BY JOBY FAWCETT
Times-Shamrock Writer

A frustratingly stubborn winter forced athletic directors from Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association schools to postpone the start of some spring sports seasons.

Because most athletic fields and tracks are still snow covered, the baseball, softball and track and field schedules were directly impacted. Tentative adjustments were made at a meeting held Monday at Forest City High School. There will be another meeting of the athletic directors April 1 to determine if any further actions will have to be taken.

“With the dynamics in geography that we have in the league, we had to do something,” said Joe Gilhool, Montrose athletic director who is the president of the athletic director’s association.

“Most, if not all of our schools, haven’t even been able to get outside, and may still not get outside this week, so we will meet again April 1 to assess the situation.”

Tuesday’s entire opening day schedule in the Lackawanna Track Conference was canceled. Because the meets are crossovers and don’t count in the division standings, they will not be rescheduled.

The opening day of the season will now be March 31 and teams will run a total of seven conference meets.

“It was the right thing to do for the safety of the athletes,” said Scranton athletic director Ted Anderson, who is the president of the LTC. “Here in the valley, we have been outside on a track maybe one or two times. The jumping pits are frozen and that would be like jumping into concrete.
“The vast majority of the schools haven’t even gotten outside yet.”

The baseball and softball seasons for Divisions III and IV were set to begin with league games March 30 and April 1. Those game dates have been postponed and rescheduled for April 24th and May 1.

“We will take a look at it again next week, and if we have to go in another direction we will,” Gilhool said.

Only one of the seven Lackawanna League boys tennis matches scheduled for Monday was played.

The scheduling or rescheduling of tennis matches will be at the discretion of athletic directors on a day-to-day basis.