Women’s basketball team out of quarantine
By Dylan Manfre
The entire women’s basketball team entered on-campus quarantine in Conover Hall last week after an individual player recorded an indeterminate COVID-19 test, according to a top university official.
The University Health Center was notified over the weekend by the Lawrence Department of Health that the individual, who was one of 13 players tested on Oct. 13, had a test that came back as inconclusive, according to Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristine Brown.
“What we were advised was that because it’s indeterminate … you have to treat it as out of an abundance of caution as a potential positive case until the test can be redone,” Brown said.
An “indeterminate” test indicates that the test cannot be determined as positive or negative for the coronavirus.
The indeterminate individual entered quarantine over the weekend, while the remaining members of the team were quarantined on Oct. 19. This corroborated the university’s updated COVID-19 Dashboard of 14 additional individuals who entered quarantine housing on Oct. 20.
On Oct. 19, the individual team member was subsequently tested with a rapid antigen test, which came back negative the same day, as well as a PCR test that was negative on Oct. 22, according to Brown.
Because the individual recorded two subsequent negative tests the Lawrence Department of Health told Rider University the team can be released from quarantine, according to Brown.
The other 12 players and four coaches who were tested on Oct. 13 all received negative results, according to Brown.
Head Coach Lynn Milligan said on Oct. 19 the team had already conducted two full practices with all players and coaches present. Teams were allowed to hold full practices in preparation for the season on Oct. 14 but could not do so until they were tested, as per NCAA guidelines.
The team has resumed practice since its release from quarantine, according to Rider Sports Information Director Greg Ott.
The NCAA has announced Nov. 25 as the first date of competition for the 2020-2021 season.
