Judge Expected To Rule On Allowing CPS Athletes To Compete In State Playoffs

A Cook County Judge is expected to decide Friday afternoon whether to allow hundreds of CPS students to take part in state playoffs, some of which get underway Saturday morning.
Photo credit WBBM Newsradio/Andy Dahn

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Cook County Judge is expected to decide Friday afternoon whether to allow hundreds of CPS students to take part in state playoffs, some of which get underway Saturday morning.

One of the first competitions up in the air? Regionals for the IHSA cross-country meet.

"If they want to stop me, they're going to have to try and catch me first," Sydney Partyka, a senior cross-country runner at Taft High School, told reporters Friday morning. "I will definitely show up, no matter what the ruling is."

Attorney Kevin Sterling represents 14 Jones College Prep families behind an emergency injunction against the IHSA and Chicago Public Schools.

"Right now, these kids have no right to run," Sterling said. "We have to earn them the right to run, then we will work as hard as we possibly can to work out the logistics."

Hundreds of student athletes packed a downtown courtroom, hoping to see the IHSA's first loss in court since 1995.

"The board of directors and the executive director of the IHSA have the ability to interpret their bylaws and their policies to fulfill their mission," Sterling said. "Their mission is for these kids."

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Ian Bacon, a senior at Jones College Prep, called the possibility of having his athletic career end with a disqualification "crushing."

"A lot of teams here run races in the city," he told reporters. "Not a lot of college recruiters come to these races. This is one of the sole opportunities this year that students have to meet with recruiters."

A ruling is expected by 5pm.