WINCHESTER, Ind. -- Parents of some high school wrestlers forced to miss a regional tournament due to weekend snow are upset that the competition wasn't rescheduled.

The 14 Winchester High School athletes were supposed to travel from Randolph County to nearby Jay County on Saturday for the event, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

But when nearly a foot of snow created near whiteout conditions early Saturday, a Level 3 snow emergency was issued in both counties, advising drivers to avoid non-essential travel.

Randolph school officials heeded the warning and decided not to travel to the tourney.

But the Indiana High School Athletic Association chose not to postpone the competition, angering coaches and parents.

"We like to have our kids obey the law, but since we did that, we were punished," said assistant wrestling coach Jordan Jones.

"The weather was horrible and none of us wanted our children on the road," said Shelley Mock, the mother of a senior wrestler. "We're just disappointed Jay County held the regional without us. It was very sad."

IHSAA spokesman Blake Ress said such large events are difficult to reschedule.

"When you have team tournaments in individual sports where you have multiple schools there like swimming or wrestling, it's more complicated to postpone the whole thing," he said.

After school officials appealed to the IHSAA on Monday, the organization ruled that the 14 Winchester wrestlers will be allowed to compete at the semi-state competition in Fort Wayne on Saturday.

Still, parents said it won't be the same because each boy will have to wrestle fourth place regional champs before they can get into the higher tournament.

"I felt like it is totally unjust to our wrestlers because I know what it takes to get to that level, the hard work and dedication it takes to be in this sport," said former wrestler Shane Jones. "I felt like the police should have shown up at the tournament given everyone a ticket and sent them home."

Wayne County canceled its regional tournament on Saturday, even though that area was not under a snow emergency.