Canceled wrestling tournament stirs anger

A handful of parents complained to the West Mifflin Area School Board last week after the high school wrestling team was pulled out of a recent tournament due to coronavirus cases.

The West Mifflin Area High School wrestling team was set to compete in a tournament in February, but on the day before the tournament, a Friday, it was discovered that the high school hit its threshold number for positive COVID-19 cases and had to close the next day, per the attestation the district signed with the state.

Parent Holly Galiano, who spoke at the March 25 meeting, said she was “devastated” as it wasn’t until 9:30 a.m. the day of the tournament that players and parents were notified of the closure, and students who were set to wrestle at the tournament had to be pulled out of it, although the tournament was in another school district.

Ms. Galiano said an event at the school set for Friday night, the night before the wrestling tournament, still took place.

“A special event on Friday night was OK, but canceling a sectional for the wrestlers on Saturday morning less than 12 hours later with no contact tracking?” Ms. Galiano said.

The board accepted wrestling coach Anthony Salopek’s resignation later during the same meeting, effective retroactively to Feb. 20.

Resident Tina Novotny, who is Mr. Salopek’s sister, said she has been involved in the West Mifflin wrestling program for most of her life. She said her brother was notified that the wrestlers could not compete in the tournament via email, which she said was “not an official form of communication.”

Superintendent Jeffrey Soles said it was not the district’s intention to take way any opportunities from any of the athletes.

“The call was made,” Mr. Soles said, adding that the threshold for the number of positive coronaviruses was met so the school had to be closed.

Mr. Soles said that if there are

seven positive cases, the school has to shut down for seven to 14 days. If there are four to six cases, the school has to shut down for three to seven days.

“We felt bad. The wrestlers had one chance. We understand that,” he said and apologized that the wrestlers lost out on competing in the tournament.

He added that other sporting events were also impacted, including boys and girls basketball games.

“Over the last 13 months now, we’ve all made sacrifices. We’ve all been disappointed. We’ve all missed major life events because of this,” Mr. Soles said of the coronavirus.

District solicitor Krisha DiMascio said the district had to sign an attestation with the state to be allowed to be open in person, and if the rules aren’t followed there are consequences.

“We have to follow guidelines,” she said.