As the Maine Principals’ Association prepares for the return of winter sports championships after a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020-21, it has secured sites for nearly all of its championship events.
The basketball tournaments, which by far draw the largest crowds, will be held at their usual sites, albeit with site-specific COVID protocol requirements for spectators.
“We’re going to have mask mandates at all of our events – except for when kids are in the pool,” said Mike Bisson, assistant executive director of the MPA.
Vaccination requirements will be site dependent.
The Portland Expo and Cross Insurance Arena in Portland require spectators to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of an event. The Augusta Civic Center and Cross Insurance Center in Bangor do not have vaccination requirements but do require masks.
Basketball action in southern Maine will tip off at the Expo on Feb. 18, with four Class B South boys’ quarterfinals.
The Expo will host eight games in Class A South and Class B South on Feb. 19, and four games each for those classes on the following Monday through Wednesday. The Class AA tournaments, both North and South, will be held at Cross Insurance Arena, starting with regional semifinals on Feb. 23. The AA quarterfinals will be at the home of the higher seed, as has been done in the past. The South finals for classes AA, A and B will be held Feb. 25-26 at Cross Insurance Arena.
The Augusta Civic Center will host the Class C and D South tournaments, along with Class A North. The B, C and D North regionals will be at Cross Insurance Center.
The AA and A state championships will be in Portland (Cross Insurance Arena) on March 5, Class B is March 4 in Bangor, and C and D are March 5 in Augusta.
CHEERLEADING
The regional meets are Jan. 29. The Class B North, C North and Class D meets will be at Cross Insurance Center. The Augusta Civic Center will host A North, A South, B South and C South.
All state championships will be Feb. 12 in Augusta.
HOCKEY
Postseason games will not be at The Colisee in Lewiston this year, as the MPA could not reach financial agreement with the arena’s ownership group.
Girls’ hockey regional and state championship games will be played at Troubh Ice Arena in Portland on Feb. 16 and 19, respectively. The Class B North boys’ final will be at the University of Maine, and the B South final is at Troubh, both on March 9. The A and B boys’ state championship games will be March 12 at Cross Insurance Arena, which will also host the Class A semifinals on March 8.
INDOOR TRACK
A site has yet to be determined for the Class B state championships, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 19. The meet is typically held at Bates College, but the school is not allowing outside groups to use its athletic facilities this winter. The University of Maine and University of Southern Maine are being considered as sites, according to the MPA’s Bisson.
The Class A championships will be at USM on Feb. 21. All athletes and coaches will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the meet.
SKIING
The Alpine championships will be held Feb. 17-18. Saddleback in Rangeley will host Class B. Class A races will be at Black Mountain in Rumford.
All Nordic races will be at Black Mountain on Feb. 23-24.
SWIMMING
Normally held at the University of Maine and Bowdoin College, all four swimming championships will instead be at the Don Richards Pool in Cape Elizabeth. No spectators will be allowed.
On Feb. 21, the Class A boys will swim at 10:30 a.m., with the Class B boys’ meet to start at 5:30 p.m. The girls’ meets will use the same schedule on Feb. 22.
All divers will compete on Feb. 19, at the South Portland Community Center pool, with the same set of judges for both classes. Diving results will be submitted to the swim meet scorekeepers prior to the start of the swimming competition.
WRESTLING
The MPA will host nine wrestling championships this year, each at a participating school. Seven sites have been secured, with each committed to allowing at least some spectators.
Those tournaments are: Class A South, Noble in North Berwick, Feb. 12; Class B North, Belfast, Feb. 12; Class B South, Fryeburg Academy, Feb. 12; Class B state championship, Morse High in Bath, Feb. 19; Class A and Class B Dual Meet championships, Feb. 22, Fryeburg Academy; girls’ individual championship, Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, Feb. 23; and the New England Qualifier, Morse, Feb. 25.
Still to be determined are sites for the Class A North regional and the Class A state championship.
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