One day after the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced all spring sports competition would be suspended through at least April 6, the NCAA Division II conference made the decision to cancel the rest of athletic activities through the end of the academic year because of COVID-19 pandemic.
That means Fort Lewis College men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s track and field as well as softball and women’s lacrosse have now had the rest of their seasons canceled. The decision has been made by numerous NCAA conferences in an effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
“We are heartbroken for our spring student-athletes and we do not take this decision lightly nor do we underestimate the impact it has on those who have had something taken away today,” RMAC Commissioner Chris Graham said in a news release. “The overriding theme of our deliberations has been aligned with institutional positions, based upon the continued best health practice recommendations from state and federal experts.”
The news comes one day after the NCAA announced all spring sports championships, along with remaining winter sports championships, would not be completed across all divisions of the NCAA.
To our student-athletes, coaches & supporters,
— Fort Lewis Skyhawks (@FLCSkyhawks) March 13, 2020
We're heartbroken the 2020 spring seasons have ended under these circumstances. Thank you for your patience, and for how well you've represented FLC and your respective programs during this process. We'll be back #TalonsUp #LetsSoar pic.twitter.com/uJyJBgwLAv
“Honestly, it’s devastating,” said FLC athletic director Brandon Leimbach. “To see our athletes so distraught after they worked so hard, especially the seniors and the tremendous leadership of our first-year head coaches this spring who saw so many positives, it’s tough. Obviously, the recent outbreak is bigger than sports. At the same time, it’s heartbreaking as an athletic administrator.”
Friday’s announcement came after a vote among the RMAC Presidents Council after a recommendation was made by league athletic directors with strong consideration of the NCAA’s decision not to hold spring sports championships.
Here’s a closer look at some of the issues and teams affected by the decision:
Division II Administrative Committee decisions: https://t.co/t8yRoP6cmH pic.twitter.com/rhnFmVfUvz
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) March 13, 2020
Earlier Friday, the NCAA announced it would grant an extra year of eligibility to spring sports athletes across all divisions. That includes graduating seniors. It’s not immediately clear how many, if any, FLC athletes would take that opportunity.
“Each case will be different,” Leimbach said. “Some graduating seniors may be looking forward to a lifetime of achievement beyond collegiate athletics and have jobs already lined up. For those maybe still undecided and for non-seniors, maybe it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of an extra year of NCAA eligibility to hone their craft and be a Skyhawk. We would love to have a home for them.”
The NCAA also has placed a moratorium on in-person recruiting visits to prospective athletes until at least April 15. Coaches may still have phone or written communication with recruits during the dead period, though. Institutions may reimburse student-athletes for any cost related to canceled visits during that time.
FLC men’s basketball coach Bob Pietrack said there is no blueprint for how to recruit during such a time, and it will be up to coaches to build strong relationships however they can. He also believes the dead period will extend beyond the current April 15 date, and he doesn’t see campus visits happening anytime soon.
Many coaches saw the writing on the wall Thursday and believed seasons would be canceled entirely, so Friday’s news wasn’t a complete shock.
“The guys were upset,” said FLC men’s track and field and cross-country coach Joshua Coon. “We just talked to them about how sports are a gift and a privilege. The next time they are toeing the line, they will really understand that. It’s a bummer, but most of the athletes realize there are bigger things going on. They will savor it even more the next time they compete.
“Personally, I am pretty bummed. I spent three years building up the men’s track team from non-existence to where I thought we would be pretty good this year. We will just wait a little longer.”
FLC women’s lacrosse head coach Ashley Travis is in her first year with the Skyhawks, and FLC had started the season 2-0 with emphatic performances.
“It’s really upsetting. I think we had a lot of momentum after the first two big wins,” Travis said. “Telling the girls, it was honestly heartbreaking. It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a coach so far. To see their faces and for them to know their season is over, especially our three seniors we have who have not be able to play another game of lacrosse in their lives, it really hurt.
“This takes a toll on me. I’m trying to create a culture of strong, confident girls after having a couple of struggling seasons. I think we did that this year and were on the road to going in the right place. We were all looking forward to what we could do this year.”
The FLC softball team had gotten off to a strong start at 11-11 overall and 8-4 in RMAC play. After three years of largely not getting to play on their home Aspen Field on the FLC campus, the Skyhawks were finally looking forward to completing a full season at the newly renovated complex. Instead, FLC played just one home stand of four games at Aspen Field last weekend, a four-game series split against first-place Colorado Christian University.
“We all cried together, and it’s just been really hard to wrap our minds around everything happening,” said FLC first-year softball coach Ashley Reeves. “There’s really no good words to describe how we all feel. It just sucks for everyone, for lack of a better word.”
The FLC softball team was fourth in the conference standings behind a three-way tie for first place. The Skyhawks were driven to make the conference tournament and prove they belonged at the top of the conference. Now, they will never know.
“Everyone is kind of mourning the loss of what we thought we were going to have,” Reeves said. “I appreciate everything the girls have done and given to me so far, especially our seniors. I’m not sure if they will want to come back or what that will look like, but we will honor that if they do want to come back.”
FLC head golf coach Jim Foltz was irked that golf was also canceled. Collegiate golf, especially Division II, does not play in front of large galleries, and he felt the players could stay safe. Leimbach said there was zero conversation with fellow administrators across the RMAC about special considerations for individual sports.
“I’m not too happy about all this,” Foltz said. “It is what it is, and we gotta live with it. The kids were really looking forward to playing at the end of spring break, and all of a sudden we don’t have anything. I don’t know if it’s overreacting or underreacting. Golf not being a public sport with a big arena and people close together, I don’t see where it’s a problem, but I’m not the boss.”
Foltz said he wasn’t sure if any golfers would want an extra year of eligibility but said he will encourage seniors to graduate.
“My philosophy is motivate, educate, graduate,” he said. “I don’t like people hanging around to play one more year of sports. A lot of kids need to go on and make a life. I’m not into kids hanging around an extra year of eligibility. Most of our athletes are stellar students who will go on and make their lives in business and engineering. That extra year? Thanks for doing that, but I don’t really want them hanging around and think they will go and move on.”
FLC fall sports’ spring practices – men’s and women’s soccer and football – will not be able to complete the practices until at least April 6. FLC students will take online courses through at least that date. If students are invited back to campus for classes, it is possible student-athletes will be able to practice with their teams.
The potential inability to not have spring sports practice will be especially tough on the FLC football team, which had completed only two spring practices under new head coach Darrius G. Smith. Without spring practice, Smith will be forced to guess on what holes need to be filled in recruiting and won’t be able to complete proper evaluations of players on the team he inherited.
Because NCAA Division II does not allow teams to practice during the summer like D-I programs, Smith hopes the NCAA will consider allowing D-II teams to practice this summer if all spring practices are lost. That would allow work to be done ahead of the usual August reporting date that gives FLC only weeks to prepare for the season opener at D-I University of Northern Colorado Sept. 5 in Greeley.
“It would be imperative,” Smith said of potential summer practices. “I don’t know how many new coaches took jobs this year, but the spring is so you can establish a foundation of what you want to do schematically, learn personnel and fill in last-minute needs in recruiting. Without that opportunity, everyone is behind the eight ball if you’re a new coach coming into a new program. So many questions are unanswered, and you never want to put yourself in a situation where you’re trying to force round pegs into square holes.”
Track and field athletes may now choose to begin to prepare for next fall’s cross-country season and turn their attention from track to trails.
“We have to find some silver lining,” Coon said. “Maybe now we transition the mindset toward August and having a bigger buildup and more time to improve. In a case like this, you have to look for any silver lining.”
Travis said her lacrosse team can use the lost season this year as fuel to be even better in 2021.
“We will come back hungry next year, and we will keep these girls ready to play,” Travis said. “We still believe we can do what we were going to do this year again next year.”
If spring teams are able to come back and practice after April 6, Reeves said the Skyhawks will be on the softball field together.
“If they allow me to practice, absolutely we will practice,” she said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
