CROSS COUNTRY Columbiana judge rules against Salem

The Quakers won an earlier lawsuit to compete in the state meet.
LISBON -- Salem school officials have failed in their bid to validate their boys cross country team's participation in the state championship meet.
Judge David Tobin of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court issued a ruling Wednesday stating that the team should not have advanced to the state meet following a disputed finish in a regional contest held in October at Boardman High School.
The results of that meet placed Salem's team out of contention for the state contest.
After Salem schools filed a lawsuit, Judge Tobin allowed the district's runners to compete in the state meet. The Quakers finished third in the Division II state meet, which was run on Nov. 1 at Scioto Downs in Columbus.
The Salem runners' participation was provisional, however, based on the outcome of the lawsuit against the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Salem school officials disputed a decision at the Boardman regional meet, where Salem's team originally was awarded the sixth and final qualifying spot for the state championship contest.
But the Boardman meet's results were appealed and a review was conducted.
The review resulted in Cardinal Mooney being awarded sixth place, which scrapped Salem's state championship bid.
Salem argued that officials at the Boardman meet erred by reviewing the race after a 10-minute appeals limit has expired.
In his ruling, Judge Tobin determined, that although meet officials ignored some rules, the review of the race and the runners' placement clearly showed that Salem finished seventh, not sixth, and should not have advanced to the state meet.
Salem schools Superintendent Dr. David Brobeck was unavailable for comment on the decision.