A limited schedule of meets at Glen Mills Schools is still tentatively slated to start this January, PTFCA president Ron Lopresti confirmed to PennTrackXC.
While the meets are on for now, they are contingent upon Glen Mills continuing to allow the associations to use the facility and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf not imposing further restrictions on the state, Lopresti said. Glen Mills has been the only facility in Pennsylvania open to hosting high school meets.
The meets will be every Friday through the end of February and alternate between the two Philadelphia area coaches' associations: the Track & Field Coaches Association of Greater Philadelphia (TFCAofGP) and the Delaware Valley Girls Track Coaches Association (DVGTCA) at Glen Mills' indoor track facility in Delaware County.
Last month, we reported that the association meets would begin on Jan. 8 with a DVGTCA meet, but that schedule has now been pushed back a week. The first TFCAofGP (boys) meet will be held on Jan. 15 and the first DVGTCA (girls) meet will be held Jan. 22. The PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival is still scheduled to be held on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Glen Mills as well. There will be many safety precautions at these meets, including athletes wearing masks while competing and while not competing and no spectators will be allowed.
Here's a look at the schedule:
- Friday, 1/15: TFCAofGP
- Friday, 1/22: DVGTCA
- Friday, 1/29: TFCAofGP
- Friday, 2/5: DVGTCA
- Friday, 2/12: TFCAofGP
- Saturday, 2/13: PTFCA Indoor Track Carnival
- Friday, 2/19: DVGTCA
- Friday, 2/26: TFCAofGP
There is also a growing list of polar bear meets on the Pennsylvania winter calendar, as well as indoor meets in New York and Ohio, among others, which are both currently accepting Pennsylvania entrants.
Still, many questions loom about the viability of an indoor track and field season in Pennsylvania due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, Gov. Wolf relaxed some of Pennsylvania's statewide restrictions on gatherings and events, which has opened the door for high school sports to happen this winter. That, of course, could change at any time with further restrictions, particularly if cases of COVID-19 spike.
But for now, a limited indoor season is still in the plans.
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Got any more information to pass along? Want to add polar bear meets to the calendar? Contact site editor Dan Beck at daniel.beck@flosports.tv with any questions or other information.