Butler; Div. IV: Akron Firestone, Van Wert, Chillicothe Southeastern, Vandalia-Butler. Spring sports update The spring sports season remains on schedule, with official practices for baseball, softball and track and field set to begin on Monday. Boys tennis practice is scheduled to start on March 8. The OHSAA Board of Directors has approved the tournament regulations in softball, baseball, track and field and boys tennis, with those state tournament venues to be: Baseball: Canal Park, Akron, June 10-12; Softball: Firestone Stadium, Akron, June 3-5; Tennis: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, May 28-29; Track and Field: Hilliard Darby (Div. I); Pickerington North (Div. II); Westerville North (Div. III).