It appears that an alleged small gesture of faith by a track runner has caused quite the controversy for a Texas high school and beyond. The Columbus High School Mighty Cardinals track team was disqualified from a state meet when one of their runners ‘touched his ear and pointed towards the sky’ following a victory. The gesture was deemed as an excessive celebration and the team was disqualified.
Runner Derrick Hayes was the young man who made the gesture following finishing the 4 X 100-meter relay in first place by seven yards. His father KC Hayes believes that the gesture was not excessive in any respect, and in fact it was his son giving thanks to God.
KC told KHOU.com, “It was a reaction, I mean you’re brought up your whole life that God gives you good things, you’re blessed.”
The crux of the matter lies within the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) regulation barring excessive celebration. How the simple touching of an ear and pointing are excessive, I definitely do not know. The ruling cost the team the win as well as the opportunity to compete at the state championships.
“You cross a finish line and you’ve accomplished a goal and within seconds it’s gone,” KC Hayes said. “To see four kids, you know, what does that tell them about the rest of their lives? You’re going to do what’s right, work extra hard, and have it ripped away from you?”
You have to assume that this isn’t the last of this story that we will hear about.
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