A possibility that was long-feared became a reality on Thursday when the PIAA announced the cancellation of all remaining winter sports championships and the spring sports season.

The decision came after Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement earlier in the day that Pennsylvania schools will be closed to in-person learning for the remainder of the school year.

“Today’s decision by the PIAA board of directors was difficult for everyone. Their thoughts remain on the thousands of student-athletes, coaches, officials and family members affected by this decision,” said PIAA Executive Director Dr. Robert A. Lombardi in a statement. “However, the Board’s position reflects a steadfast priority of keeping our student-athletes, officials and member schools’ staffs and their communities safe, while following the guidelines provided by the governor, the Department of Health and the Department of Education.

“We had maintained hope for a continuation of our winter championships and an abbreviated spring season to help bring a sense of normalcy to our communities. As we navigate through this difficult time we need to remember the lessons that interscholastic athletics has taught us: cooperation, patience, sacrifice, responsibility, respect and perseverance.”

The PIAA announced on March 12 that it was postponing its Basketball and Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships for a minimum of two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Class 3A swimming and diving championships were truncated to allow for limited spectators, and were completed at the end of the diving session.

Marian’s Maddie Dando, Panther Valley’s Erika Zimmerman and Emily Newton and Palmerton’s Carson Allen were all set to compete in the Class 2A event, which is held at Bucknell University in Lewisburg.

The Tamaqua boys’ basketball team was also set to face Pope John Paul II in a Class 4A quarterfinal contest. The Blue Raiders previously earned victories over Danville and Susquehanna Township in the tournament.

At present, 17 other state high school associations have ended their sports seasons in similar fashion.

“The PIAA board of directors will meet in the coming months to address any concerns that arise from the membership from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement read. “While PIAA remains hopeful that summer activities will be able to commence July 1, it is still too early to reach any decisions or offer guidance at this time.

“In providing any further guidance to the membership, PIAA will continue to monitor any additional information provided by the Governor’s Office, Department of Health or Department of Education as it relates to interscholastic athletics.”