Governor cancels Fall sports in New Mexico

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Fall sports in New Mexico have been cancelled.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said Thursday, "the risk of catching and transporting the coronavirus is too high."

New Mexico had its worst single day of positive COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.

"We can't afford to take the risk, especially with teams traveling to play," said Grisham.

The cancellation applies to youth, high school and club sports.

Fall sports impacted by the cancellation are: volleyball, cross-country and golf.

Football and soccer have already been moved to the Spring.

Las Cruces Public Schools, in accordance with an update from the governor’s office Thursday, will comply with the order to postpone all fall sports. The directive affects student athletes involved in golf, volleyball and cross country.

Dr. Karen Trujillo, LCPS Superintendent, maintains the district’s commitment to address student’s social and emotional health, saying engagement and conditioning activities will continue under strict safety protocols in pods of nine to one.

“Students need our support to maintain a sense of engagement in school and that includes sports and other student activities as allowed under the public health order,” Trujillo said Thursday. “My office will continue to work with high school administrators, coaches and sponsors to find ways to keep our students active.”

The district’s first cross country event was scheduled to take place Saturday at Centennial High School.

For the latest updates on COVID-19 in our area and around the world, head to our coronavirus section.

Sign up for our newsletter and get each day’s top stories delivered directly to your inbox.