WIAA reinstates Bellarmine Prep runner's state title

Nicole Cochran will be a state champion after all.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has reinstated Cochran, a senior at Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma, as the Class 4A state champion in the girls 3,200-meter run, nine days after Cochran was disqualified for an infraction she did not commit.

In an interview Monday afternoon, WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese said the reversal comes because officials misapplied a rule by not immediately identifying a girl who stepped on the inside lane line during the race — which turned out to be one of Cochran's teammates. Instead, officials waited until the next lap and flagged the wrong Bellarmine Prep runner.

"That's the meat of the issue," Colbrese said. "They didn't identify her at the time of the violation."

Colbrese said he reviewed all applicable state and national rules but did not use the online video of the race that caused many in the state's track-and — field community to call for Cochran's reinstatement. He said that national federation rules prohibit the review of unauthorized video in making such decisions.

"I can't use the video," he said.

The individual standings for the race and team points have been adjusted, although it made no difference in deciding the champion. Bellarmine Prep, even without Cochran's 10 points, won the girls team title.