If you're into long-range planning, you might want to put these two changes in the WIAA softball tournament series onto your 2010 radar:

Belmont coach Jeff Hodgson reminded me today that, starting next season, softball sectionals will be split up and held on a Tuesday (semifinals) and a Friday (final) the week after the WIAA state track and field meet. Softball sectionals have been single-day affairs with the semifinals played simultaneously on adjacent diamonds with the championship games to follow as they are now.

Of course, that change will come the same year that the state tournament is moved back a week -- to June 17 through 19 in 2010. It will continue to run the same days as the state girls soccer tournament, but the first day of both tournaments will conflict with the last day of the WIAA state baseball tournament in Appleton.

"There are a lot of positives about (the change)," WIAA assistant director Marcy Thurwachter said. "But the biggest concern is weather."