COVID-19 PUTS A STOP TO SPRING SPORTS

Spring athletics at MHCC has taken a hiatus this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to cancel all spring sports “was initiated by the Northwest Athletic Conference office, and then supported by the college,” said Kim Hyatt, dean of health, physical education, athletics, aquatics, and recreation at MHCC.

The spring sports canceled at Mt. Hood include men’s baseball, women’s softball, and both men’s and women’s track and field competitions. That left several dozens of Saints athletes without any 2020 season.

“This has had a significant impact on our student athletes, coaches and staff as well as our fans who support our programs,” Hyatt said.

“Our student athletes have been working very hard for the last year in preparation of this season and it is disappointing to see them miss out on this opportunity but we all understand the greater impact on our community if we would have continued.”

“I am very proud of their response and the commitment to continuing to work hard in the [virtual] classroom and their preparations for their next athletic endeavors whether it be at Mt. Hood or the next level,” said Hyatt.

As far as the normal fall and winter-season sports coming up at MHCC (women’s volleyball, men’s/women’s cross country, women’s/men’s basketball), Saints athletes are continuing to train during their offseason in different and unique ways, Hyatt said. That includes how coaches are staying connected to student athletes during this time, she said.

“In some ways, it is helping us to be more creative and work on the fundamentals that are so important for skill development,” said Hyatt.
For these sports, MHCC will continue to abide by the directions of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s office as far as the next steps for permitting public or “non-essential” activities, including decisions regarding college operations as a whole.

“Once approved, we are looking forward to the opportunity to come back stronger than before in each of our athletic programs and to continue to work in the classroom and win the NWAC President’s Cup again,” Hyatt said.

Mt. Hood won that league award for athletes’ collective classroom achievement (in the schools competing in eight or more sports) again for the 2018-19 school year, for the third time in six years.

Hyatt said there “are still a lot of unknowns” regarding potential timelines for resuming athletics activity in the coming months.
What’s also impossible to know is what might have been for Mt. Hood teams, if the pandemic hadn’t hit.

“I can tell you that this would have been a very special year for our spring sports teams as they were prepared to have a fantastic season,” said Hyatt. “I would also like to acknowledge the women’s basketball team and the opportunities that they missed out on when the NWAC championship tournament was canceled.”

After the Saints women won their first tournament game (a dramatic 75-72 overtime victory over Whatcom Community College on March 5), “they really had a great draw in the tournament and I believe would have surprised a lot of people – outside of Mt. Hood, that is,” Hyatt said.