GAMBIER – Kenyon College will not be participating in sports this winter, the school announced on Oct. 16.
"This decision was not easy, nor was it made lightly," Kenyon Director of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation Jill McCartney said in a release. "The risks posed by travel and game play, and the uncertainty of the pandemic's course are too high, and we must prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and community."
The announcement came the same day the North Coast Athletic Conference announced the cancellation of conference competition for winter sports.
“In keeping with public health guidance, members have maintained universal masking and physical distancing protocols, limits on travel on and off campus, and limits on the size of on-campus gatherings; as well as contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols,” The NCAC release said.
Another factor in the decision is that institutions are considering changes to the academic calendar in the current school year, the conference release said.
The NCAC announced that individual institutions may participate in non-conference competition.
The Conference hasn’t held competition since last winter. So, when will teams be able to take the field again?
“The NCAC will continue to explore all options and plan for a safe return to intercollegiate competition, with the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff and our broader communities our foremost concern,” the conference release said. “As the pandemic evolves, we will continue to monitor changing federal, state and local guidance; and we will consult with each other as well as public health authorities and the NCAA as we plan for our eventual return to conference competition.”
The NCAC holds championships for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field in the winter.
Last season, the NCAC was able to hold its tournament championships. The Kenyon men’s swimming and diving team finished first and the women’s team came in second.
In indoor track and field, the Ladies were sixth place and the Lords finished ninth.
In basketball, the Ladies finished 10-16 overall and 6-10 in the NCAC before falling in the quarterfinal round, 63-43 at Denison.
The Lords went 6-19 overall and 3-15 in the NCAC and did not qualify for the conference tournament.
Championship tournaments were canceled for winter sports by the NCAA at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
