Court
overrules state association in "Kiptoo-gate"
11/3 Kiptoo
ruled ineligible for state meet - Shadrack Kiptoo, the
phenom who just became eligible for high school sports a year after his
move from Kenya, is ineligible for the New Mexico state meet Nov 8, according
to reports. The Albuquerque Tribune said the New Mexico Activities Association
ruled Kiptoo guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct at the District meet when
he returned to the course after his big win and and cheered his La Cueva
teammates to the finish. La Cueva coach Eddy Hellebuyck said he has a video
showing Kiptoo merely cheered on the sidelines with Hellebuyck without
pacing any runners. Tribune
story
11/4 Kiptoo
attorney files for restraining order - Complaint
asks court to prohibit the NMAA "from discriminating against Shadrack
based on his ethnicity and/or for being faster than other competitors." Before
the alleged unsportsmanlike conduct, Kiptoo won his district race by 90
seconds. NM Association official says he say Kiptoo pacing his teammates
for 30 meters. Albuquerque
Tribune story.
11/5 Kiptoo
eligible for state meet after court ruling -
New Mexico district judge Bill Lang listened to 6 hours of testimony and then
decided that Kiptoo should be allowed to compete in the New Mexico state meet
Saturday (11/8). The decision turned on testimony that the meet official who
ruled Kiptoo guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct under National Federation rules
did not know that New Mexico Activities Association rules have a penalty of disqualification
from the next meet, which is stricter than the National Federation rules. The
meet official, Denis Heimerich, said he had never seen a copy of the NMAA rules
and would have called a lesser infraction if he knew his decision would result
in Kiptoo missing the state meet.
After the ruling, Kiptoo hugged his coach (Eddy Hellebuyck) and told the Albuquerque
Tribune, "I'm going to run as fast as I can."
DyeStat New Mexico
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