Arizona wrestling tournaments to begin Saturday
Feb 11, 2014, 10:49 PM | Updated: 10:49 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona state wrestling tournaments will begin Saturday after a jump in skin lesions caused officials to postpone it, the Arizona Interscholastic Association said Tuesday.
“We recognized that the postponement of the wrestling tournaments was an inconvenience but when compared to protecting the health and well-being of our students, it was a choice that had to be made,” said AIA Executive Director Dr. Harold Slemmer in a release.
The Division III and IV tournaments will be held Saturday at Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott, Ariz. The Division I and II sectional tournaments will be held in their original locations and the championships will be held Feb. 21-22 at Tim’s Toyota Center.
Earlier this week, the AIA said it became aware of the lesions and decided to postpone the tournaments in the interest of student safety.
“Until we can identify exactly what is going on and ascertain the extent of it we postponed the sectionals on [Saturday] and on Monday we will be consulting with public health officials and looking at what our next steps will be in order to maintain and ensure the safety of the kids and the people involved in the tournament,” Chuck Schmidt, Chief Operating Officer of the AIA, said.
In a release, the Maricopa County Department of Health said 15 wrestlers across five schools were affected by the skin lesions.
The agency has yet to discover the the exact cause of the lesions but are hoping for a diagnosis within the “next few days.”
Parents of wrestlers who are concerned about their child’s skin should contact their doctor.
KTAR’s Mark Remillard contributed to this report.
