CIF Denies Appeal for Field Hockey Player

The California Interscholastic Federation has denied Santiago’s appeal to allow a boy to play field hockey.

Quan Vu, elected captain of Santiago’s field hockey team, appealed a Southern Section ruling that denied him the right to play the all-girls’ sport.

The case gained national attention recently on the MSNBC cable network, and on local television news shows and radio talk shows.

Santiago Principal Ginny Lombardi said the school was notified Friday in a letter from CIF Executive Director Jack Hayes that Vu’s appeal had been refused. Lombardi said the letter stated that while the CIF understood the rationale behind the appeal, the fact that Santiago offers more athletic opportunities for boys than girls meant the CIF could not waive federation rules.

Lombardi said that although an attorney has contacted Vu and offered to take his case for free, the school has no immediate plans to pursue legal action.

Vu, a 17-year-old senior, did not return phone calls Monday.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do,” Santiago Coach Sarah Anderson said. “The season is over this week, so at this point I have no idea where we go.

“We’d like to keep pursuing it. But at this point, it seems like the whole world is against us.”

* The eight-team field hockey Tournament of Champions begins today with Sunset League champion Newport Harbor seeded No. 1.

The Sailors (12-2), hoping to end Edison’s two-year hold on the title, will host Santa Ana (4-5-5). Edison (10-2-2) is seeded No. 2 after closing out the season with victories over previously undefeated Newport Harbor and Marina, the second-place team at the time. Edison will host Huntington Beach (5-5-4).

Third-seeded Marina (9-3-2) will host North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake (5-5-4) and No. 4 Santiago (8-2-4) will host Fountain Valley (6-6-2).

The semifinals will be Thursday and the third-place game and championship will be Saturday at Pleasant View Park in Huntington Beach, beginning at 12:30 p.m.