This was an article in the Louisville Courier-Journal on Wednesday.
Original Link http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090527/SPORTS05/905270489/1031/Central+appeals+track+result+over+hurdles
Central appeals track result over hurdles
Asking to become co-state champ
By Jason Frakes • May 27, 2009
Central High School and Jefferson County Public Schools are appealing the results of last week's boys' Class 2-A track and field meet with the hopes of having the Yellowjackets declared co-state champions.
Jerry Wyman, director of athletics for JCPS, met Wednesday with Central principal Daniel Withers and athletic director Marlon Miller to work on a letter that will be sent to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
The appeal centers around a controversial decision to rerun the 300-meter hurdles after two runners fell near the finish line of the original final heat during Friday's meet at the University of Louisville.
"We're appealing for them to review the video and the case book that governs the track and field event," Wyman said. "We think we have a strong case for them to take a look at what happened."
Covington Catholic won the boys' 2-A championship with 67 points. Central was second with 61, but the decision to rerun the 300 hurdles ended up costing the Yellowjackets 10 points.
Central junior Diaz Bolden was the original winner of the 300 hurdles after Paducah Tilghman's Caric Denson and Lone Oak's Stephen Miller both fell approaching the finish line. Bolden finished in 39.63 seconds, and Miller appeared to cross the finish line second despite the fall.
Event officials decided to rerun the race, ruling that Denson interfered with Miller. Rule 3.4.3 of the National Federation of State High School Associations states, "The referee has the sole authority to determine if a race shall be rerun, and if so, who is eligible to participate in the rerun and when it should be scheduled."
Meet director Gordon Bocock did not see the incident but said officials told him that a hurdle Denson hit caused Miller to fall.
"(Miller) had the opportunity to be a state champion," Bocock said. "(The officials) said that hurdle wiped him out."
The rerun was scheduled as the final race of the meet and took place 15 minutes after Bolden ran in the 1,600 relay, helping the Yellowjackets finish second.
In the rerun, Bolden tripped and finished last with a time of 47.54 seconds, giving Central zero team points for the event. Fleming County's Chip Clark won in 39.85 seconds, and Miller finished second in 39.90. Denson, who won the 110 hurdles, was disqualified from the rerun of the 300 hurdles.
Central coach Edward Newton said he never received an explanation of why the race was rerun and that he considered not letting Bolden compete.
"He was dead (after the 1,600 relay)," Newton said. "It was unfair to make him run again."
Charlie Ruter, a longtime U.S. Track and Field official, was at Friday's meet. He said that in his 60-plus years as an official he could remember only one race being rerun.
"It's just not done," Ruter said. "We try to avoid it, yes indeed."
Bocock said he felt bad for Bolden.
"I respect the Central coaches, and I respect them immensely for fighting for their kids," Bocock said.
Newton is hoping both Central, as a team, and Bolden, in the 300 hurdles, will be declared co-state champions.
"I don't want them to take the (team) trophy) from Covington Catholic," he said. "They had nothing to do with it. But I think they should make us co-champions."
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046.