Following venue and event format changes due to COVID-19, the 2021 Iowa High School Boys State Swimming Championships are now scheduled for February 13 at Linn-Mar High School in Marion.

Next month’s meet had previously been set for a two-day preliminary and final format at the University of Iowa’s Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

The Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA, which hosted the boys state swimming meet for 13 seasons from 2005-2017, was passed over as replacement site this winter.

Due to capacity limitations, spectators will not be permitted at any Iowa High School Athletic Association postseason swimming event. State meet and state-qualifying meet attendance is limited to participants, event staff, administrators and coaches, and approved media members.

“We’re grateful to Linn-Mar for stepping up as an able and willing host school for the 2021 IHSAA State Swimming Championships,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said.

Swimming has faced challenging circumstances throughout this school year. The IHSAA appreciates the efforts of participating schools, officials, and competitors to even make this boys’ swimming season and postseason possible.”

The move out of the University of Iowa natatorium was announced on December 3, where the meet has been since 2018. The total number of qualifiers for the one-day state meet with timed finals — 32 entries for individual events, 24 teams for relay events from six state qualifying meet sites — is an increase from 2020 and will remain equal to what was planned in the two-day format.

Linn-Mar has served as a co-host of the state meet at the University of Iowa for the last three years. The IHSAA said it is looking forward to working with the University of Iowa for the event in the future.

Sites and assignments for state qualifying meets are scheduled to be released next week. State qualifying meets are set for February 6, as previously scheduled.

Host sites of state qualifying meets will have the option of providing video streaming of the event at no charge to the host site or to viewers. The state meet will be streamed from Linn-Mar through IHSAA partner NFHS Network.