The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) announced the state swimming and diving meets for the girls season will happen on Jan. 15-16.
Practices will begin Jan. 4.
The meets were originally scheduled for before Thanksgiving but the COVID-19 pandemic moved them to Dec. 23 before another pandemic “pause” in Michigan moved the state meets again, this time to Jan. 15-16.
The swimmers who have qualified have been out of the water — at least team-wise — for more than three weeks and have been training on their own hoping for a state meet.
The MHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Tournament will conclude with Finals during the weekend of Jan. 15-16 at three sites – Division 1 at Hudsonville High School, Division 2 at Grand Rapids Northview High School and Division 3 at Lake Orion High School. The Diving Finals will take place Friday, Jan. 15, followed by all Swimming Finals on Jan. 16.
Participants in both swimming and volleyball must take part in a rapid testing pilot program created by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Athletes, coaches and other team personnel directly involved in practice and competition must test three times per week using BinaxNOW antigen tests that produce results within 15 minutes. Teams and individuals in both sports must complete one round of negative COVID-19 tests before beginning practice. Football teams still participating in the MHSAA Football Playoffs also are taking part in the rapid testing pilot program and scheduled to begin full-contact practice as soon as they complete a round of negative testing this week.
The Girls Volleyball Tournament will pick up with Quarterfinals on Jan. 12, followed by Semifinals on Jan. 14-15 and Finals on Jan. 16. Semifinals and Finals will be played at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.
Spectators will not be allowed at MHSAA competitions for either sport. Spectators also are not being allowed at Football Playoff games, which are scheduled to begin again Jan. 9.