District 1 Track and Field: Hand gesture costs Penncrest relay team a spot at states

CALN TWP. — Joy turned to despair after the Penncrest boys’ 4 x 800-meter relay team was disqualified after one of the runners was said to have used an obscene hand gesture toward one of the officials.

The incident took place during the final leg of the Class 3A championship race in the District 1 Track & Field Championships at Coatesville Area High School Friday afternoon.

The Lions’ team member had allegedly moved too close to the track to encourage a teammate running the anchor leg in the relay. The runner was told to move back by an unnamed official and reportedly flipped an all-too familiar hand gesture after their brief discussion.

The official in question was said to have not seen the offending gesture, but meet referee Jim Lamb did see it and immediately disqualified the Lions after a brief consultation with District 1 track chairperson Ron Lopresti.

“It was in my presence,” Lamb said. “I saw it.”

Lamb said there was no physical contact between the runner and the official and no other words were spoken between the two. Lamb said that the competitor was disqualified for “disrespectively addressing an official.”

The runner, distraught afterward, admitted his action that cost the Lions a bronze medal and a trip to next week’s PIAA Championships. He then openly apologized.

Penncrest finished third in the race with a time of 7:54.64, which would have ranked as one of the top times in the state if not for the disqualification. The top five teams automatically qualify for the state championships.

Penncrest coach George Munro appealed the disqualification to the district’s jury of appeals but the appeal was denied unanimously, Lopresti said. The runner was disqualified from further participation in the meet. Lopresti also said that the decision was final.

“He said he was sorry,” Munro said. “What else can he say? He cost his teammates a great opportunity. We were in a blanket finish with those two teams. It’s just a tough lesson to learn for him and an even tougher lesson for his teammates.”