Ohio high school winter sports tournaments: Key dates for Greater Columbus fans to know

Dave Purpura, Columbus Dispatch
Olentangy Liberty celebrates its 4-3 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius in a 2023 state semifinal at Nationwide Arena.
Olentangy Liberty celebrates its 4-3 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius in a 2023 state semifinal at Nationwide Arena.

February means a few things when it comes to high school sports – league championships are won, and the postseason begins.

Postseason competition begins Saturday with five sectional swimming meets in divisions I and II, and concludes March 24 with the boys basketball state finals at University of Dayton Arena.

Africentric fans cheer during the girls basketball team's 55-37 win over Wheelersburg in a 2023 Division III state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.
Africentric fans cheer during the girls basketball team's 55-37 win over Wheelersburg in a 2023 Division III state semifinal at University of Dayton Arena.

Here are key dates to remember for the winter sports postseason, from Central District events through state competitions:

  • Feb. 12-13: Diving district meets. Division II competes Feb. 12 at Columbus School for Girls and Division I is Feb. 13 at Ohio State.

  • Feb. 16: Hockey regional tournament begins.

  • Feb. 16-17: Bowling, Division II sectional tournaments at HP Lanes. The boys compete Feb. 16, followed by the girls Feb. 17.

  • Feb. 16-17: Swimming district meets at Ohio University. Division II competes Feb. 16, followed by Division I on Feb. 17.

  • Feb. 20: Bowling, Division II district tournaments at HP Lanes.

  • Feb. 20-21:Girls basketball district tournament begins. Division III first-round games are Feb. 20, and the other three divisions start play the next night.

  • Feb. 20-24: State swimming and diving meet at Branin Natatorium in Canton. Boys diving is Feb. 20, girls diving is Feb. 21, Division II swimming preliminaries are Feb. 22, Division I preliminaries and Division II and paralympic finals are Feb. 23 and the Division I finals will be Feb. 24.

  • Feb. 21-24: Bowling, Division I sectional tournaments at HP Lanes. The boys compete Feb. 21-22, followed by the girls Feb. 23-24.

  • Feb. 23-25: Girls wrestling pre-regional tournaments.

  • Feb. 24: Gymnastics district meet at Worthington Kilbourne.

  • Feb. 24: Boys wrestling sectional tournaments.

  • Feb. 27: Bowling, Division I district tournaments at HP Lanes.

  • Feb. 27-28: Boys basketball district tournament begins Feb. 27 with first-round games in divisions I, II and III. Division IV starts Feb. 28.

  • Feb. 29-March 2: Girls basketball district finals. Two Division III finals are Feb. 29 at Capital. The Division IV final is March 1 at Ohio Dominican, which also will host four Division I games the next day. Two Division II finals are March 2 at Central Crossing.

  • March 1: Gymnastics, state team meet at Hilliard Bradley.

  • March 1-2: Bowling, Division II state tournament at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. The boys tournament is March 1 and the girls compete March 2.

  • March 1-2: Indoor state track and field meet at SPIRE Institute in Geneva.

  • March 1-2: Boys wrestling district tournaments. Division I is at Hilliard Darby, Division II teams go to either Norwalk or Wilmington and Division III is at Heath.

  • March 2: Gymnastics, state individual meet at Hilliard Bradley.

  • March 2: Hockey regional final at OhioHealth Ice Haus.

  • March 3: Girls wrestling regional tournaments at Marysville and Olentangy Orange.

  • March 5-9: Girls basketball regional tournament. Division I games are at Otterbein, Division II teams feed to Mansfield and Zanesville, Division III is split between Elida and Springfield and Division IV is at Pickerington North.

  • March 7-8: Bowling, Division I state tournament at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. The boys bowl March 7 and the girls follow March 8.

  • March 7-9: Boys basketball district finals. Ohio Dominican will host two Division III games March 7, two Division IV games March 8 and four Division I finals March 9. Both Division II finals are March 9 at Central Crossing.

  • March 8-10: Hockey state tournament at Nationwide Arena. Semifinals are March 8 and the final is March 10.

  • March 8-10: Boys and girls wrestling state tournaments at Value City Arena.

  • March 12-16: Boys basketball regional tournament. Ohio Dominican hosts Division I, Division II teams go to Ohio University and Vandalia Butler, Division III regionals are at Bowling Green at OU and Division IV is split between Kettering Fairmont and OU.

  • March 14-16: Girls basketball state tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Semifinals for divisions IV and III are March 14, followed by divisions II and I on March 15. The finals are March 16, beginning with Division IV at 10:45 a.m. and concluding with Division I at 8:30 p.m.

  • March 22-24: Boys basketball state tournament at UD Arena. Semifinals for divisions IV and III are March 22, followed by divisions II and I on March 23. The finals are March 24, beginning with Division IV at 10:45 a.m. and concluding with Division I at 8:30 p.m.

dpurpura@dispatch.com

@dp_dispatch

Trophies and medals are displayed during the finals of the 2023 state wrestling tournament.
Trophies and medals are displayed during the finals of the 2023 state wrestling tournament.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio high school winter sports postseason: Key dates to know

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