Nicholson: Sportsmanship almost costs girls in 100 run

They say — and by "they" I mean every one I've talked to — that things can get weird at the state track meet.

Friday was no different, and might even become the new standard for which strangeness is measured.

Lincoln freshman Mollie Kersten, Harrisburg seventh-grader Erin Kinney and Ashley Odenbach of Spearfish tied in the 100-meter dash prelims. Each finished with a time of 13.01 seconds.

Normally the heat winners — of which there were three — would move on to the finals, with the next five best times rounding out an eight athlete field.

A three-way run-off between Kersten, Kinney and Odenbach was added to decide the final two spots (seventh and eighth).

And then it got weirder.

After waiting nearly 20 minutes to get things going — in chilly, overcast mid 50-degree weather, no less — Odenbach was called for a false start on the run-off.

That left Kersten and Kinney as virtual shoo-ins for the remaining two spots. They'd need only to finish the race — despite protests from their coaches, who wished to preserve their players' energy in what amounted to a formality.

That's when someone near the starting line suggested Kersten and Kinney hold hands as they cross the finish line.

"A lady came up to us, and we were going to jog it because there was no reason to run it, and the starter said, 'Oh yeah it's a good idea,'" Kinney said.

The two sprinters held a gingerly pace, holding hands as they crossed the finish line and eliciting a shower of applause from the crowd. Consider it equal parts having fun with the situation and exercising good sportsmanship.

Only one problem: Holding hands is, by letter of the law, an infraction worthy of disqualification. And so it followed.

The happy moment was sullied by the seemingly no-fun ruling: Rule 4, Section 6, Article 5C of the activities rulebook, which clearly outlines the forbidden nature of holding hands with another runner, but includes language about the "intent to aid."

In the case of Kinney and Kersten, clearly there was no intention or effect of the good-natured display of sportsmanship — against the rules or not.

Before long, coaches Jim Jarovski (Lincoln) and Kevin Kroger (Harrisburg) and SDHSAA board member Sandra Klatt were engaged in discussions with meet referee Brad Tucker.

"The original disqualification I was disappointed in because the girls were actually trying to demonstrate good sportsmanship," Jarovski said.

But before the conversation delved too far into considerations such as "the spirit of the rule," another suggestion was offered: To look at the qualifying times themselves.

And as it turned out, the original three-way tie that led to all of this wasn't a tie at all. Odenbach, the unfortunate false-starter, actually ran three-thousands of a second faster than Kersten and Kinney, but measurements to the hundredth were used instead.

"I honestly will take total credit. I misapplied that rule," Tucker said. "Whatever happened before is off the books."

Odenbach should have advanced to the finals, so anything that happened after that fact was wiped clean — meaning Kersten and Kinney would get one more chance, in the day's final race, to decide the final spot in the 100 meter dash finals.

"It was kind of a long, trying day with all that going on and trying to keep track of everything else," Kroger said. "But at least they applied the rules correctly in the end and gave both girls a fair shot."

In the end, Kinney edged Kersten for the final spot, but both posted their top marks of the season.

"I'm pretty sure I was about a half-step in front of her for the first 75 meters, and she got it at the end — which I'm really proud of her for," Kersten said.

It was the fifth race of the day for Kinney, and the sixth for Kersten. By any standard that's a busy day.

"I was just trying to show good sportsmanship by holding her hand because we tied to the thousands of a second," Kersten said.

What about regrets?

"Of course not," Kersten said. "I've been friends with her throughout the season."

Friday's 100 meter detour was a strange one, but it appears to have reached a satisfying conclusion.

"The activities association meet referees listened to our complaints and appeal and ultimately made the right decisions," Jarovski said.

David Nicholson covers high school sports for the Argus Leader. Follow his updates from the final day of the state track meet on Twitter @Nicholson_Dave.