WOODSTOCK, Sick. – A suburban student-athlete who was barred from competing for his total highschool profession has been reinstated, briefly, after taking the case to courtroom.
On Thursday, McHenry County Circuit Courtroom Decide David Gervais granted Marian Central Catholic Excessive Faculty pupil Jimmy Mastny and his wrestling coach, Jordan Blanton, with a Momentary Restraining Order.
Mastny had by no means competed in a highschool wrestling match however was disqualified by the Illinois Excessive Faculty Affiliation (IHSA) final month for allegedly violating recruiting guidelines. Blanton was additionally dominated ineligible to teach for the 2023-24 season.
Nonetheless, what unfolded in courtroom Thursday afternoon put them again on the mat when a decide sided with the coach and student-athlete.
Mastny’s mother tells FOX 32 Chicago that he has been wrestling since he was 8 years previous. Beforehand home-schooled, he is been trying ahead to competing since shadowing at Marian Central Catholic Excessive Faculty final Could.
“He’s thriving, straight As, he’s incomes awards,” stated Renee Mastny, Jimmy Mastny’s mother.
The scholar is from Oregon, Illinois, which is outdoors the 30-mile radius of the personal college that the IHSA enforces.
Over the summer season, Mastny moved in with a household buddy who lives close to the highschool. His mother even transferred guardianship to her.
Renee Mastny says their households have been mates for years, however here is the catch – the lady who took Mastny in is the wrestling coach’s mother.
After studying of the state of affairs final month, the IHSA dominated that Mastny and Coach Blanton violated by-law 3.070: ‘Recruiting of Athletes.’
“Heartbreak,” stated Renee Mastny.
Blanton was dominated ineligible to teach for one yr, and Mastny was disqualified from competing for all 4 years.
“It was the primary time, that I may discover, anytime within the IHSA historical past that that they had banned an incoming freshman, not only for this yr, however all 4 years,” Joe Trost, student-athlete advocate.
Renee Mastny says Coach Blanton was not concerned of their resolution to relocate the scholar.
“I feel the foundations that they’ve make sense, they’re fairly simple and we attempt to observe them to a tee,” stated Blanton.
Blanton says he felt assured of their case, and together with Mastny, filed an injunction in opposition to the IHSA. On Thursday, a decide granted them with a Momentary Restraining Order, permitting Mastny to compete and Blanton to teach – at the very least till their subsequent courtroom date.
“I used to be excited,” stated Blanton. “This has been a extremely exhausting state of affairs.”
On Thursday, the IHSA launched the next assertion to FOX 32 Chicago:
“The Illinois Excessive Faculty Affiliation (IHSA) respects the choice earlier immediately by the Honorable David Gervais of the twenty second Judicial Circuit granting a Momentary Restraining Order enjoining enforcement of the IHSA Board of Administrators ruling. It’s the obligation of the IHSA to uphold the by-laws that our member excessive colleges have put into place, and we’ll search to proceed to try this because the authorized course of continues. Because of the ongoing litigation, we can have no additional remark at the moment.”
Mastny is eligible to compete within the college’s subsequent match, hosted by Marist Excessive Faculty on Friday afternoon.
A standing listening to is about for Jan. 5, 2024.
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