The first impact of COVID-19 on the fall sports season is occurring within Hot Springs County School District No. 1.

Superintendent of Schools Dustin Hunt released a letter posted to the hotsprings1.org website on Tuesday detailing the complete move to digital learning for the next two weeks, until Sept. 13, 2021.

Hunt references a rise in COVID-19 infections in the community. He stated,

“It is disappointing to be in a digital instruction period this early in the school year, but unfortunately numbers of students and staff infected with COVID 19, or under quarantine orders has reached the threshold of needed separation.”

This will impact the Bobcats in football, volleyball, cross country, and golf.

Thermopolis will not play versus Tongue River this week, and next week’s game at Big Piney has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Volleyball was slated to play at the Cody Border Wars tournament this week. They have been pulled from that competition. Thermopolis is also out of next week’s Rawlins Invite.

Cross country had three meets on its schedule, at the Buffalo Invite on Sept. 3, at the Riverton Invite on Sept. 9, and at Wyoming Indian’s Invite on Sept. 11.

The golf team has had to cancel its trip to this Thursday and Friday’s Riverton Invite, as well as two events next week, the Tongue River Invite at Kendrick Golf Course in Sheridan on Sept. 10, and the Thermopolis Invite on Sept. 11. That was going to give 2A teams that wished to come to a preview of the state course.

Thermopolis is scheduled to host the Class 2A State Golf Championships on Sept. 17 and 18, 2021.

WyoPreps asked WHSAA Commissioner Ron Laird if this shutdown will have an impact on the state golf tournament.

In an email response, Laird said, "As of now, we are holding to the schedule of Hot Springs HS still hosting."

He added that after Hot Springs County School District No. 1 re-evaluates their situation next week, they will receive an update.

Laird added, "It looks like it's going to be a fairly fluid year."

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