It is of the utmost importance that high school athletes feel comfortable and supported when competing, especially at the championship level. There must be a safe atmosphere that allows them to showcase and maximize their talents as they strive to achieve their goals. In most instances, this atmosphere happens, and we can happily watch as our fellow high schoolers perform to their highest standard.

However, this is not always the case. We cannot assume everything will run as it should, especially for certain disciplines. In track and field, racing is an incredibly intricate thing, as literal seconds can determine a victor. When athletes reach the state championship level, they operate on the basis that the meet will be run as normally as possible to maximize their abilities. In the case of Cole Stevens, a distance athlete for Manheim Township, this did not happen.

In his 800-meter race at the PIAA State Track and Field Championships on May 24, Stevens was disqualified after false-starting on the fourth attempted race start. Stevens, the 4th place medalist in the 1600m that same day and school record holder in the 800m for Township, was expected to contend for a medal in the 800m. In this video (please ignore the background music and text), you can see the shocked reactions of many of the other runners after the decision to disqualify Stevens after his false start. False starts are very uncommon for long distance races, even in the 800m, which is approximately half a mile and is considered the quickest distance event.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Stevens commented that an irregular 16-person heat (subrace within the larger 800m competition) made his start “absolutely critical.” This is because there is a large tangle up at the beginning of the race due to the lack of space. In the first attempt, two athletes fell, forcing the race to restart, one of whom fractured his arm. There was simply not enough space on a track to safely accommodate 16 of the fastest athletes in the state and state officials should have known this.

It’s not as if running smaller heats in championships is unseen. The NCAA championship runs the 800m in heats of 8, with each athlete starting in a lane and allowed to break into the first lane after 100 meters. Since many of the state 800m athletes will run in college in highly competitive programs, including Stevens, who is committed to USF, it is ridiculous to expect them to run with twice the amount of people in their lanes.

“I think the PIAA should have done four heats with eight people in each heat,” said Stevens. “It would ensure safety, and make the races faster and have people race smarter.”

Stevens also referred to highly irregular behavior of officials in his statement, claiming they held the athletes for over five seconds on each of four attempted starts to the race between the command of “on your mark” and the gun firing. If this was the case, that’s far exceeding the suggested guidelines provided by PIAA that an official should wait for approximately two seconds. This should not be the case in a championship race, but it was. Officials must adhere to their rules to ensure the safety of athletes. The five second wait endangered athletes and led to a situation where many starts were repeated in a championship race.

It is true that Stevens false started and was rightfully disqualified, but the conditions that led to it were unfair to all athletes involved. The PIAA must prioritize athlete safety, not efficiency, as they conduct their high level championships. Stevens should have been able to compete normally, not under irregular circumstances. It’s nice to see track media outlets such as Central PA Runner and Milesplit highlight his story online, but action from PIAA is needed. As of May 28, they have not released a statement nor taken public steps to address problems in this race in the future.

The PIAA must make changes to their race format to protect and empower athletes. A high school student—and truly no one—should not have to stress about anything other than their own performance. Stevens deserved better; the student athletes deserve better. I urge you to take the time to read the support under the post Stevens made from other track athletes and coaches. It’s inspiring and shows the community high school track cultivates—one we must allow to shine.