The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) on Thursday, January 27, 2022 approved a set of proposals to alleviate issues associated with COVID-19 cancellations and pauses of regular season contests to ensure equitable opportunity for all schools to compete in the 2022 MPSSAA Winter State Championships. The proposals address the sports of indoor track and wrestling that utilized regular season as qualifiers for state tournament entry.
The approved amendments for indoor track allow all schools to enter upwards of 14 entries and relay teams into regional meets. Previously, only the top-24 marks in each event during the regular season were able to compete in regional meets. The approved amendments for wrestling add a regional round 1 and regional quarterfinal to the state dual meet tournament, allowing all schools in a region to enter a team. Previously only the top-four regular season records per team entered the regional semifinals. The regional individual tournaments will allow all schools to enter one athlete per weight class by expanding the number of regional tournaments from eight to 16.
Indoor Track Regional and State Tournament Bulletin Updates
Wrestling Regional and State Tournament Bulletin Updates
The MPSSAA did not approve any changes to Swimming and Diving and Basketball state tournaments as both sports have open tournament entries that allow all schools to enter regional meets and contests.
The MPSSAA in consultation with local school systems (LSS) has continued to monitor the effects of COVID-19 on student participation in all sports. The MPSSAA supports a continuity of participation in a safe and meaningful way that provides a balance of health and safety for student-athletes with educational-based athletic opportunities. The amendments were a result of LSS, sport committee, and MPSSAA leadership consultations to allow for equity in MPSSAA State Tournaments.
The main purpose for the amendments to region and state meets is to alleviate issues associated with COVID-19 quarantines, loss of contests, and to provide equitable opportunities for all schools to compete in the 2022 winter championships. The MPSSAA believes the best option to maximize student participation is to make necessary adjustments that will provide an opportunity for all schools to equitably enter students-athletes into the regional meets.
More information will be provided on the MPSSAA.org and winter championship central pages in the coming days.