photo by: Chance Parker

Lawrence High sophomore Hailey Ramirez dribbles past the Olathe Northwest defender Thursday evening at LHS on Dec. 3, 2020.

The girls basketball teams at both of Lawrence’s high schools are quarantining because of coronavirus cases among team members.

Julie Boyle, a spokeswoman for the school district, said the district was informed Monday that members of both Lawrence High School’s and Free State High School’s girls basketball teams tested positive for the virus. She said the two cases were unrelated.

After contact tracing, both of the schools’ varsity and junior varsity girls teams have been asked to quarantine as a safety precaution. Boyle said LHS’ quarantine would be in effect through Dec. 21 and included 18 students and four coaches. Free State’s quarantine is in effect through Thursday and affects 20 students and four coaches.

The teams’ games scheduled during those periods will be canceled, Boyle said. LHS was scheduled to play on Tuesday, and Free State was scheduled to play on Thursday, according to the Sunflower League website.

The girls teams are the third and fourth Lawrence basketball teams to quarantine this winter because of COVID-19.

Last week, just days after playing its first games, Free State’s boys team was asked to quarantine after one of its members tested positive for the virus. Boyle said at the time that five coaches and 20 students were to quarantine until Tuesday.

Additionally, LHS’ freshman boys basketball team was subjected to a quarantine just before the team’s season began. Boyle said 13 members of that team were asked on Dec. 2 to quarantine through Dec. 13. The team is scheduled to begin play tonight, according to the Sunflower League website.