CIF Rules Violation Forces Surrender of Track Medals by Orange Lutheran

Orange Lutheran freshman Barbara Boisvert and the Lancer relay team have forfeited medals won at Saturday’s Beaumont Invitational track meet because of a rules violation, Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas said Tuesday.

Boisvert competed at the Trabuco Hills Invitational Saturday morning and then at Beaumont, breaking a CIF rule prohibiting athletes from running in more than one meet a day.

Boisvert won the girls’ invitational 1,600 meters at Trabuco Hills in 5 minutes 0.2 seconds--the second-best time in the state this season. At Beaumont, she won the 800 and ran a leg for the winning 1,600 relay team. The 800 and relay medals have been returned.

“I’m pretty pleased with the outcome,” said Bob Dowding, Orange Lutheran athletic director. “Everything was done above board. It wasn’t an attempt to see how many medals someone could win.

“Slip-ups do happen, and her coach (Jonathan Zimmerman) is upset, but he talked to the kids on the team and explained the situation.”

Zimmerman said Saturday he allowed Boisvert to run in both meets after receiving an erroneous rule interpretation. Dowding said he told Thomas about the violation Monday after learning about it from Zimmerman.