Blake Flovin, a wrestler from northern California says he came down with sports-related herpes and is asking for the California Interscholastic Federation to cancel the state championship.
The tournament will bring together 561 students from 276 high schools statewide, some that have wrestled against the teen with the virus.
Flovin says he contracted the virus from a wrestling mat and is concerned that he possibly infected other wrestlers that are schedule to compete at Rabobank on Friday and Saturday.
Wrestlers and coaches from all over the state say they are not concerned because they follow certain protocols before and after the match, including wiping their bodies down with antifungal creams and showering within an hour of a match.
The CIF said they will not cancel the tournament and released the following statement on Thursday afternoon:
“Whether taking action to prevent concussions or the spread of infectious diseases, protecting the health and safety of our student-athletes is paramount. This is why we have experienced medical doctors on staff who ensure all our programs adhere to established protocols, the latest scientific research, the best medical advice and the most respected national health and safety standards for high school sports.
After a thorough medical review of this situation, we have concluded that this week’s CIF State Boys Wrestling Championships will proceed as scheduled for March 4-5, at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.
With regard to California high school wrestling championships, it is standard operating procedure for certified trainers and physicians to conduct a careful skin evaluation of every wrestler before weigh-ins on both days of the tournament. Physicians and certified athletic trainers are trained to detect symptoms and make a determination as to the nature of the condition and whether the student-athlete may compete without posing a risk to himself of any other competitor.
We are confident that our practices, along with an exhaustive medical review of this particular situation, ensure that there is no justification for concern about the spread of a contagious disease at the event.
We look forward to sponsoring the anticipated 561 student-athletes from 276 California high schools competing at the 44th annual CIF State Wrestling Championships.”
