A winter storm rolled through Virginia on Wednesday dumping considerable snowfall amounts (7-10 inch range) in particular in the Hampton Roads area as well as moderate snowfall totals (2-5 inch range) in Central Virginia. The winter weather forced many school systems to not only close Wednesday, but make calls to close on Thursday with the status of Friday to come in question as well as the weekend travel and meet plans for many track & field teams in the state of Virginia. Being the last weekend to achieve or improve qualifying times for championship season including the first and only time for many to race on a fast banked track at the Virginia Tech Invitational, the untimely winter weather is causing many issues and frustrations for many to potentially compete in a last chance meet this weekend weekend.
The Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday and Saturday appears to be good to go and little doubt about the meet being run as scheduled as Southwest Virginia had significanly less precipation than the rest of the state to the East.. Day 2 events for the Conference 5 & 6 Championship meets being held together at the Prince George County's Sports & Learning Center in Landover, Maryland will be held as scheduled on Thursday (January 30th) with the facility opening at 3 PM and events starting at 4 PM. Fairfax County schools had a two hour delay on Wednesday, while Thursday and Friday were already set as teacher workdays (no school).
The meet that is the most questionable and status remains unknown for this weekend is the Atlantic Coast Invitational, set to be held on Friday and Saturday at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. Being in the area hardest hit by the storm and worst road conditions, area schools may be cancelled through the weekend and have all activities postponed. We will let you know as soon as we hear an update on the status of the meet, which may not happen until Thursday evening when Hampton Roads area school systems make the calls on whether they will be closed, delayed, or open on Friday as well as decisions on if their athletic teams can compete over the weekend.
UPDATE 1/29 9:30 PM from Atlantic Coast Invitational meet director Vincent Pugh: Everything depends on the road conditions in Hampton tomorrow. We have 68 teams and over 1,400 athletes. Plan "A": The meet will go on as planned, even if we have to do it with a reduced number of teams. If the local schools are open on Friday, we are a full go. Plan "B" would be if the roads in Hampton are not safe on Friday, we will then adjust the schedule to Saturday only and start the field events at 7am, sprint/hurdle trials at 11:30am and the 4 x 800 @ 1pm. The meet will run sequential from there and I will put out a tentative time schedule for all events. We have secured the other gym as well for the teams and warm- ups. Plan "C" would be cancellation, but that is not an option to me.
If you have any updates or status on your team's or school system's status for competing this weekend, please let us know or email to milestat@gmail.com.