Jones Prep Runners Will Not Participate In Regional Meet Amid Teachers' Strike, Judge Rules

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A judge on Friday ruled that the cross-country team at Jones College Prep may not take part in the state regionals on Saturday amid a teachers' strike.

As CBS 2's Chris Tye reported, Cook County Circuit Court Chancery Division Judge Eve Reilly ruled against the attorneys acting on behalf of the Jones Prep students.

A statement from the IHSA reads:

The Honorable Eve M. Reilly, Circuit Court Judge of Cook County, ruled in favor of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in a summary judgement opinion on October 25, 2019. A Temporary Restraining Order had been sought to allow students from Chicago Public Schools to compete in IHSA State Series competition while their high schools are on strike. Over 30 years ago, IHSA member school principals voted to establish a Strike Policy that prohibits competition of any kind by a member high school while it is on strike.

"As the parent of a current high school student myself, I have great empathy for the student-athletes impacted by this strike," said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. "Yet, I fully understand why this rule exists and must be enforced. I genuinely hope for a quick resolution to the strike so that these young people can return to competition as soon as possible."

[scribd id=432059084 key=key-9JZl5J3KIwpxSoeNtyQS mode=scroll]

Joe Trost, founder of the PepsiCo Showdown school sports tournament, said the runners were profoundly disappointed.

"Just imagine that student athletes who have worked hard all throughout their careers – all summer long, all fall long – and were looking forward to the state competition here. It's going to be some tough news," Trost said. "But at the end of the day, the judge had to rule on the law, and that's what she did, and you know, just like in the game of life, you have to accept defeat sometimes, and you know, these kids will bounce back. But yeah, it's definitely, it's tough on them."

At a news conference following the ruling, one student noted, "The strike would need to end by 9 tomorrow morning to be able to run in Regionals."

"There's nothing we can do about it. We've worked was hard as we could, we put everything we had into this, and we just need to accept what happened," added Jones Prep cross-country runner Colin Greiner.

Kevin Sterling, an attorney with a son on the cross-country team at Jones College Prep, sent a letter earlier this week to the Illinois High School Association in an effort to get the team to compete in the state regionals despite the teachers' strike. Sterling said the IHSA's wording about the subject is confusing.

Sterling met with the IHSA on Wednesday to argue that the previous meet should quality, but he said the IHSA won't budge. The lawsuit that was ruled against on Friday came next.

Jones Prep cross country told a judge players will suffer damages in terms of missed scholarship that can't be calculated, and said they have the right to run.

But hours earlier, there was good news for some CPS football teams. The strike will not stop the football teams at Simeon Career Academy and two other schools from playing in postseason games after all.

The Illinois High School Association announced the decision Friday afternoon to loosen restrictions into playoffs after hearing an appeal from Simeon, whose Wolverines are number one in the Public League football program. The appeal took two IHSA rules to task: the requirement of playing eight varsity games prior to post-season, and the requirement that a team have three practice days before competition if its practices were canceled for seven days or more.

The IHSA Board waived the eight-game requirement for Simeon, at 8147 S. Vincennes Ave. in Chatham, Phoenix Military Academy, at 145 S. Campbell Ave. on the Near West Side; and Chicago Military Academy, at 3519 S. Giles Ave. at Bronzeville, making them eligible to be placed in the playoff field on Saturday.

The IHSA decision came since in week two an opponent backed out, and week nine was scrapped for the strike.

It was quite a relief for students banking on scouting from scholarship-friendly colleges, such as Simeon cornerback James Brown IV.

"To Denison and St. Ambrose and any other colleges that was interested in me," Brown said.

Hours earlier, the Simeon players had marched to the office of Mayor Lori Lightfoot at City Hall.

Still, the strike needs to end by Wednesday to allow them three days of practice, otherwise Friday's victory and that playoff berth vanish.