(Valhalla, NY) - Westchester Community College Director of Athletics Michael Belfiore has announced that the college's spring sports season has been canceled. The decision was announced on Tuesday, January 26.

The athletic department had been working towards a goal of sponsoring Baseball, Golf, Track & Field, and having a spring Soccer season. However, due to the continued COVID-19 Pandemic, Westchester CC has joined much of Region XV in canceling the spring season.

"This was a very difficult decision, particularly in light of the fact that our spring sports programs lost a majority of their seasons a year ago. However, our top priority has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff, and campus community. Looking at the numbers and trends of the pandemic, this is a tough decision, but the right one." Belfiore said.

Westchester CC will proceed with its spring ESports season as planned.

The State University of New York (SUNY) recently released Return to Play protocols for Community Colleges that allowed each campus to determine the status of their spring seasons autonomously. Following that announcement, a majority of Region XV institutions canceled their spring sports seasons, which factored into Westchester Community College's decision. 

Belfiore said that the department's attention will now turn towards academic support for all Viking student-athletes, and plans for the Fall 2021 athletic season, which he hopes will be held without interruption. He also added that allowing teams to practice during the spring semester remains a possibility.

"I am devastated for our student-athletes and staff, who worked tirelessly throughout the year to prepare for the spring season. But, our goal now is to make sure our teams achieve the highest level of academic success possible, and to prepare for the fall season. I am hopeful we will be back practicing this spring, but we will not consider such a plan until we know it is absolutely safe for all involved to do so. I am certainly hopeful that the pandemic will subside during the spring in a manner that will allow us to return to normal operations as soon as possible," Belfiore added.

To read the guidance provided by SUNY regarding community colleges and spring sports, click here.